Summary

This report responds to certain requirements of the Haitain Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 that authorized certain Haitian nationals and their dependents to apply to adjust their status to legal permanent residence. Section 902(k) of the act requires the Comptroller General to report every 6 months on the number of Haitian nationals who have applied and been approved to adjust their status to legal permanent residence. The reports are to contain a breakdown of the number of Haitians who applied and the number who were approved as asylum applicants, parolees, children without parents, orphaned children, or abandoned children; or as the eligible dependents of these applicants, including spouses, children, and unmarried sons or daughters. Reports are to be provided until all applications have been finally adjudicated.

Through March 31, 2003, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, formerly part of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, had recieved a total of 37,295 Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act applications and had approved 9,555 of these applications. The Executive Office of Immigration Review had 665 applications filed and had approved 183 of them.