On February 13, 2025, Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Darren Soto (D-Florida) introduced the Venezuelan Adjustment Act (H.R. 1348). This bipartisan bill would allow eligible Venezuelan nationals living in the United States to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. The bill has three additional cosponsors.
The Venezuelan Adjustment Act would provide legal certainty to Venezuelans who fled the political instability caused by Venezuela’s authoritarian regime and who are already living and working in the U.S. About 400,000 individuals would be eligible to receive legal status under the bill.
The bill would offer certainty to Venezuelan nationals who have resided in the U.S. since December 31, 2021, many of whom currently hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) through the 2021 designation for Venezuela. It would not apply to those who arrived more recently, including Venezuelans who obtained TPS through the 2023 designation or entered via the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) humanitarian parole program.
What Would the Bill Do?
The Venezuelan Adjustment Act would allow eligible nationals from Venezuela already living in the U.S. to obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. The bill would:
- Authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to change the status of eligible Venezuelans to lawful permanent residents if they:
- Have resided in the U.S. since before or on December 31, 2021;
- Are otherwise admissible to the U.S. and eligible for permanent residence; and,
- Have been physically present in the U.S. for at least one year prior to the bill’s enactment; or,
- Are the spouse, child, or unmarried son or daughter of an individual eligible for adjustment under the bill.
- Require eligible Venezuelan nationals to apply within three years of the bill’s enactment.
- Prohibit eligibility for people convicted of any aggravated felony, two or more crimes involving moral turpitude (with exceptions of a purely political offense), or who have ordered, incited or assisted in the persecution of any person on the account of race, religion, nationality, and other characteristics.
- Direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel any order of removals if the person obtains LPR status under this bill. Applicants with a pending application cannot be removed unless and until the application is denied.
- Allow applicants to work legally during the period that their application is pending. The bill also states that the applicant must be provided with an “appropriate document” signifying their authorization to work in the U.S.
Adjustment of Status: Background
Adjustment acts are legislation utilized by Congress to provide permanent residency for specific communities who arrived in the U.S., particularly for humanitarian reasons. They are designed to transition populations from temporary legal status to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, providing stability as they build new lives in the U.S. Historically, Congress has used adjustment acts for communities fleeing persecution and displacement.
Following Fidel Castro’s rise to power in Cuba in 1959, hundreds of thousands of Cubans sought refuge in the United States. More than one million Cubans entered the U.S. via parole in 1960 and 1961, but there was no pathway at the time that would allow them to adjust to permanent resident status. Following the failed U.S. invasion at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA) of 1966 that provided a pathway to LPR status and work authorization to Cubans who had entered the U.S. after Castro came to power. Similar adjustment actions were subsequently passed to provide LPR status to communities from Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War, and certain Iraqi nationals following U.S. military interventions in the region in the early 1990s.
The Trump administration moved in February 2025 to end TPS protections for Venezuelans under the 2023 designation, as well as parole for those who entered the U.S. through the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) humanitarian parole program. The administration may also opt to rescind TPS protections under the 2021 designation in September 2025. Those decisions continue to be litigated in court, but if approved they would leave thousands of Venezuelans susceptible to removal from the U.S.
The U.S. has a long history of providing legal status to those fleeing persecution or impacted by U.S. military actions and other humanitarian situations, including pathways to adjust to LPR status and eventual citizenship. The Venezuelan Adjustment Act follows this precedent.
Impact of the Venezuelan Adjustment Act
The bill would create a permanent pathway for Venezuelans in the U.S. Many Venezuelans have been living in the U.S., including some for many years or decades, due to the economic and political crisis caused by the country’s authoritarian regime. This bill offers these individuals a chance at long-term security and permanence in the U.S. While it is unclear how many Venezuelans would be protected, we know that 242,200 people obtained Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the 2021 designation and, overall, 32300 were eligible for TPS protections under that designation. Another estimate indicates that the bill could allow 400,000 Venezuelans to stay in the U.S. legally.
Economic and workforce benefits. Granting work authorization for those whose applications are pending and ultimately granting permanent residency status to eligible applicants would allow Venezuelans in the U.S. to continue to participate in the workforce and invest in their communities and futures. Many have purchased homes, started businesses, and contributed significantly to their local economies, and could continue to do so without fear of losing their legal status or uncertainty about their futures. The act represents an investment in a community that plays a vital role in economic, social, and cultural life in the U.S., particularly in states like Florida. Maureen Porras, the vice mayor of Doral, Florida, warned that if the Trump administration’s decision to revoke TPS for Venezuelans is not reversed, the city would face dire economic consequences.
Reinforces humanitarian and democratic values. The bill reflects the American values of support for people fleeing oppressive regimes by providing relief to individuals who have already established lives in the U.S. while escaping untenable conditions.
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The National Immigration Forum would like to thank Katia Diamond-Sagias, Policy and Advocacy intern, for developing and writing this explainer.