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List of United States immigration and nationality laws [1]
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Date: 2025-08
Year Title Description Public law
1790 Naturalization Act of 1790 Established the rules for naturalized citizenship, as per Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. Citizenship was limited to white persons, with no other restriction on non-whites. Pub. L. 1–3
1798 Naturalization Act of 1798 Extended the duration of residence required for immigrants to become citizens to 14 years. Pub. L. 5–54
1798 Alien Friends Act Authorized the president to deport any resident immigrant considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." It was activated June 25, 1798, with a two-year expiration date.
1798 Alien Enemies Act Authorized the president to apprehend and deport resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States of America. Enacted July 6, 1798, and providing no sunset provision, the act remains intact today as 50 U.S.C. § 21
1819 Steerage Act of 1819 Required ship captains to report on all passengers entering the United States by port. Pub. L. 15–46
1866 (No short title) Sent the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution for ratification by the states. The amendment was ratified in 1868, establishing birthright citizenship as constitutional law under the Citizenship Clause.
1870 Naturalization Act of 1870 Extended the naturalization process to "aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent."
Other non-whites were not included in this act and remained excluded from naturalization, per the Naturalization Act of 1790 Pub. L. 41–254
1875 Page Act of 1875 Prohibited the immigration of coolie laborers and prostitutes from East Asia, and also anyone convicted of a criminal offense in their country of origin. Pub. L. 43–141
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act Restricted immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years and provided for the deportation of those whom immigrated in violation of the Act.
Prohibited Chinese naturalization.
The Act was "a response to racism [in America] and to anxiety about threats from cheap labor [from China]." [ 1 ] Pub. L. 47–126
1885 Alien Contract Labor Law Prohibited the importation and migration of foreigners and aliens under contract or agreement to perform labor in the United States Pub. L. 48–164
1887 Payson Act of 1887 Restricted ownership of land to citizens and those undergoing naturalization. Pub. L. 49–340
1888 Scott Act Prohibited Chinese people that had resided in America from returning after leaving. Pub. L. 50–1064
1888 (No short title) Authorized the federal government to deport illegal immigrants within one year of their entry to the United States.
1891 Immigration Act of 1891 First comprehensive immigration laws for the US.
Bureau of Immigration set up in the Treasury Dept. [ 2 ]
Immigration Bureau directed to deport illegal immigrants
Empowered "the superintendent of immigration to enforce immigration laws". [ 3 ]
Prohibited polygamists and those with contagious diseases from entering the United States.
Expanded immigration enforcement to land borders. Pub. L. 51–551
1893 (No short title) Required additional information about individuals entering the United States.
1906 Naturalization Act of 1906 Standardized naturalization procedures
Made some knowledge of English a requirement for citizenship
Established the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization Pub. L. 59–338
1907 Expatriation Act of 1907
1917 Immigration Act of 1917 (Barred Zone Act) Restricted immigration from Asia by creating an "Asiatic Barred Zone" and introduced a literacy test for all immigrants over sixteen years of age, with certain exceptions for children, wives, and elderly family members. Pub. L. 64–301
1917 Jones–Shafroth Act Included a provision extending birthright citizenship to anyone born in Puerto Rico after April 11, 1899. Pub. L. 64–368
1921 Emergency Quota Act Limited the number of immigrants a year from any country to 3% of those already in the US from that country as per the 1910 census, establishing the National Origins Formula. "An unintended consequence of the 1920s legislation was an increase in illegal immigration. Many Europeans who did not fall under the quotas migrated to Canada or Mexico, which [as Western Hemisphere nations] were not subject to national-origin quotas; [and] subsequently they slipped into the United States illegally."[4] Pub. L. 67–5
1922 The Cable Act of 1922 (Married Women's Independent Nationality Act) Reversed former immigration laws regarding marriage, also known as the Married Women's Citizenship Act or the Women's Citizenship Act. Previously, a woman lost her US citizenship if she married a foreign man, since she assumed the citizenship of her husband, a law that did not apply to men who married foreign women. The law repealed sections 3 and 4 of the Expatriation Act of 1907. Pub. L. 67–346
1924 Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act) Created the United States Border Patrol.
Imposed first permanent numerical limit on immigration.
Began a national-origin quota system.
Total annual immigration was capped at 150,000. Immigrants fit into two categories: those from quota-nations and those from non-quota nations.
Immigrant visas from quota-nations were restricted to the same ratio of residents from the country of origin out of 150,000 as the ratio of foreign-born nationals in the United States. The percentage out of 150,000 was the relative number of visas a particular nation received.
Non-quota nations, notably those contiguous to the United States only had to prove an immigrant's residence in that country of origin for at least two years prior to emigration to the United States.
Laborers from Asiatic nations were excluded but exceptions existed for professionals, clergy, and students to obtain visas. Pub. L. 68–139
1934 Equal Nationality Act of 1934 Allowed foreign-born children of American mothers and alien fathers who had entered America before age 18 and lived in America for five years to apply for American citizenship for the first time.
Made the naturalization process quicker for American women's alien husbands.
1940 Alien Registration Act (Smith Act) Included a requirement that non-citizen residents register with the government and be fingerprinted. Pub. L. 76–670
1943 Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943 (Magnuson Act) Repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act and permitted Chinese nationals already in the country to become naturalized citizens. A quota of 105 new Chinese immigrants were allowed into America per year. Pub. L. 78–199
1945 War Brides Act Exempted spouses and children of American service-members from immigration quota restrictions.
1946 Luce–Celler Act Increased the quota from the Philippines and India to 100 immigrants annually. Permitted Filipino and Indian immigrants to be naturalized. Pub. L. 79–483
1947 Extended the War Brides Act to Japan and Korea.
1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarran-Walter Act) Set a quota for aliens with skills needed in the US.
Increased the power of the government to deport illegal immigrants suspected of Communist sympathies. Pub. L. 82–414
1960 (No short title) Authorized resettlement of certain refugees. Pub. L. 86–648
1961 Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1961 Pub. L. 87–301
1965 Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Celler Act) Repealed the national-origin quotas.
Initiated a visa system for family reunification and skills.
Set a quota for Western Hemisphere immigration.
Set a 20k country limit for Eastern Hemisphere aliens. Pub. L. 89–236
1966 Cuban Adjustment Act Cuban nationals who enter, or were already present in the United States, legal status. Pub. L. 89–732
1974 (No short title) Increased funding for border enforcement facilities from $100,000 to $200,000. Pub. L. 93–396
1975 (No short title) Granted certain immigrant children adopted by unmarried citizens the same immigration status as such children adopted by married citizens. Pub. L. 94–155
1976 (No short title) Set a quota of 170,000 annual immigrants from the Western Hemisphere and 120,000 annual immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere. Pub. L. 94–571
1978 (No short title) Eliminated the hemispheric quota system for immigration. Established the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Pub. L. 95–412
1978 (No short title) Required approval by an adoption agency before an immigrant visa is issued for international adoption. Removed the cap on the number of alien children that can be adopted. Eased naturalization requirements for adopted children. Pub. L. 95–417
1978 (No short title) Banned the entry of any person that carried out persecution under the government of Nazi Germany. Pub. L. 95–549
1980 Refugee Act Created a policy for admitting refugees with the United Nations’ definition of refugees [ 5 ]
Set an annual cap of 50,000 refugees. Pub. L. 96–212
1981 Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1981 Pub. L. 97–116
1982 Virgin Islands Nonimmigrant Alien Adjustment Act of 1981 Granted resident status to certain non-citizens that have resided in the Virgin Islands since 1975. Pub. L. 97–271
1982 (No short title) Gave priority to visas for residents of Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand that were fathered by American citizens. Pub. L. 97–359
1982 Refugee Assistance Amendments of 1982 Pub. L. 97–363
1986 (No short title) Authorized each state governor to select two residents of their state to be naturalized on Ellis Island. Pub. L. 99–328
1986 (No short title) Authorized crewmen of foreign fishing vessels to temporarily enter Guam as nonimmigrant aliens. Pub. L. 99–505
1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (Simpson–Mazzoli Act) Started sanctions for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.
Provided amnesty to some illegal immigrants already in the US.
Increased border enforcement.
Made it a crime to hire an illegal immigrant
Created a path to permanent residency for some illegal immigrant workers [ 5 ]
Created the H-2A visa for seasonal agricultural workers [ 5 ] Pub. L. 99–603
1986 Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986 Pub. L. 99–605
1986 Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 Pub. L. 99–639
1986 Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1986 Pub. L. 99–653
1988 American Homecoming Act Prioritized immigration of Vietnamese children with American fathers.
1988 Immigration Technical Corrections Act of 1988 Pub. L. 100–525
1988 Immigration Amendments of 1988 Authorized an additional 25,000 visas for immigrants from certain countries in FY1989 and FY1990. Pub. L. 100–658
1989 Immigration Nursing Relief Act of 1989 Pub. L. 101–238
1990 Posthumous Citizenship for Active Duty Service Act of 1989 Authorized posthumous citizenship for noncitizen servicemembers of the United States Armed Forces killed in the line of duty. Pub. L. 101–249
1991 (No short title) Extended special temporary protected status for Salvadorans. Pub. L. 102–65
1991 Miscellaneous and Technical Immigration and Naturalization Amendments of 1991 Pub. L. 102–232
1993 (No short title) Authorized funds for refugee assistance. Pub. L. 103–37
1995 (No short title) Amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to redefine legitimate and illegitimate children. Pub. L. 104–51 (text) (PDF)
1997 (No short title) Eliminated the certificate of citizenship transition rule applicable to certain children born outside the United States. Pub. L. 105–38 (text) (PDF)
1997 Religious Workers Act of 1997 Extended the special migrant religious worker program through FY1999. Pub. L. 105–54 (text) (PDF)
1997 (No short title) Exempted internationally adopted children under age 10 from the immunization requirement. Pub. L. 105–73 (text) (PDF)
1998 American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act
1998 Visa Waiver Pilot Program Reauthorization Act of 1997 Extended the visa waiver pilot program and extended it to nationals of countries with a visa refusal rate of less than 3%. Pub. L. 105–173 (text) (PDF)
1998 (No short title) Extended the deadline for the implementation of an automated entry and exit control system for non-citizens. Pub. L. 105–259 (text) (PDF)
1998 Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 Pub. L. 105–319 (text) (PDF)
2000 American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act
2000 (No short title) Granted child status to non-citizens adopted under the age of 18 when adopted with a sibling under the age of 16. Pub. L. 106–139 (text) (PDF)
2000 Immigration and Naturalization Service Data Management Improvement Act of 2000 Pub. L. 106–215 (text) (PDF)
2000 International Patient Act of 2000 Authorized visa extensions for individuals undergoing medical treatment. Pub. L. 106–406 (text) (PDF)
2000 Religious Workers Act of 2000 Extended the special immigrant religious worker program of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Pub. L. 106–409 (text) (PDF)
2000 (No short title) Amended the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act to apply to certain spouses of deceased Hmong veterans. Pub. L. 106–415 (text) (PDF)
2000 (No short title) Granted exemptions for the oath of renunciation and allegiance for immigrants that are unable to understand or communicate an understanding of the oath. Pub. L. 106–448 (text) (PDF)
2000 Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000 Granted refugee status to nationals of certain Asian and European countries in exchange for the safe return of an American POW or MIA. Pub. L. 106–484 (text) (PDF)
2000 (No short title) Granted special immigrant status for 100 broadcasting employees annually. Pub. L. 106–536 (text) (PDF)
2001 (No short title) Indefinitely extended a provision regarding nonimmigrants with S visas that possess information regarding criminal activity. Pub. L. 107–45 (text) (PDF)
2002 (No short title) Authorized nonimmigrant spouses of E visa recipients to work in the United States. Pub. L. 107–124 (text) (PDF)
2002 (No short title) Authorized nonimmigrant spouses of L visa recipients to work in the United States. Reduced the required duration of employment to apply for L visas from one year to six months. Pub. L. 107–125 (text) (PDF)
2002 Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2001 Extended pilot programs of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Pub. L. 107–128 (text) (PDF)
2002 (No short title) Extended the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act through FY2006. Pub. L. 107–234 (text) (PDF)
2002 Persian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountability Act of 2002 Granted refugee status to nationals of Middle Eastern countries in exchange for the safe return of an American POW or MIA. Pub. L. 107–258 (text) (PDF)
2002 Border Commuter Student Act of 2002 Created a special classification for Canadian and Mexican nationals that commute to the United States for study. Pub. L. 107–274 (text) (PDF)
2002 Homeland Security Act of 2002 Moved all transportation, customs, immigration, and border security agencies to operate under the Department of Homeland Security.
Requires agencies to share information and coordinate efforts in relation to national security and border control.
Stipulates which agencies are responsible for which duties in relation to immigration and border security.
Outlines specific requirements on handling of children in immigration and border issues. Pub. L. 107–296 (text) (PDF)
2003 (No short title) Extended the special immigrant religious worker program through FY2008. Pub. L. 108–99 (text) (PDF)
2003 Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003 Extended pilot programs of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Pub. L. 108–156 (text) (PDF)
2004 (No short title) Extended the requirement of installation of equipment to process documents with biometric identifiers in all ports of entry by one year. Pub. L. 108–299 (text) (PDF)
2005 REAL ID Act Required use of IDs meeting certain security standards to enter government buildings, board planes, open bank accounts.
Created more restrictions on political asylum
Severely curtailed habeas corpus relief for immigrants
relief for immigrants Increased immigration enforcement mechanisms
Altered judicial review
Established national standards for state driver licenses.
Cleared the way for the building of border barriers. Pub. L. 109–13 (text) (PDF)
2006 Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Reauthorization Act of 2005 Reauthorized the H-1C visa program through 2009. Pub. L. 109–423 (text) (PDF)
2006 COMPETE Act of 2006 Expanded the definition of athletes and entertainers for P-1 visas. Pub. L. 109–463 (text) (PDF)
2007 Physicians for Underserved Areas Act Extended the J-1 visa program through June 1, 2008. Pub. L. 109–477 (text) (PDF)
2007 (No short title) Admitted an additional 500 immigration applicants for Iraqi and Afghan translators working with the United States. Pub. L. 110–36 (text) (PDF)
2008 (No short title) Made minor adjustments to special immigrant status for Iraqis employed by the United States. Pub. L. 110–242 (text) (PDF)
2008 Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act Simplified the fingerprinting process during naturalization. Pub. L. 110–251 (text) (PDF)
2008 (No short title) Extended the J-1 visa waiver program through March 2009 and increased the number of foreign physicians from five to ten in state facilities. Pub. L. 110–362 (text) (PDF)
2008 Military Personnel Citizenship Processing Act Established the Office of the FBI Liaison in the DHS to support expedited processing of naturalization applications for members of the Armed Forces and their families. Pub. L. 110–382 (text) (PDF)
2008 Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act Extended the special immigrant program through March 2009. Pub. L. 110–391 (text) (PDF)
2009 (No short title) Extended the special immigrant program and the J-1 visa waiver program through FY2009. Pub. L. 111–9 (text) (PDF)
2010 Help HAITI Act of 2010 Granted permanent resident status to 1,400 Haitian orphans that were adopted in the United States. Pub. L. 111–293 (text) (PDF)
2011 (No short title) Tolled the periods of time to file a petition and appear for an interview to remove the conditional basis for permanent resident status during active-duty service. Pub. L. 112–58 (text) (PDF)
2012 Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act Created the Border Enforcement Security Task Force within the Department of Homeland Security. Pub. L. 112–205 (text) (PDF)
2012 (No short title) Recognized employment of contract with the American military as contributing toward the residency requirement for naturalization. Pub. L. 112–227 (text) (PDF)
2013 (No short title) Extended authorization for Iraqi citizens to be granted special immigrant status for service during the Iraq War. Pub. L. 113–42 (text) (PDF)
2015 Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors Act (KIWI Act) Created a reciprocal non-immigrant investor program with New Zealand. Pub. L. 115–226 (text) (PDF)
2019 Northern Mariana Islands Long-Term Legal Residents Relief Act Granted resident status to certain non-citizens that have resided in the Northern Mariana Islands since 2009. Pub. L. 116–24 (text) (PDF)
2019 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 Provided emergency spending on border security for FY2019. Pub. L. 116–26 (text) (PDF)
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_immigration_and_nationality_laws
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