View all text of Part V [§ 1251 - § 1260]
§ 1259. Record of admission for permanent residence in the case of certain aliens who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1972
A record of lawful admission for permanent residence may, in the discretion of the Attorney General and under such regulations as he may prescribe, be made in the case of any alien, as of the date of the approval of his application or, if entry occurred prior to July 1, 1924, as of the date of such entry, if no such record is otherwise available and such alien shall satisfy the Attorney General that he is not inadmissible under section 1182(a)(3)(E) of this title or under section 1182(a) of this title insofar as it relates to criminals, procurers and other immoral persons, subversives, violators of the narcotic laws or smugglers of aliens, and he establishes that he—
(a) entered the United States prior to January 1, 1972;
(b) has had his residence in the United States continuously since such entry;
(c) is a person of good moral character; and
(d) is not ineligible to citizenship and is not deportable under section 1227(a)(4)(B) of this title.
(June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 5, § 249, 66 Stat. 219; Pub. L. 85–616, Aug. 8, 1958, 72 Stat. 546; Pub. L. 89–236, § 19, Oct. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 920; Pub. L. 99–603, title II, § 203(a), Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3405; Pub. L. 100–525, § 2(j), Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2612; Pub. L. 101–649, title VI, § 603(a)(14), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 5083; Pub. L. 104–132, title IV, § 413(e), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1269; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 308(g)(10)(C), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–625.)