Break the Chain Act

HR 1747, the Break the Chain Act, replaces family-based visas for parents of U.S. citizens with a new temporary 5-year nonimmigrant visa program. It creates a new visa category (Section 101(a)(15)(W)) requiring U.S. citizen children to sponsor parents, who must provide proof of health insurance but cannot work or access public benefits during their stay. The bill invalidates future petitions for parents under current family visa categories (like Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)) and takes effect October 1, 2025, while allowing some pre-existing approved cases to proceed. It directly affects parents seeking to live with U.S. citizen children and the citizens who would sponsor them.