ADVOCACY ALERT: Discharge Petition No. 25 has 217 of the 218 signatures needed to move the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 1589) toward a House floor vote. If your representative has not signed, contact their office this week.

Legislative status last checked: November 10, 2026.

Every year, young people who grew up in the United States face an impossible choice: find a new immigration status on their own, or leave the only country they have ever called home. They came here legally as children of H-1B, L-1, and E visa holders. They attended American schools and universities and became part of their communities. But because of decades-long green card backlogs, many lose their dependent status when they turn 21.

These young people are often called “documented Dreamers.” The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would create a path to permanent residence for many of them, and its discharge petition is now one signature short of the 218 needed to overcome a major procedural obstacle that has kept it off the House floor. When the 119th Congress ends in January 2027, the bill and the petition both expire. The lame duck session happening now is the last chance to move it forward in this Congress.

Take Action: Contact Congress Today

If your representative has not signed Discharge Petition No. 25, call or write their office and ask them to sign. It takes a few minutes:

1. Find your representative at house.gov.
2. Check the signatures on the official House Clerk list.
3. Call or write and ask them to sign Discharge Petition No. 25. A sample message is below.

You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to contact a congressional office. Documented Dreamers, parents, employers, teachers, and classmates can all make their voices heard.

How the Bill Would Help H-4 Children Aging Out at 21

Section 102 of the bill expressly includes anyone who “is the son or daughter of an alien admitted as a nonimmigrant” under the E-1, E-2, H-1B, or L-1 categories. That means children of H-1B workers, intracompany transferees, and treaty traders and investors are covered by name, alongside DACA recipients, TPS holders, and other long-term residents who came to the United States as children.

The drafting matters in two ways:

• No maximum age. The bill uses “son or daughter,” not “child,” which under immigration law means someone under 21. That matters for documented Dreamers who have already aged out of H-4, L-2, or E dependent status. Applicants must still have entered the United States at 18 or younger and meet the bill’s other requirements, but there is no age cap at the time of application.
• No requirement to remain in dependent status. The bill does not expressly require applicants to still hold H-4, L-2, or E dependent status. Someone who has switched to F-1, or who had a lapse in status after turning 21, could still qualify if they meet the bill’s presence, residence, education, and admissibility requirements.

Children of E-3, H-1B1, O-1, R-1, and TN workers are not expressly included in the documented Dreamer provision. Some of those young people may still qualify through one of the bill’s other eligibility categories, but advocates have called for broader coverage in future versions of the bill. If you are in a situation where your child would not qualify, it would be important to advocate for this as well. 

What the Bill Would Do

Eligible applicants would receive lawful permanent residence on a conditional basis, valid for 10 years. They could remove the conditions by completing qualifying higher education, serving at least two years in the Uniformed Services, or demonstrating earned income for periods totaling at least three years and at least 75 percent of the time they held valid employment authorization. Time spent in qualifying educational programs may reduce the three-year earned-income requirement.

A hardship exception is available to applicants who show compelling circumstances preventing them from meeting those requirements, and who also have a disability, serve as full-time caregivers, or would face hardship upon removal, either to themselves or to a spouse, parent, or child who is a U.S. national or lawful permanent resident.

Some applicants could receive lawful permanent residence without conditions from the outset. Under Section 104(c)(2), anyone who already meets the requirements for removing conditions when they first apply, including the English and civics requirement for naturalization, would receive lawful permanent residence without the conditional period. That could benefit many documented Dreamers who have already finished college, built a work history, or completed military service.

Two other provisions stand out for families stuck in the employment-based backlog:

• No numerical limits. Section 305 exempts these green cards from annual caps. For Indian-born and Chinese-born families who face decades-long waits, this is the core benefit.
• Other options stay open. Section 311 says eligibility under the Act does not prevent anyone from pursuing any other immigration status. A pending family-based or employment-based case is not forfeited.

The bill also provides important protections while applications are pending. Under Section 303, individuals who appear prima facie eligible must be given a reasonable opportunity to apply and generally cannot be removed until a final decision establishing ineligibility is issued, subject to the bill’s judicial review provisions. Covered individuals would also be entitled to employment authorization upon application and could apply for advance parole. For documented Dreamers who lose the ability to work or travel after aging out, these protections could be especially significant.

Key Requirements

To qualify under the Dream Act portion of the bill, an applicant must:

• Have been continuously physically present in the United States since January 1, 2021.
• Have entered the United States at age 18 or younger and continuously resided here since.
• Have a U.S. high school diploma or equivalent, be admitted to college or a postsecondary career and technical program, or be currently enrolled in school.
• Pass background checks and avoid the bill’s criminal and national security bars.
• Show Selective Service registration, if required to register.

Documented Dreamers should pay close attention to travel, because Section 304 sets two different tests:

• Continuous physical presence is broken by a single trip abroad of more than 90 days, or more than 180 days of trips in total.
• Continuous residence is broken by a single trip of more than 180 days, unless the person shows they did not actually abandon their U.S. residence.

A semester abroad or a long summer with family overseas could create a problem. The bill softens these rules in three ways: DHS can extend the time limits for circumstances beyond the applicant’s control, including visa processing delays; travel authorized by DHS does not count against the limits; and people who were removed or left the country on or after January 20, 2017, after at least four years here, may ask for a discretionary waiver of the presence requirement. Ordinary travel does not appear to be exempt simply because someone held valid H-4 or F-1 status at the time, including trips abroad for visa stamping. Anyone with significant time outside the United States should review their travel history with an attorney.

Men who may have been subject to Selective Service registration should also confirm their status. Whether someone was required to register depends on their age and immigration status during the relevant period. Nonimmigrants in valid status are generally exempt, so anyone who spent time out of status between ages 18 and 26 should check with an attorney.

Where the Bill Stands

H.R. 1589 was introduced on February 26, 2025 by Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas and has 221 cosponsors, including Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar of Florida. After the bill stalled in committee, Rep. Garcia filed Discharge Petition No. 25 on July 20, 2026 to bring it to the House floor.

Cosponsoring a bill and signing a discharge petition are separate actions. A Member may support legislation without signing the procedural petition needed to advance it.

What a Discharge Petition Does

A discharge petition lets a majority of the House, 218 Members, move legislation that leadership has not scheduled. Petition No. 25 seeks to discharge the House Rules Committee from H. Res. 1414, the resolution that sets the terms for considering H.R. 1589 on the floor. Reaching 218 signatures does not trigger an immediate vote. The motion must first be placed on the House discharge calendar, where it generally must remain for seven legislative days. A Member who signed can then announce an intention to offer the motion, and the Speaker must schedule it within two legislative days. Under House rules, a discharge motion is also not in order during the last six days of a congressional session.

According to the official House Clerk record, the petition has 217 signatures. Based on the Clerk’s current roster of 214 House Democrats, that includes every Democrat in the House and three Republicans: Rep. Salazar, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. The most recent signatures were added on September 2. Because every Democrat has already signed, the 218th signature has to come from a Republican or from the House’s one independent Member.

Support for documented Dreamers crosses party lines. Rep. Salazar’s own Dignity Act (H.R. 4393) and the Senate’s Dream Act of 2025 (S. 3348), introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), both cover children of E-1, E-2, H-1B, and L-1 visa holders. A version of this bill passed the full House in 2019 with 237 votes.

Time is running out. The current Congress returned for its lame duck session on November 9, with a government funding deadline of December 11, and the 120th Congress will be seated in early January 2027. If H.R. 1589 does not become law before then, it must be reintroduced in the next Congress, and Petition No. 25 will no longer offer a path forward. For documented Dreamers, that could mean additional uncertainty.

Because the waiting periods run on legislative days, a signature that comes late in the session may leave too little time for floor action. Even after a floor vote, the bill would still need to pass the House, pass the Senate, and be signed by the President. The 218th signature would not make H.R. 1589 law, but it would clear a major procedural obstacle. Members who lost their races or are retiring remain in office through January 3 and can still sign.

How to Make Your Voice Heard

Congressional offices track constituent contacts, and a short personal message carries more weight than most people think. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to contact a congressional office, and parents, employers, teachers, classmates, and friends of documented Dreamers can all write.

1. Find your representative. Enter your ZIP code at house.gov, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
2. Check the petition. The full signature list is posted on the House Clerk’s website. If your representative has signed, thank them. If not, ask them to sign Discharge Petition No. 25 now.
3. Focus where it counts. Every Democrat has already signed, so the deciding signature must come from a Republican or the independent Member. If you live in one of those districts, your call matters most. Employers who sponsor H-1B and L-1 workers can strengthen the case for reform by explaining how aging out affects their workforce and their employees’ families.
4. Contact your senators too. Ask them to support the Dream Act of 2025 (S. 3348), which also protects documented Dreamers. Find them at senate.gov.
5. Tell your story. Say where you live, how long your family has been here, and what aging out means for you or someone you know. Keep it to a few sentences.

Sample Message

Dear Representative [Name],

I am a constituent in [city, state], and I urge you to sign Discharge Petition No. 25 to advance the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 (H.R. 1589). The petition has 217 signatures. Just one more is needed to reach the required threshold.

This bill would create a path to permanent residence for documented Dreamers, including children of H-1B, L-1, and E visa holders who grew up in the United States but lose their status at 21.

[Add two or three sentences about how this affects you, your family, your employees, or your community.]

Please sign Discharge Petition No. 25 before the 119th Congress ends.

Sincerely, [Name] [City, State]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025? H.R. 1589 would create a path to permanent residence for people who came to the United States as children, including documented Dreamers, and for certain TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure holders.

Does H.R. 1589 include children of H-1B visa holders? Yes. Section 102 expressly covers the sons and daughters of E-1, E-2, H-1B, and L-1 nonimmigrants, if they meet the bill’s other requirements.

Can documented Dreamers who have already turned 21 qualify? Yes, if they entered at 18 or younger and meet the presence, education, and other requirements. The bill has no maximum age at the time of application.

Do applicants need to still be in H-4 or L-2 status? No. The bill does not expressly require current dependent status, so people who changed to F-1 or fell out of status may still qualify.

Has the bill passed Congress? No. It has not received a House floor vote. Its discharge petition has 217 of the 218 signatures needed to move it toward a House floor vote.

How do I ask my representative to sign Discharge Petition No. 25? Find your representative at house.gov, check the Clerk’s signature list, and call or write using the sample message above.

The Bottom Line: One Signature Could Make the Difference

Documented Dreamers came to this country legally. They grew up in our neighborhoods, attended our schools, and built their lives here, while waiting on an immigration system that often offers no timely path to permanent residence. After years of stalled Dream Act bills, supporters of H.R. 1589 are one signature away from clearing a major procedural hurdle, and the window to do it is closing.

Immigration advocacy is not a spectator sport. If this issue affects you, your family, your employees, or your community, contact your representative, ask them to sign Discharge Petition No. 25, and encourage others to do the same.

Families with children approaching 21, or who have already aged out, should not wait for Congress to act. The attorneys at Reddy Neumann Brown PC can review your options under current law, including CSPA protections, change of status, and independent visa pathways. We will keep following this bill on the blog and on the Visa Vibes podcast.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Pending legislation may change before enactment, and eligibility depends on each person’s specific facts.

For more information, or for a detailed conversation regarding the Promise Act, please schedule a time to speak here

By: Steven Brown

Steven A. Brown is a Partner at Reddy Neumann Brown PC, where he leads the firm’s Litigation Team, addressing delays and denials of immigration benefits, FOIA requests, and policy and regulatory challenges. Steven is dedicated to delivering practical and effective solutions for clients facing unreasonably delayed or unlawfully withheld immigration benefits, including Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), advance parole, green cards, 221(g) decisions, EB-5 delays, and other immigration-related matters. His litigation efforts were instrumental in Shergill, et al. v. Mayorkas, a landmark case that led to the U.S. government recognizing that under the INA, L-2 and E visa spouses are authorized to work incident to their status, eliminating the need for separate EAD applications. This case has transformed work authorization for thousands of families across the United States.