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[Congressional Record: November 14, 2002 (House)] [Page H8736-H8737] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr14no02-179] SO HYUN JUN The Clerk called the bill (H.R. 3758) for the relief of So Hyun Jun. There being no objection, the Clerk read the bill as follows: H.R. 3758 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. IMMEDIATE RELATIVE STATUS FOR SO HYUN JUN. (a) In General.--So Hyun Jun shall be classified as a child under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for purposes of approval of a relative visa petition filed under section 204 of such Act by her adoptive parent and the filing of an application for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status. (b) Adjustment of Status.--If So Hyun Jun enters the United States before the filing deadline specified in subsection (c), she shall be considered to have entered and remained lawfully and shall, if otherwise eligible, be eligible for adjustment of status under section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act as of the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Deadline for Application and Payment of Fees.-- Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply only if the petition and the application for issuance of an immigrant visa or the application for adjustment of status are filed with appropriate fees within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Reduction of Immigrant Visa Number.--Upon the granting of an immigrant visa or permanent residence to So Hyun Jun, the Secretary of State shall instruct the proper officer to reduce by 1, for the current or next following fiscal year, the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants under section 201(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (e) Denial of Preferential Immigration Treatment for Certain Relatives.--The natural parents, brothers, and sisters of So Hyun Jun shall not, by virtue of such relationship, be accorded any right, privilege, or status under the Immigration and Nationality Act. SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR CITIZENSHIP. For purposes of section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, So Hyun Jun shall be considered to have satisfied the requirements applicable to adopted children under section 101(b)(1) of such Act. Mr. McCRERY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3758, a private bill for the relief of So Hyun Jun (So Young June). This is a no-cost, no-controversy bill that will provide needed relief to my constituents John and Ok Sun Thornton of Leesville, Louisiana who adopted So Hyun in 2001. So Hyun was born in South Korea on September 16, 1984 to Mrs. Thornton's sister. A car accident in 1999 left her parents incapable of caring for her. At that time, Mrs. Thornton and her husband were contacted about the possibility of taking custody of So Hyun. While visiting her family in Korea, Mrs. Thornton had occasion to see first- hand the hardships suffered by her niece. The Thorntons immediately agreed to bring her to the United States. In February 2000, So Hyun arrived in Louisiana to live with her aunt and uncle. Mrs. Thornton traveled with So Hyun back to Korea during the summer of 2000 to collect her birth certificate and other important papers. It was during this trip that Mrs. Thornton's sister and her husband agreed to relinquish their parental rights, thus giving full custody to Mr. and Mrs. Thornton. Formal adoption proceedings were begun in August of 2000 and finalized in Louisiana State Court on March 6, 2001. The Thorntons were careful to work with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to ensure that So Hyun's move to the United States went smoothly. Mr. Thornton contacted the INS a month prior to So Hyun's arrival to inquire about the procedure for bringing her to the United States. He was told the best method would be to bring her over on a tourist visa and then file the necessary forms to complete the adoption process. During this time, Mr. Thornton was misinformed three times about the correct form to complete. In January of 2001, Mr. Thornton once again called the INS Service Center with a question about the immigration forms, as So Hyun's visa was soon expiring. He was told that there was no need to renew the visa since they were adopting the child. However, upon the adoption's finalization, the INS Adjudication Office informed the Thorntons that So Hyun's visa could not be renewed, nor could she qualify for permanent resident status, as her adoption was not finalized by her sixteenth birthday. She missed that deadline by only seven months. And this comment from the INS was the very first mention of an age requirement. While the Immigration and Naturalization Service may not extend permanent resident status to Miss Jun, she is eligible for private relief because her adoption was begun before she turned sixteen. Without this relief, Miss Jun risks deportation to Korea where no one is legally bound to care for her. Private relief is needed to help this adopted girl remain in the United States with her new family. I want to thank Chairmen Sensenbrenner and Gekas along with Ranking Members John Conyers and Sheila Jackson-Lee for their assistance in securing passage of H.R. 3758. I hope the Senate will follow the House's lead today by passing this private relief bill before the end of the 107th Congress. The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table. [[Page H8737]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. This concludes the call of the Private Calendar. ____________________

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