Bureau of Consular Affairs; Visas: Documentation of Immigrants under the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Amended

Status: In force. The effective date has passed and nothing here records a change to that.

From the published effective date. Nothing here records a court changing it.

• Document number: 97-135
• Type: Final Rule
• Published: January 6, 1997
• Effective: January 6, 1997
• Agency: State Department

Official abstract

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Pub. L. 103-322, 108 Stat. 1902, 1953-1955), amended section 204 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to allow certain spouses and children of citizens or lawful permanent resident aliens to self-petition for immediate relative and preference classifications. This rule adds classification symbols for this category of immigrants.

Primary source

Read the full text on the Federal Register

This page is a structured index entry, not a substitute for reading the rule. This is not legal advice.

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Data updated October 2, 2026