| The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant | | | | · If an immigrant has lived illegally in the US for |
| Responsibility Act of 1996 (or IIRAIRA 96) was | | | | more than 180 days but fewer than 365, he or |
| passed in 1996 and was designed to set up strict | | | | she must remain outside of the country for at |
| punishments for illegally entering and remaining in | | | | least three years, unless granted a pardon. This is |
| the United States. It is part of the ongoing | | | | called the three-year bar. |
| legislative effort to curb the illegal immigration | | | | · If a person has lived illegally in the US for more |
| issue in the US by making it possible to deport | | | | than 365 days, he or she cannot reenter the |
| illegal immigrants for relatively minor crimes, then | | | | country for at least ten years, unless he or she is |
| bar them from returning based on how long they | | | | granted a pardon. This is referred to as the |
| have been breaking the law by living in the United | | | | ten-year bar. |
| States. | | | | · If a person has received one of the bars and |
| The Provision of the Law | | | | returns to the United States before the bar has |
| The IIRAIRA 96 has three major provisions which | | | | passed, or without a pardon, he or she is unable |
| empower law enforcement officials to remove | | | | to apply for a waiver to the bar for not less than |
| people living in the United States illegally. They are: | | | | ten years. This is called the permanent bar. |