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SEC. _. Z NONIMMIGRANT STATUS.

(a) APPLICATION AND BACKGROUND CHECKS."Notwithstandingany provision of section 601(g) or section214A(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as addedby section 622(b)"

(1) the application forms created pursuant tosection 601(g)(1) of this Act and section 214A(d) ofthe Immigration and Nationality Act shall request.such information as the Secretary determines necessaryand appropriate, including information concerningthe alien's"

(A) physical and mental health;

(B) complete criminal history, including allarrests and dispositions;

(C) gang membership;

(D) immigration history;

(E) employment history; and

(F) claims to United States citizenship;and

(2) the Secretary shall utilize fingerprints andother biometric data provided by the alien pursuantto section 601(g)(3)(A) and any other appropriateinformation to conduct appropriate backgroundchecks of such alien to search for criminal, nationalsecurity, or other law enforcement actions thatwould render the alien ineligible for classificationunder section 601 of this Act or section 214A of theImmigration and Nationality Act; and

(3) appropriate background checks conductedpursuant to paragraph (2) for applicants determinedto be from countries designated as state sponsors ofterrorism or for whom there are reasonable grounds.for regarding the alien as a danger to the securityof the United States shall include"

(A) other appropriate background checksinvolving databases operated by the Departmentof State and other national security databases;and

(B) other appropriate procedures used toconduct terrorism and national security backgroundinvestigations.

(b) PROBATIONARY BENEFITS."Notwithstandingany provision of section 601(h) or section 214A(d) of theImmigration and Nationality Act, as added by section622(b)"

(1) no probationary benefits described in section601(h)(1) of this Act or section 214A(d)(7) ofthe Immigration and Nationality Act may be grantedto any alien unless the alien passes all appropriatebackground checks under such section;

(2) an alien awaiting adjudication of the alien'sapplication for probationary status under such sectionsshall not be considered unauthorized to workpending the granting or denial of such status; and

(3) the term unauthorized alien, for purposes ofsuch section, has the meaning set forth in section.274A(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, asadded by section 302(a) of this Act.

(c) RETURN HOME REQUIREMENT."

(1) IN GENERAL."Notwithstanding any otherprovision of title VI, an alien who is applying for anonimmigrant visa under section 601 shall notbe eligible for such status until the alien, in additionto the requirements described in such section, hascompleted the following requirements:

(A) The alien shall demonstrate that thealien departed from the United States and receiveda home return certification of such departurefrom a United States consular office inorder to complete the alien's application for Zstatus. The Secretary of State, in consultationwith the Secretary of Homeland Security, shalldevelop an appropriate certification for suchpurposes.

(B) The certification provided under subparagraph

(A) shall be obtained not later thanyears after the date on which the alien wasgranted probationary status. Failure to obtainsuch certification shall terminate the alien's eligibilityfor Z status for a Z-1 applicant and the.eligibility of the applicant's derivative Z-2 orapplicants pursuant to section 601.

(C) Unless otherwise authorized, an applicantfor a Z-1 nonimmigrant visa shall file ahome return supplement to the alien's applicationfor Z status at a consular office in thealien's country of origin. The Secretary of Statemay direct a consular office in a country thatis not a Z nonimmigrant's country of origin toaccept an application for adjustment of statusfrom such an alien, if the Z nonimmigrant'scountry of origin is not contiguous to theUnited States, to the extent made possible byconsular resources.

(2) RULEMAKING."The Secretary of HomelandSecurity shall promulgate regulations to ensure a securemeans for Z applicants to fulfill the requirementsunder paragraph (1).

(3) CLARIFICATION."Notwithstanding anyother provision of this Act, The return home requirementdescribed in paragraph (1) shall be the sole returnhome requirement for Z-1 nonimmigrants.

(d) ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR PREREGISTRATION OFAPPLICANTS FOR Z AND Z-A NONIMMIGRANT STATUS.".

(1) IN GENERAL."The Secretary of HomelandSecurity may establish an online registration processallowing applicants for Z and Z-A nonimmigrantstatus to provide, in advance of submitting the applicationdescribed in section 601(f), such biographicalinformation and other information as the Secretaryshall prescribe"

(A) for the purpose of providing applicantswith an appointment to provide fingerprintsand other biometric data at a facility of the Departmentof Homeland Security;

(B) to initiate background checks based onsuch information; and

(C) for other purposes consistent with thisAct.

(2) MANDATORY DISCLOSURE OF INFORMA-TION."The provisions of section 604 shall apply tothe information provided pursuant to the process establishedunder this section.

(e) PERJURY AND FALSE STATEMENTS."Notwithstandingany other provision of this Act, all applicationforms for immigration benefits, relief, or status under thisAct (including application forms for Z non-immigrant status) shall bear a warning to the applicant and to any otherperson involved in the preparation of the application that.the making of any false statement or misrepresentationon the application form (or any supporting documentation) will subject the applicant or other person to prosecutionfor false statement, fraud, or perjury under the applicablelaws of the United States, including sections 1001,1546, and 1621 of title 18, United States Code.

(f) FRAUD PREVENTION PROGRAM."Notwithstandingany other provision of this Act, the head of eachdepartment responsible for the administration of a programor authority to confer an immigration benefit, relief,or status under this Act shall, subject to available appropriations,develop an administrative program to preventfraud within or upon such program or authority. Suchprogram shall provide for fraud prevention training for therelevant administrative adjudicators within the departmentand such other measures as the head of the departmentmay provide.

(g) ELIGIBILITY FOR MILITARY SERVICE."In additionto the benefits described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 601(h)(1), an alien described insuch section shall be eligible to serve as a member of theUniformed Services of the United States..