The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act or NACARA (Title II of Pub.L. 105–100) is a U.S. law passed in 1997 that provides various forms of immigration benefits and relief from deportation to certain Nicaraguans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, nationals of former Soviet bloc countries and their dependents who had arrived as asylees. As these Central Americans overwhelmed the U.S. asylum program in the mid-1990s, their cases were left for NACARA to address.
The legislation was authored by Florida Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart and was included as part of the D.C. Appropriations Act for FY 1998.
Section 202 deals with Nicaraguans (~95% of Section 202 beneficiaries) and Cubans (~5%), whereas Section 203 deals with Salvadorans (~65% of Sec. 203 beneficiaries), Guatemalans (~30%), and former Soviet Union nationals (~5%). Persons granted NACARA benefits are counted as legal permanent resident immigrants.
The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act stated that Nicaraguans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, nationals of former Soviet bloc countries, and their dependents are able to become legal permanent residents of the United States provided that they were registered asylums seekers who had stayed in the United States for at least 5 years since December 1, 1995. Some conditions regulate this clause. The asylum seeker shall not possess a lack of labor certification. He or she must obtain a right of residence. Another reason leading to rejection would be the lack of a valid visa. Furthermore, the violation of a law leads to rejection of the request to become a legal resident. In the event of commission of certain enumerated offenses, the asylum seeker will be denied relief.