# Plain Language Summary: Keeping Our Promise Act

This bill gives a second chance to people who were selected to immigrate to the United States through the diversity visa lottery but couldn't actually come because of travel bans or the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it applies to people who were blocked between 2017 and 2022 by executive orders that restricted travel from certain countries, or who couldn't complete their visa process because of pandemic-related closures and restrictions. The bill essentially says these people can still use their visa slots even though years have passed since they were originally selected.

Here's how it works in practice: If you were chosen for a diversity visa but got turned away at the border or couldn't get a visa interview because of the travel bans (sometimes called the "Muslim ban") or because consulates were closed during COVID-19, the State Department has to contact you within 90 days and let you know you can still apply. You'll have one year to tell them whether you want to move forward with your application or give up on it. If you want to proceed, you can complete your visa process just like you would have years ago. Your spouse and unmarried children can also come with you as dependents.

The bill does include some practical limits. You still have to meet the basic requirements for a diversity visa—things like having enough education or work experience, passing health and security checks, and not having criminal issues that would make you ineligible to enter the country. If you get rejected for any of these reasons, your eligibility ends. The bill also protects children from "aging out" of eligibility—if your child was young enough to qualify as your dependent when you were originally selected, they'll still be considered young enough now, even if years have passed. The State Department gets to decide how quickly to process these applications compared to other visa cases, but the bill asks them to work through people in the order they were originally selected when possible.