H.R. 8428 would allow permanent residents of Hong Kong who are in the United States to apply for and receive temporary protected status (TPS) for 18 months. Aliens with TPS may work legally, receive Social Security numbers (SSNs), and receive federal subsidies for health insurance purchased through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, revenues would increase because aliens who receive SSNs would report more employment income and pay more taxes. Those workers would continue to possess SSNs in their own name after TPS expires. H.R. 8428 also would apply a lower evidentiary standard to certain permanent residents of Hong Kong who seek refugee or asylee status in the United States. Aliens granted refugee status under the bill would not count towards the annual refugee admissions ceiling set by the President. Refugees and asylees are eligible for all federal benefit programs if they meet the other eligibility criteria for those programs.
