1986 – Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) Grants Legal Status to Qualifying Immigrants Who Entered the US Illegally before Jan. 1, 1982

“The Attorney General shall adjust the status of an alien to that of an
alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence if the alien meets the
following requirements: …The alien must establish that he entered the
United States before January 1, 1982, and that he has resided
continuously in the United States in an unlawful status since such date
and through the date the application is filed under this subsection…
In the case of an alien who entered the United States as a nonimmigrant
before January 1, 1982, the alien must establish that the alien’s period
of authorized stay as a nonimmigrant expired before such date through
the passage of time or the alien’s unlawful status was known to the
Government as of such date.”