“would have been eligible for a hardship stay of deportation”
Good point. I did not know that part of the law.
(I am suspicious of any new bill in the House or Senate. What is in the fine print?)
it has been a while but that has been around for decades.
Actually before 1996 it was actually only SIX years and the documentation requirements were far more lax. Since 1996 the requirements are much more stringent and your essentially can’t be subject of any felony cases where you were sentenced. Thus even if you do a “no contest” plea and do not have a TECHNICAL conviction, the USCIS will treat it the same as a conviction.