NACARA: Does Amnesty Affect Marriages of Undocumented Immigrants?

This study examines the effect of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), a 1997 policy that provided permanent residency in the United States to previously undocumented immigrants, on recipients’ choice of whether to marry and whom to marry. Using a difference-in-differences design that defines treatment by country of origin and arrival before 1991 (NACARA eligibility criteria), the authors find that NACARA recipients are more likely to marry and less likely to live in an ethnic enclave. Using a triple-difference design on a sample of married couples that defines treatment by NACARA eligibility and by marriage after NACARA was announced, the authors find that becoming aware of their eligibility for permanent residence led NACARA recipients to be less likely to marry US citizens, more likely to marry immigrants from their country of origin, and more likely to marry younger spouses with fewer years of education. The authors also find some suggestive evidence that NACARA increased intra-household bargaining power for men. These findings reveal that obtaining legal status through nonmarriage channels allows immigrants to choose partners with less consideration for their partner’s legal status.