; (II) by striking either after Attorney General ; and (III) by striking or extraordinary circumstances relating to the delay in filing an application within the period specified in subparagraph (B) ; and (ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking Subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting Subparagraph (A) . (C) Application The amendments made by this paragraph shall apply to applications for asylum filed before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Permanent partners Section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (35), by inserting includes any permanent partner, but before does not include ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (53) The term marriage includes a permanent partnership. (54) The term permanent partner means an individual 18 years of age or older who— (A) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 years of age or older, in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment; (B) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (C) is not married to anyone other than the other individual; (D) is a national of or, in the case of a person having no nationality, last habitually resided in a country that prohibits marriage between the individuals; and (E) is not a first-, second-, or third-degree blood relation of the other individual. (55) The term permanent partnership means the relationship that exists between two permanent partners. . (c) Counsel (1) Appointment of counsel Section 240(b)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(4) ) is amended— (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting , and