I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6198 

To increase support for Afghan special immigrant visa and refugee applicants, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 8, 2021 

Ms. SLOTKIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To increase support for Afghan special immigrant visa and 

refugee applicants, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Continued Support for 

5 Afghan Allies Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR AFGHAN SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA 

7 AND REFUGEE APPLICANTS. 

8 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that the United States should increase support for 


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1 nationals of Afghanistan who aided the United States mis2 sion in Afghanistan during the past twenty years and are 

3 now under threat from the Taliban, specifically special im4 migrant visa applicants who are nationals of Afghanistan 

5 and referrals of nationals of Afghanistan to the United 

6 States Refugee Admissions Program, including through 

7 the Priority 2 Designation for nationals of Afghanistan, 

8 who remain in Afghanistan or are in third countries. 

9 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary of State, in co10 ordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and 

11 the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agen12 cies, shall— 

13 (1) prioritize for evacuation from Afghanistan 

14 bona fide special immigrant visa applicants who are 

15 nationals of Afghanistan and referrals of nationals 

16 of Afghanistan to the United States Refugee Admis17 sions Program, including through the Priority 2 

18 Designation for nationals of Afghanistan; 

19 (2) facilitate the rapid departure of such indi20 viduals from Afghanistan by air charter and land 

21 passage; 

22 (3) provide letters of support, diplomatic notes 

23 and other documentation, as appropriate, to ease 

24 transit of such individuals; 


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1 (4) engage governments of relevant countries to 

2 better facilitate evacuation; 

3 (5) disseminate frequent updates to such indi4 viduals and relevant nongovernmental organizations; 

5 (6) identify or establish sufficient locations out6 side of Afghanistan that will accept such individuals 

7 during application processing; and 

8 (7) further surge capacity to better support 

9 such individuals and reduce their application proc10 essing times, while ensuring strict and necessary se11 curity vetting, including, to the extent practicable, 

12 enabling refugee referrals to initiate application 

13 processes while still in Afghanistan. 

14 (c) STRATEGY AND REPORTING.—The Secretary of 

15 State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Se16 curity and the heads of other relevant Federal depart17 ments and agencies, shall submit to the committees on 

18 Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Homeland Security, and 

19 Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the 

20 committees on Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Homeland 

21 Security and Governmental Affairs, and Armed Services 

22 of the Senate the following: 

23 (1) Not later than 60 days after the date of the 

24 enactment of this Act, a strategy, with a classified 

25 annex if necessary, to safely process nationals of AfVerDate Sep 11 2014 16:59 Dec 15, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6198.IH H6198

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1 ghanistan abroad who have pending special immi2 grant visa applications and refugee referrals, which 

3 strategy shall include steps by the United States 

4 Government to carry out each of paragraphs (1) 

5 through (7) of subsection (b). 

6 (2) Not later than 60 days after the date of the 

7 enactment of this Act, and every month thereafter 

8 until December 31, 2022, a report, with a classified 

9 annex if necessary, that includes the following: 

10 (A) The number of nationals of Afghani11 stan— 

12 (i) referred to the United States Ref13 ugee Admissions Program through Priority 

14 1 and Priority 2 referrals, including wheth15 er such individuals remain in Afghanistan 

16 or outside Afghanistan, and the number of 

17 refugee applications for such individuals 

18 that are approved, denied, and pending; 

19 and 

20 (ii) who have pending special immi21 grant visa applications who remain in Af22 ghanistan or in a third country, 

23 disaggregated by the special immigrant 

24 visa processing steps completed with re25 spect to such individuals. 


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1 (B) Steps taken to implement each element 

2 of the strategy described in paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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