I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3297 
To temporarily expand the (V) nonimmigrant visa category to include Hai-
tians whose petition for a family-sponsored immigrant visa was approved 
on or before January 12, 2010. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 1, 2011 
Ms. CLARKE of New York (for herself, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. FILNER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HAS-
TINGS of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. LEE of 
California, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
POLIS, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. STARK, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. 
WILSON of Florida, Mr. CLAY, and Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary 
A BILL 
To temporarily expand the (V) nonimmigrant visa category 
to include Haitians whose petition for a family-sponsored 
immigrant visa was approved on or before January 12, 
2010. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Haitian Emergency 
Life Protection Act of 2011’’ or the ‘‘H.E.L.P. Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF V VISA CATEGORY FOR HAITIAN IM-
MIGRANTS. 
Section 101(a)(15)(V) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(V)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by strik-
ing ‘‘section 203(a)(2)(A) that’’ and inserting ‘‘sec-
tion 203(a) that, except as provided under clause 
(iii),’’; 
(2) by amending clause (i) to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) the petition is for status under 
section 203(a)(2)(A) and has been pending 
for at least 3 years;’’; 
(3) in clause (ii)— 
(A) by amending the matter preceding sub-
clause (I) to read as follows: 
‘‘(ii) the petition is for status under 
section 203(a)(2)(A), has been approved, 
and was filed at least 3 years previously, 
and’’; and 
(B) in subclause (ii), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iii)(I) such petition was approved on or 
before January 12, 2010; and 
‘‘(II) the alien is a national and resident of 
Haiti.’’. 
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SEC. 3. USE OF SECONDARY EVIDENCE FOR ELIGIBILITY 
VERIFICATION. 
The Department of State, in coordination with 
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, may 
issue travel documents (including a nonimmigrant visa) to 
any alien in Haiti— 
(1) who is described in— 
(A) section 101(a)(15)(V)(iii) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act, as added by this 
Act; or 
(B) section 201(b)(2)(A) of such Act; 
(2) whose eligibility for such documents has 
been evaluated by a consular officer after reviewing 
the best available evidence of such eligibility, includ-
ing secondary evidence, if necessary; and 
(3) who meets all criteria required for— 
(A) a family-sponsored immigrant visa 
under section 203(a) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)); or 
(B) admission into the United States as an 
immediate relative of a United States citizen 
(as defined in section 203(b)(2)(A)(i) of such 
Act). 
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SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2012 through 
2014 to process— 
(1) nonimmigrant visa applications authorized 
under section 101(a)(15)(V)(iii) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act, as added by this Act; and 
(2) immigrant visa applications for immediate 
relatives (as defined in section 203(b)(2)(A)(i) of 
such Act). 
SEC. 5. SUNSET PROVISION. 
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 
be effective during the 2-year period beginning on the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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