I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1263 
To exclude from the application of Executive Order 13796 certain Iraqi 
and Afghani special immigrants and refugees, to render certain Afghanis 
eligible for Priority 2 processing under the refugee resettlement priority 
system, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2017 
Mr. WELCH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To exclude from the application of Executive Order 13796 
certain Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants and refu-
gees, to render certain Afghanis eligible for Priority 2 
processing under the refugee resettlement priority sys-
tem, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Protecting Allies from 
Visa Exclusion (PAVE) Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON ENTRY INAPPLICABLE TO CER-
TAIN SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS. 
(a) IRAQI SPECIAL IMMIGRANTS.—Section 3(c) of 
Executive Order 13769, entitled ‘‘Protecting the Nation 
from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’’ 
(January 27, 2017), or any other provision of an Execu-
tive order, regulation, informal rule of guidance, or memo-
randum issued by the President or any other official in 
the executive branch precluding issuance of visas to, re-
voking visas issued to, or precluding entry or admission 
of, a class or classes of aliens, shall not apply to an alien 
who is a national of Iraq or Afghanistan and has been 
granted 
special 
immigrant 
status 
under 
section 
101(a)(27) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) pursuant to— 
(1) section 1244 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1157 
note); 
(2) section 1059 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (8 U.S.C. 1101 
note); or 
(3) section 602 of the Afghan Allies Protection 
Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note). 
(b) REFUGEES.—Section 5 of Executive Order 
13769, or any other provision of an Executive order, regu-
lation, informal rule of guidance, or memorandum issued 
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by the President or any other official in the executive 
branch precluding issuance of visas to, revoking visas 
issued to, or precluding entry or admission of, a class or 
classes of aliens, shall not apply to an alien who has been 
granted refugee status, has been approved for refugee ad-
mission, or is a refugee applicant in the United States Ref-
ugee Admissions Program under a Priority 2 designation 
pursuant to section 1243 of National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1157 note) or 
section 3 of this Act. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
as if enacted concurrent with Executive Order 13769. 
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES REFUGEE PROGRAM PROCESSING 
PRIORITIES FOR AFGHANIS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Refugees of special humanitarian 
concern eligible for Priority 2 processing under the refugee 
resettlement priority system who may apply directly to the 
United States Admission Program shall include— 
(1) Afghanis who were or are employed by the 
United States Government in Afghanistan; 
(2) Afghanis who establish to the satisfaction of 
the Secretary of State that they are or were em-
ployed in Afghanistan by— 
(A) a media or nongovernmental organiza-
tion headquartered in the United States; or 
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