(i) reports directly to the chief of mis-
sion; and 
(ii) shall be responsible for— 
(I) conducting regular consulta-
tions with human rights defenders, in-
cluding individuals based outside of 
major urban areas, individuals who 
are not members of registered civil so-
ciety organizations, and individuals in 
exile, consistent with measures to en-
sure the protection of such individ-
uals; 
(II) tracking patterns of reprisals 
and managing responses to reprisals, 
including by assessing the impact of 
such responses; and 
(III) immediately notifying the 
chief of mission, the head of the rel-
evant regional bureau of the Depart-
ment of State and the United States 
Agency for International Develop-
ment, the Director of the Bureau of 
Democracy, 
Human 
Rights, 
and 
Labor, and the Assistant to the Ad-
ministrator for the Bureau of Democ-
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racy, Human Rights, and Governance 
in the event of any imminent threat to 
the life or grave threat to the personal 
safety of a human rights defender; 
(D) publishing guidelines in local lan-
guages on the website of each United States 
embassy and mission on how to reach relevant 
embassy points of contact; 
(E) integrating consideration of reprisals 
against human rights defenders into engage-
ments by United States embassies and missions 
with the private sector, and foreign govern-
ments; 
(F) including requests for any additional 
resources needed to engage with and support 
human rights defenders in annual Mission Re-
source Requests; 
(G) acknowledging and rewarding efforts 
by United States diplomatic personnel, includ-
ing Foreign Service officers from the United 
States Agency for International Development 
and the Department of State, to protect human 
rights defenders as part of annual performance 
reviews; 
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(H) strengthening the efforts of host coun-
tries to bolster human rights, protect human 
rights defenders, and prevent human rights 
abuses and violations; and 
(I) identifying additional authorities or ca-
pabilities that need to be developed to address 
the growing threats facing human rights de-
fenders. 
(3) Seeking to reduce impunity for reprisals 
against human rights defenders by strengthening ac-
countability for perpetrators, including— 
(A) using diplomatic engagement to en-
courage foreign governments to investigate and 
prosecute persons who order, plan, and carry 
out reprisals; 
(B) using diplomatic engagement to re-
spond to patterns of non-lethal reprisals that 
have an adverse impact on civic space, including 
the criminalization of nonviolent advocacy, 
smear campaigns, and illegal surveillance; and 
(C) increasing support for multilateral ini-
tiatives that seek to curb the misuse of tech-
nologies by foreign governments to monitor, 
harass, or threaten human rights defenders and 
their families. 
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(4) How the United States intends to imple-
ment the policy objectives under section 4, includ-
ing— 
(A) specific and measurable goals; 
(B) metrics to measure progress against 
such goals; and 
(C) a timeline for implementation. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—In implementing the Strat-
egy, the President shall— 
(1) designate an employee of the National Secu-
rity Council to be responsible for the coordination of 
the interagency process for implementing the Strat-
egy; 
(2) require each relevant Federal agency to pro-
vide a specific implementation plan for the Strategy; 
and 
(3) regularly consult with relevant human 
rights defenders and civil society organizations both 
in the United States and abroad on the design and 
implementation of the Strategy. 
(d) FORM AND AVAILABILITY.— 
(1) FORM.—The Strategy shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified 
annex, if necessary. 
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(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 30 days prior to 
publication of the Strategy in accordance with para-
graph (3), the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, 
Democracy, and Human Rights, in consultation with 
the Assistant to the Administrator for Democracy, 
Human Rights, and Governance, shall brief the ap-
propriate congressional committees on the Strategy. 
(3) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The unclassified 
portion of the Strategy shall be made available to 
the public, including through publication in the Fed-
eral Register. 
SEC. 6. NONIMMIGRANT VISAS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DE-
FENDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(a) of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (15)— 
(A) in subparagraph (U)(iii), by striking ‘‘; 
or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (V)(ii)(II), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(W)(i) subject to section 214(t), an alien 
who— 
‘‘(I) demonstrates a credible fear of 
an urgent threat to his or her physical 
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safety by a state or nonstate actor in the 
alien’s country of nationality or last habit-
ual residence based on the nature of the 
alien’s work as a human rights defender, 
including formal and informal employment 
and volunteer activities; and 
‘‘(II) has not advocated violence or 
terrorism; and 
‘‘(ii) the children and spouse or part-
ner of the alien described in clause (i) if 
accompanying, or following to join, such 
alien.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(53) The term ‘urgent threat’, with respect to 
an individual described in paragraph (15)(W)(i)(I), 
means any action, communication, or threat made 
against the individual that causes or has the intent 
to cause physical, legal, financial, psychological, or 
reputational harm.’’. 
(b) APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION.—Section 214 of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(t)(1) In the case of a nonimmigrant described in 
section 101(a)(15)(W)— 
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‘‘(A) the Secretary of State shall issue a visa 
that is valid for 1 or more admissions to the United 
States during a 3-year period; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
authorize the alien to engage in employment in the 
United States during the period of authorized ad-
mission and shall provide the alien with an ‘employ-
ment authorized’ endorsement or other appropriate 
document signifying authorizing employment. 
‘‘(2) In determining whether an alien is eligible 
to be admitted to the United States as a non-
immigrant under section 101(a)(15)(W)(i)— 
‘‘(A) a foreign service officer, outside of 
consular services, including political and eco-
nomic officers and officers of the United States 
Agency for International Development, located 
at the United States Embassy in the country 
concerned, an official in the Bureau for Democ-
racy, Human Rights and Labor, or an official 
of Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and 
Governance, may submit a visa referral for the 
alien to the United States consulate in the 
country concerned; 
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‘‘(B) a consular officer, located at the 
United States Embassy or consulate in the 
country concerned— 
‘‘(i) shall conduct an interview of the 
alien not later than 72 hours after the 
alien submits an application for admission 
as a nonimmigrant under that section; 
‘‘(ii) shall make a determination with 
respect to whether the alien’s fear of an 
urgent threat is credible within the context 
of such country; and 
‘‘(iii) shall consult with and seek ref-
erences from relevant national or inter-
national human rights organizations or the 
United Nations with respect to the alien, 
including references suggested by the alien 
and the referring human rights officer; and 
‘‘(C) the Bureau of Consular Affairs shall 
carry out all security screening through the ap-
propriate databases. 
‘‘(3) An unmarried alien who seeks to accom-
pany or follow to join a parent granted status under 
section 101(a)(15)(W)(i), and who was under 21 
years of age on the date on which such parent ap-
plied for such status, shall continue to be classified 
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as a child for purposes of section 101(a)(15)(W)(ii), 
if the alien attains 21 years of age after such par-
ent’s application was filed, but while it was pending. 
‘‘(4)(A) The number of aliens who may be 
issued visas or otherwise provided status as non-
immigrants under section 101(a) (15)(W) in any fis-
cal year shall not exceed 500. 
‘‘(B) The numerical limitation in subparagraph 
(A) shall only apply to principal aliens described in 
section 101(a)(15)(W)(i) and not to the children or 
spouses or partners of such aliens.’’. 
SEC. 7. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICERS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of State should— 
(1) increase the number of Foreign Service offi-
cer positions dedicated to democracy and human 
rights graded at mid-level rank levels and posted to 
missions in countries facing complex democracy and 
human rights crises, including countries facing high 
levels of violence against human rights defenders; 
and 
(2) increase the number of democracy, human 
rights, and labor positions graded at mid-level rank 
levels at overseas posts, incorporating recommenda-
tions from the Director of the Bureau of Democracy, 
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Human Rights, and Labor regarding scope of work 
and the location of posts. 
(b) RECLASSIFICATION TO MID-LEVEL.— 
(1) RECOMMENDATION.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of State shall submit a recommendation to 
the appropriate congressional committees to reclas-
sify not less than 10 human rights officers to the 
FS–3, –2, or –1 level. 
(2) RECLASSIFICATION.—Not later than 270 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, not 
less than 10 human rights officers shall be reclassi-
fied in accordance with this section. 
(c) INCREASED
HUMAN
RIGHTS
OFFICERS
AT 
POSTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall increase the number of personnel who 
are responsible for democracy and human rights 
issues, with the goal of having at least one officer 
dedicated to democracy and human rights at every 
mission. 
(2) RESPONSIBILITY.—The Bureau of Democ-
racy, Human Rights, and Labor shall lead selection 
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and placement of such officers at diplomatic mis-
sions, consulting with regional bureaus. 
(d) DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE TRAINING.—De-
mocracy, human rights, and governance should be a core 
competency course for foreign service officers at each level 
of required training, including those at the entry (A–100), 
mid, and Senior Foreign Service levels. 
SEC. 8. PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT MUL-
TILATERAL AND REGIONAL BODIES. 
The Secretary of State and the United States Perma-
nent Representative to the United Nations shall use the 
voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the 
United Nations, international financial institutions, re-
gional bodies, and other multilateral bodies— 
(1) to promote full participation and oppose ef-
forts that prevent the full participation of human 
rights defenders or block the accreditation of bona 
fide human rights organizations seeking consultative 
status at such institutions and bodies; 
(2) to ensure that such institutions and bodies 
bolster the protection and safe participation of 
human rights defenders who are subject to 
transnational repression, state harassment, and re-
prisals; 
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