Source: https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R43725.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 04:33:16+00:00

Document:
Congress has enacted a series of legislative provisions since 2006 to enable certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals to become U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs). These provisions make certain Iraqis and Afghans who worked as translators or interpreters, or who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan, eligible for special immigrant visas (SIVs). Special immigrants comprise a category of permanent employment-based admissions under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). While the special immigrant category is unique, it does bear some similarities to other admission categories that are authorized by other sections of the INA, including refugees and Amerasian children.
To apply under the SIV programs for Iraqis or Afghans, a prospective special immigrant must submit a petition to the Department of Homeland Security; be otherwise eligible for an immigrant visa; and be otherwise admissible to the United States. An Iraqi or Afghan SIV applicant whose petition is approved and who is abroad is required to have an in-person visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad to determine visa eligibility. Upon admission to the United States, SIV recipients are granted LPR status. Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants are eligible for the same resettlement assistance and federal public benefits as refugees.
There are three SIV programs for Iraqi and Afghan nationals. One is a permanent program for certain Iraqis and Afghans who have worked directly with U.S. Armed Forces, or under Chief of Mission authority, as translators or interpreters. This program is currently capped at 50 principal aliens (excluding spouses and children) per year.
The other two SIV programs for Iraqis and Afghans are temporary. One program is for certain Iraqis who were employed in Iraq by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government during a specified period. It was capped at 5,000 principal aliens annually for FY2008 through FY2012 and included a provision to carry forward any unused numbers from one fiscal year to the next. It expired at the end of FY2013, but was subsequently revived. Current statutory authority provides for the issuance of no more than 2,500 visas to principal applicants after January 1, 2014. Applications are no longer being accepted for this program because the application deadline has passed.
There is a similar SIV program for certain Afghans who were employed in Afghanistan by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government or by the International Security Assistance Force during a specified period. The program was capped at 1,500 principal aliens annually for FY2009 through FY2013, with a provision to carry forward any unused numbers from one fiscal year to the next. Current statutory authority provides for the issuance of no more than 18,500 visas to principal applicants after December 19, 2014. The application period for this program remains open.
Through the end of FY2018, more than 79,000 individuals were granted special immigrant status under the three SIV programs for Iraqi and Afghan nationals. Principal applicants accounted for about 26,000 of the total, and dependent spouses and children accounted for the remaining 53,000.
The Iraqi and Afghan SIV programs have faced challenges with respect to application processing, security screening, and visa availability. The structure of the SIV programs themselves, with statutory timeframes and numerical limitations, introduces additional complication.
The hundreds of Iraqi interpreters who work for the U.S. military conceal their identities in distinctive ways.
One wears a bulletproof Kevlar helmet and a black mask. Another wears sunglasses and a balaclava that covers his entire head.
Congress subsequently broadened the special immigrant classification for translators and also authorized a second special immigrant classification for certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals who had worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan, respectively.
This report analyzes the SIV classifications for Iraqis and Afghans within the context of both the larger INA special immigrant category and selected other permanent admissions categories. It discusses the legislative changes to the individual Iraqi and Afghan special immigrant programs since their initial authorization, provides statistics on visa issuances, and considers challenges that have faced the programs.
The special immigrant category was added to the INA by a 1965 immigration law, known as the 1965 amendments.9 The INA, as originally enacted in 1952, included a predecessor category of nonquota immigrants, immigrants who could be admitted to the United States without regard to numerical limitations. In the 1952 act, these nonquota immigrants included returning LPRs, natives of Western Hemisphere countries, ministers of religion, and long-serving employees of the U.S. government abroad, among other groups. The 1965 amendments to the INA redesignated the nonquota immigrants as special immigrants and made some changes to the various classifications.
The Immigration Act of 1990 further amended the special immigrant provisions in the INA.10 It placed the special immigrant category under a revised INA section on permanent employment-based immigration11 and imposed an overall annual numerical limitation of 10,000 on special immigrants, with exemptions for certain classifications.12 In addition, the 1990 act amended the existing special immigrant classifications and added several new ones. A 1991 immigration act13 changed the overall annual limitation on special immigrants from 10,000 to 7.1% of the worldwide level of employment-based immigration.14 Subsequent laws added new special immigrant classifications.
There are two special immigrant classifications specifically for nationals of Iraq and Afghanistan: one for individuals who worked as translators or interpreters and one for individuals who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq or by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government or by the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. These classifications, in their current form, are the product of a series of legislative enactments, which initially established the classifications and then amended them (see Table 1 for a comparison of the main features of the programs within these classifications).
A prospective Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant must submit a petition for classification; be otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant visa; and be otherwise admissible to the United States, as specified. Regarding this last requirement, in order to gain admission to the United States, an individual must be admissible under the INA. The INA sets forth various grounds of inadmissibility, which include health-related grounds, security-related grounds, and public charge (i.e., indigence). The public charge ground does not apply to applicants under the special immigrant programs for Iraqis and Afghans; thus, these applicants are not required to demonstrate economic self-sufficiency.
Section 1059 of the FY2006 NDAA made certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals who had worked directly with U.S. Armed Forces for at least one year as translators, and their spouses and children, eligible to be classified as special immigrants. The provision capped the number of principal aliens19 who could become special immigrants at 50 annually and provided that these individuals would count against the overall special immigrant cap (see "Legislative History of the Special Immigrant Category").
A second special immigrant classification for nationals of Iraq or Afghanistan and their spouses and children was established by Section 1244 of the FY2008 NDAA (for Iraqis) and by Title VI of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (for Afghans).24 This classification, as subsequently amended, is for certain Iraqi and Afghan nationals who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan, respectively, as specified. The Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for FY201525 expanded eligibility for the Afghan program to include certain employees of the International Security Assistance Force. To be eligible for this special immigrant classification for nationals of Iraq or Afghanistan, an alien must obtain a recommendation from a senior supervisor that documents the alien's "faithful and valuable service" as well as approval from the Chief of Mission. In addition, an applicant must have experienced "an ongoing serious threat" as a result of his or her employment.
At the beginning of FY2014, however, the 113th Congress approved a short-term extension of the program in P.L. 113-42.28 For FY2014, P.L. 113-42 provided for the approval of cases that were pending when the program expired on September 30, 2013, as well as 2,000 new cases, as long as the principal aliens in the new cases completed the required one-year period of employment by September 30, 2013, and filed an application with the Chief of Mission in Iraq by December 31, 2013. The NDAA for FY201429 rewrote the extension language in P.L. 113-42 to provide for the issuance of no more than 2,500 visas to principal applicants after January 1, 2014, and to extend the application deadline to September 30, 2014 (for an overview of the application process, see "Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Application Process"). No changes to the numerical cap or application deadline have been made since then.
A similar SIV program for Afghans who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Afghanistan, as originally enacted, required not less than one year of employment on or after October 7, 2001. It was initially capped at 1,500 principal aliens annually for FY2009 through FY2013 with a provision to carry forward any unused numbers from one fiscal year to the next, including from FY2013 to FY2014.
Several laws passed by the 113th Congress amended the Afghan program's numerical limitations to provide for additional visas. The FY2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act30 provided for the granting of special immigrant status to up to 3,000 principal aliens for FY2014 and the carrying forward and use of any unused balance for FY2014 through the end of FY2015. This law required the one-year employment period to end by December 31, 2014, and required principal aliens to file an application with the Chief of Mission in Afghanistan by September 30, 2014 (see "Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Application Process"). The Emergency Afghan Allies Extension Act of 201431 provided that an additional 1,000 principal aliens could be granted special immigrant status by December 31, 2014. This language required principal aliens to apply to the Chief of Mission no later than the same December 31, 2014, date.
Making further changes to the Afghan program's numerical limitations, the FY2015 NDAA provided that an additional 4,000 principal aliens could obtain special immigrant status from the December 19, 2014, enactment date through September 30, 2016. For purposes of obtaining special immigrant status under the new provision, the law set the termination date for the required one-year employment period at September 30, 2015, the deadline to apply to the Chief of Mission at December 31, 2015, and the expiration date for the visa issuance authority at March 31, 2017.
It is the sense of Congress that the necessity of providing special immigrant status under this subsection should be assessed at regular intervals by the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, taking into account the scope of the current and planned presence of United States troops in Afghanistan, the current and prospective numbers of citizens and nationals of Afghanistan employed ... and the security climate in Afghanistan.
The NDAA for FY201733 increased the number of additional special immigrant visas to 8,500 and extended both the employment eligibility period and the application deadline to December 31, 2020. At the same time, it placed restrictions on qualifying employment for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government for visa issuance purposes for applications filed after the law's December 23, 2016, date of enactment. For these applications, eligibility is limited to Afghans employed in Afghanistan (1) to serve as interpreters and translators, particularly while traveling away from U.S. embassies and consulates with personnel of the Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development or traveling off-base with U.S. military personnel; or (2) to perform sensitive activities for the U.S. government in Afghanistan.
In the 115th Congress, the FY2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act34 increased the number of additional visas available under the SIV program for Afghans who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government from 8,500 to 11,000. The NDAA for FY201835 provided 3,500 additional visas under this program, for a total of 14,500 visas available for issuance after December 19, 2014. The employment termination date and the application deadline remained unchanged at December 31, 2020.
In the 116th Congress, the FY2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act36 makes an additional 4,000 visas available under the SIV program for Afghans who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government, for a total of 18,500 visas available for issuance after December 19, 2014. The employment termination date and the application deadline remain unchanged at December 31, 2020. This law also makes the funding for the additional 4,000 visas conditional on the Secretary of State developing a system for prioritizing the processing of Afghan SIV applications and submitting specified reports, including a report on processing improvements that was required under the NDAA for FY201937 (see "Application Processing").
As noted, since FY2009, the annual numerical limit on the Section 1059 program for translators and interpreters has been 50, well below the numerical limits on the programs for Iraqis and Afghans who were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq or Afghanistan, respectively. A 2008 law38 authorized the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State to convert an approved special immigrant petition under the former program (filed before October 1, 2008) for which a visa was not immediately available to an approved petition under the latter program and subject to the numerical limits of that latter program.
Source: P.L. 109-163, §1059, as amended, 8 U.S.C. §1101 note; P.L. 110-181, §1244, as amended, 8 U.S.C. §1157 note: P.L. 111-8, §602, as amended, 8 U.S.C. §1101 note.
The first step under the programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for or on behalf of the United States is to apply for Chief of Mission approval. To apply, the principal applicant must submit documentation to the Department of State (DOS), including, among other required information, a letter from the applicant's employer confirming employment; a letter of recommendation from the applicant's direct U.S. citizen supervisor; and a statement from the applicant describing the threats he or she received as a result of his or her U.S. government employment. If approval is granted, the applicant receives a Chief of Mission approval letter.
The next step for applicants under the special immigrant programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the United States—and the first step for applicants under the program for translators and interpreters—is to file a petition with the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS) along with accompanying documents. In the case of the program for those who worked for, or on behalf of, the United States, the required documents include copies of the Chief of Mission approval letter and of the letter of recommendation from the direct supervisor. In the case of the program for translators or interpreters, the required documents include evidence of qualifying employment, a letter of recommendation from the Chief of Mission or a general or flag officer in the relevant U.S. Armed Forces unit, and evidence of a background check and screening by the Chief of Mission or the U.S. Armed Forces.
A petition for classification as an Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant that is approved by USCIS is forwarded to DOS's National Visa Center (NVC), which contacts the applicant to advise him or her to begin collecting required documents. The applicant must submit forms and documents for all family members applying for visas to the NVC. In addition to the immigrant visa application, these materials include copies of passport biodata pages, birth certificates, and civil documents; police certificates, if applicable;41 and a refugee benefits election form, indicating whether the applicant, if approved to receive a special immigrant visa, would like to participate in DOS's Reception and Placement program and receive associated benefits (see "Resettlement Assistance and Federal Public Benefits").
The NVC schedules an in-person visa interview for the principal applicant and any family members at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. The interview is required to determine eligibility for a visa. Applicants' fingerprints are taken at the time of the interview. Applicants are also required to have a medical examination at their own cost. After the interview, the consular office informs the applicant about any missing documentation and about any problems with the case that may prevent issuance of a visa. Many cases require additional "administrative processing" after the interview.
Applicants who are issued visas and who have elected to participate in DOS's resettlement program must have their travel to the United States arranged by the International Organization for Migration. Visa recipients who have elected not to participate in DOS's resettlement program are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. Upon admission to the United States, SIV recipients obtain LPR status.
Special immigrant classifications have been established to provide for the permanent admission to the United States of specific populations. As noted, special immigrants comprise a subcategory of permanent employment-based immigrants in the INA, although they are not, in fact, admitted for employment purposes.42 While the special immigrant category is unique, it does bear similarities to other admission categories that are authorized by other sections of the INA.
Unlike special immigrants, refugees comprise a category of humanitarian admissions under the INA.43 As defined in the INA, a refugee is a person who is unwilling or unable to return to his or her home country "because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion."44 Refugees accepted for admission to the United States can be accompanied by their spouses and children. The admissions process for refugees is separate from and different than the process for immigrants. After one year in refugee status, they are required to apply to adjust to LPR status.45 By contrast, special immigrants, like immigrants generally, are granted LPR status upon admission to the United States.
Another similarity between the special immigrant and refugee categories concerns the element of having a connection to the United States. As noted in the preceding legislative history discussion, U.S. government service is a common feature in special immigrant classifications, including those for Iraqis and Afghans. A U.S. connection also may facilitate access to the U.S. refugee admissions program. Overseas refugee processing is conducted through a system of three priorities for admission. The priorities provide access to U.S. resettlement consideration. Priority 1, which covers refugees for whom resettlement seems to be the appropriate durable solution, applies to all nationalities and requires no connection to the United States. A U.S. connection, however, is a factor under Priorities 2 and 3, which provide more direct access to the U.S. refugee admissions program. Priority 2 covers specified groups of special humanitarian concern to the United States, which may be defined by their nationalities, clans, ethnicities, or other characteristics. A U.S. connection is a required element for some Priority 2 groups, such as Iraqis associated with the United States. Priority 3, which is limited to designated nationalities, covers family reunification cases and requires the prospective refugee to have an eligible relative in the United States.
Amerasian children, like Iraqis and Afghans who have assisted the U.S. government, are the subject of special permanent admissions provisions in the INA. The Amerasian provisions have a humanitarian component, but, like the special immigrant provisions, are not a category of humanitarian admissions. Instead, Amerasian children are admitted to the United States under the permanent family-based immigration provisions of the INA (as opposed to the employment-based provisions under which special immigrants are admitted).52 A law enacted in 1982 amended the INA to provide for the admission to the United States as family-based immigrants of individuals born in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea (Cambodia), or Thailand between 1950 and 1982 with U.S. citizen fathers. An immigrant petition could be filed by the eligible individual or by another person on behalf of an eligible individual. Beneficiaries could not be accompanied to the United States by their mothers or other relatives. In the case of minors, the 1982 law required the mother or guardian to sign a written release and provided for placement of the child with a U.S. citizen or LPR sponsor.
A subsequent law enacted in 1987, as amended, eliminated some of restrictions on the immigration of Amerasian children. The 1987 law, which provided for the admission to the United States as immigrants of Vietnamese nationals born in Vietnam between 1962 and 1976 and fathered by a U.S. citizen, permitted the beneficiary to be accompanied by a mother, a spouse, and children. The 1987 law, as amended, also made the public charge ground of inadmissibility inapplicable to these aliens and made them eligible for benefits under the refugee provisions of the INA. With these changes, the treatment of this group became more similar to that of refugees and today's Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Notes: The data include individuals classified as special immigrants who adjusted to LPR status in the United States.
Notes: The data include individuals with approved petitions under the translator/interpreter program whose cases were converted in accordance with P.L. 110-242; the data also include individuals classified as special immigrants who adjusted to LPR status in the United States.
There is a fundamental tension in the administration of the Iraqi and Afghan SIV programs between a sense of urgency to issue visas in a timely fashion to eligible individuals and a need to conduct appropriate security screening. This tension is quite sharp because on the one hand these programs are aimed at individuals who assisted the United States and face danger because of it, and on the other hand there are serious concerns that this population may pose security threats. Overlaying this dynamic is the structure of the SIV programs themselves, with statutory timeframes and numerical limitations.
The Department of Homeland Security reported at a December 2012 House Homeland Security Committee hearing that it takes between 3 and 10 days, on average, to process an Iraqi or Afghan SIV petition.62 The department indicated in response to a question following the October 2011 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that it did not need additional resources to expedite SIV petition processing63 (see "Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Application Process").
A lawsuit challenging the delays in processing Iraqi and Afghan SIV applications was filed in federal court in the District of Columbia in June 2018.71 It remains pending as of the date of this report.
As suggested by the "high-risk cases" language cited in the preceding section, protecting U.S. national security remains a major concern about the Iraqi and Afghan SIV programs. Iraqi and Afghan SIV applicants are subject to security checks conducted by DHS and DOS, a process that involves coordination with other agencies.
The SIV program for Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters is ongoing, while the programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government are temporary. As of the date of this report, the temporary Afghan program and the temporary Iraqi program are scheduled to end when all the available visas are issued.
As detailed above, each of the three SIV programs has been subject to statutory numerical limitations from the start.77 The numerical limitations language in the statutes creating the programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government also provided for the carryover of unused visas from a given fiscal year to the next during a specified period (see "Special Immigrant Visas for Iraqis and Afghans").
In the case of the program for Iraqis who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government, as amended, any of the 5,000 visas made available annually for principal aliens for FY2008 through FY2012 that were not used in a given fiscal year were carried forward to the next fiscal year, with unused visas for FY2012 carried forward to FY2013. Visas that were carried forward but not used in that next fiscal year were lost. At the end of FY2013, the Iraqi program ended and any remaining visas were lost. The program was subsequently revived and new visas were authorized. Currently, P.L. 113-66 provides for the issuance of 2,500 visas to principal aliens under the Iraqi program after January 1, 2014. This law required that applications be filed by September 30, 2014, but included no deadline for issuance of the visas.
Under the program for Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government, as originally authorized, any of the 1,500 visas made available annually for principal aliens for FY2009 through FY2013 that were not used in a given fiscal year were carried forward to the next fiscal year. P.L. 113-76 provided for the issuance of 3,000 visas to principal aliens for FY2014 and for the carrying forward of any unused balance for issuance in FY2015. As under the Iraqi program, carried-over visas that were not used in the second fiscal year were lost.
The SIV program for translators and interpreters is capped at 50 visas for principal aliens per year. It has been capped at this level for each year except for FY2007 and FY2008, when the cap stood at 500. This program did not originally include carryover provisions, but such language was later added by amendment. As under the other SIV programs, visas that are carried forward but not used in the next fiscal year are lost.
Consideration of these numerical limitation and carryover provisions, in conjunction with the visa issuance data for the SIV programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government (in Table A-3 and Table A-4 in the Appendix), indicates that thousands of visas provided for these two programs are no longer available. As shown in the tables, through FY2013, visa issuances under both programs consistently fell well below the statutory limits. Under current statutory provisions for the SIV programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government, as described above, there are no deadlines for the issuance of the visas.
There seems to be broad agreement that the United States should admit for permanent residence Iraqis and Afghans who assisted the U.S. government overseas, provided that they do not pose security risks. Yet implementing the SIV programs intended to accomplish this policy goal has proven difficult. Given the seeming consensus that the U.S. government should assist its Iraqi and Afghan employees in need, an ongoing question for Congress is whether the existing SIV provisions are sufficient to accomplish this, or whether further extensions of the temporary SIV programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for, or on behalf of, the U.S. government, or other changes to the SIV provisions are warranted.
Table 2 in the main body of the report provides data on visa issuances to Iraqis and Afghans (combined) under the special immigrant program for translators and interpreters. The tables here present visa issuance data under this program for Iraqis and Afghans separately. Table A-1 provides data on Iraqi nationals who were issued special immigrant visas, or who adjusted to LPR status in the United States, under the special immigrant program for translators and interpreters. Table A-2 provides comparable data for Afghan nationals. Both Table A-1 and Table A-2 exclude certain dependents that are included in Table 2. These are dependents (27 in total) who received a special immigrant visa or adjusted status under the translator/interpreter program and are Iraqi or Afghan nationals but were born in a third country. These 27 dependents account for the discrepancy between these tables and Table 2. The significant decreases in Table A-1 and Table A-2 after FY2008 reflect changes in the numerical limitations on this classification (see "Aliens Who Worked as Translators or Interpreters").
Notes: The data include individuals classified as special immigrants who adjusted to LPR status in the United States; the data do not include dependents born in a country other than Iraq.
Notes: The data include individuals classified as special immigrants who adjusted to LPR status in the United States; the data do not include dependents born in a country other than Afghanistan.
Table 3 in the main body of the report provides data on visa issuances to Iraqis and Afghans (combined) under the special immigrant programs for Iraqis and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government. The tables here present visa issuance data under these programs for Iraqis and Afghans separately. Table A-3 provides data on Iraqi nationals who were issued special immigrant visas, or who adjusted to LPR status in the United States, under the special immigrant program for Iraqis who were employed in Iraq by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government. Table A-4 provides comparable data for Afghan nationals under the special immigrant program for Afghans who were employed in Afghanistan by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government or by the International Security Assistance Force. Both Table A-3 and Table A-4 exclude certain dependents that are included in Table 3. These are dependents (477 in total) who received a special immigrant visa or adjusted status under these programs and are Iraqi or Afghan nationals but were born in a third country. These 477 dependents account for the discrepancy between these tables and Table 3.
Notes: The data include individuals with approved petitions under the translators/interpreters program whose cases were converted in accordance with P.L. 110-242, June 3, 2008; the data also include individuals classified as special immigrants who adjusted to LPR status in the United States; the data do not include dependents born in a country other than Iraq.
"'Terps' Stick Their Necks Out; Iraqi Interpreters Put Lives on the Line to Assist War Effort," Grand Rapids Press, January 29, 2006, p. A14.
Elise Blanchard, "Afghan Translators Hope U.S. Visas Will Arrive Before The Taliban Does," Huffington Post, January 18, 2017, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/afghan-translators-us-visas-taliban_us_587fbcdae4b0c147f0bca672; see also T.A Frail, "The Tragic Fate of the Afghan Interpreters the U.S. Left Behind," Smithsonian Magazine, November 2016, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tragic-fate-afghan-interpreters-left-behind-180960785/.
Lawful permanent residents, also known as immigrants and green card holders, are noncitizens who are legally authorized to reside permanently in the United States.
Act of June 27, 1952, ch. 477, as amended, codified at 8 U.S.C. §1101 et seq.
U.S. Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary, To Provide Special Immigrant Status for Aliens Serving as Translators with the United States Armed Forces, report to accompany H.R. 2293, 109th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 109-99, May 26, 2005.
INA §101(a)(27)(A). Returning LPRs are the largest special immigrant group.
Returning LPRs are an exception; this special immigrant classification is not subject to a numerical limitation.
INA §203(b). See CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview.
The 1990 act also imposed a cap of 5,000 on religious workers other than ministers within the overall annual numerical limitation of 10,000.
Miscellaneous and Technical Immigration and Naturalization Amendments of 1991 (P.L. 102-232).
The base worldwide limit on employment-based immigration is 140,000; using this base, the special immigrant limit of 7.1% equals 9,940. See CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview.
INA §101(a)(27)(D), (F), (K). With respect to the Panamanian nationals, in the early 1900s the United States gained rights to build and operate the Panama Canal and gained permanent rights to a Panama Canal Zone. Under the terms of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the Panama Canal Zone ceased to exist in 1979 and the Canal was turned over to the Panamanians in 1999. U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Milestones: 1977-1980, "The Panama Canal and the Torrijos-Carter Treaties," http://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/panama-canal.
INA §101(a)(27)(G). April 1, 1979, was the effective date of the exchange of instruments of ratification of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.
The special immigrant classifications for Iraqis and Afghans are not enumerated in INA §101(a)(27). The public laws that established them did not amend the INA.
P.L. 110-28, Title III, §3812; P.L. 110-36. These two public laws include many of the same provisions on special immigrant visas for Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters.
The Chief of Mission is the principal officer in charge of a U.S. diplomatic mission abroad. An individual who worked for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, or the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, directly (not as a contractor) is deemed to have worked under Chief of Mission authority.
In addition, the legislation authorized the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust the status of an alien to LPR status if the alien (1) had been paroled into the country or admitted as a temporary legal resident and (2) was otherwise eligible for the special immigrant classification, even if the alien was not in a lawful immigration status, had engaged in unauthorized employment, or had otherwise violated the terms of his or her nonimmigrant visa. With some exceptions, such behavior would typically make an alien ineligible to adjust to LPR status. Parole is discretionary authority that may be exercised by DHS to allow an alien to enter the United States temporarily (without being formally admitted) for urgent humanitarian reasons or when the entry is determined to be for significant public benefit.
P.L. 110-181 (Iraqis); P.L. 111-8 (Afghans).
P.L. 113-291, Div. A, §1227.
At the time, USCIS maintained that "the authority to grant derivative [special immigrant visa] status to spouses and children of principal Iraqi SIVs did not sunset on Sept. 30, 2013." USCIS, "Special Immigrant Visa Program for Iraqi Nationals Who Worked For or On Behalf Of the U.S. Government Extended," news alert, http://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/special-immigrant-visa-program-iraqi-nationals-who-worked-or-behalf-us-government-extended.
P.L. 113-76, Div. K, §7034(o).
P.L. 115-31, Div. J, §7083.
P.L. 115-91, Div. A, §1213.
P.L. 116-6, Div. F, §7076.
P.L. 115-232, Div. A, §1222.
For additional information on the application process, see U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters; U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Special Immigrant Visas for Iraqis - Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government; and U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans - Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government, all available through https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate.html.
Adjustment of status is the process of obtaining LPR status from within the United States.
A police certificate is required for residents of Iraq. Applicants from Iraq or Afghanistan who have lived in another country for more than 12 months after age 16 must submit a police certificate from that locality. A police certificate is not otherwise required for residents of Afghanistan.
For a general discussion of the permanent immigration system, including employment-based immigration, see CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview.
The refugee admissions process is set forth in INA §207.
See CRS Report RL31269, Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy.
P.L. 110-181, §1244(b)(1)(D), 8 U.S.C. 1157 note (Iraqis); P.L. 111-8, §602(b)(2)(A)(iv), 8 U.S.C. 1101 note (Afghans). No such requirement exists for applicants under the special immigrant program for translators and interpreters. For further discussion of the relationship between the refugee and Iraqi and Afghan SIV programs, see Testimony of USCIS Refugee Affairs Division Chief Barbara Strack, U.S. Congress, House Committee on Homeland Security, Terrorist Exploitation of Refugee Program, hearing, 112th Cong., 2nd sess., December 4, 2012, (Washington, DC: GPO, 2013), pp. 21-22 (hereinafter cited as Testimony of Barbara Strack at House hearing, December 4, 2012).
In order to gain admission to the United States, an individual must be admissible under the INA. INA §212(a) sets forth various grounds of inadmissibility, which include health-related grounds, security-related grounds, and public charge (i.e., indigence).
For additional information, see U.S. Government Accountability Office, Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrants: More Information on Their Resettlement Outcomes Would Be Beneficial, GAO-18-107, February 2018.
P.L. 110-161, Div. G, §525 (Iraqi and Afghan eligibility for up to six months); P.L. 110-181, §1244(g), January 28, 2008 (Iraqi eligibility for up to 8 months); P.L. 111-8, Div. F, §602(b)(8) (Afghan eligibility for up to 8 months).
See CRS Report R42866, Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview.
As indicated in the table notes, Table 3 includes individuals with approved petitions under the translator/interpreter program whose cases were converted as provided for in P.L. 110-242; however, any such individuals would not be included in Table 2.
Special immigrant visa statistics are available from the DOS Bureau of Consular Affairs, http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/law-and-policy/statistics/immigrant-visas.html.
P.J. Tobia, "Tongue Tied in Afghanistan," PBS NewsHour, February 19, 2014, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/tongue-tied-afghanistan/ (hereinafter cited as P.J. Tobia, "Tongue Tied in Afghanistan").
Rigby, Brendan, "Mission Impossible: An Assessment of the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa," Northeastern University Honors Junior/Senior Projects, May 1, 2010.
See, for example, Jason Buch, "Interpreters Who Helped GIs are Left Hanging," San Antonio Express-News, September 22, 2013, p. A1; Kevin Sieff, "U.S. Rejects More Visas for Afghan Interpreters," Washington Post, November 11, 2013, p. A1.
P.J. Tobia, "Tongue Tied in Afghanistan."
Testimony of Assistant Secretary of State Janice L. Jacobs, U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Ten Years After 9/11 – 2011, Preventing Terrorist Travel, hearing, 112th Cong., 1st sess., July 13, 2011, (Washington, DC: GPO, 2012), p. 522 (hereinafter cited as Testimony of Janice L. Jacobs at Senate hearing, July 13, 2011).
U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, hearing, 112th Cong., 1st sess., October 19, 2011 (Washington, DC: GPO, 2012), p. 45. (hereinafter cited as DHS oversight hearing, October 19, 2011).
Testimony of Barbara Strack at House hearing, December 4, 2012, p. 13.
DHS further responded: "We respectfully refer you to the Department of State to comment on whether they have unmet resource needs." DHS oversight hearing, October 19, 2011, p. 44.
U.S. Congress, Conference Committee, John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2019, conference report to accompany H.R. 5515, 115th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Rept. 115-874, July 25, 2018, p. 980.
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Afghan_SIVs_public%20report_(05%2001%2014).pdf (hereinafter cited as Quarterly Report on the Afghan SIV Program, April 2014).
Links to all the quarterly reports are available at https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/iraqis-work-for-us.html (Iraqi program); https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/afghans-work-for-us.html (Afghan program).
Quarterly Report on the Iraqi SIV Program, April 2014, pp. 2-3; Quarterly Report on the Afghan SIV Program, April 2014, pp. 2-3.
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/SIVs/Iraqi%20SIV%20public%20report_Jan%202016.pdf; Joint Department of State/Department of Homeland Security Report: Status of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program, January 2016, pp. 2-3, https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/SIVs/Afghan%20SIV%20public%20report_Jan%202016.pdf.
Joint Department of State/Department of Homeland Security Report: Status of the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa Program, July 2018, pp. 2-3, https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/SIVs/Q3_Iraqi_SIV_Report_July_2018.pdf, (hereinafter cited as Quarterly Report on the Iraqi SIV Program, July 2018); Joint Department of State/Department of Homeland Security Report: Status of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program, July 2018, pp. 2-3, https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/SIVs/Q3-Afghan-SIV-Report-July-2018.pdf (hereinafter cited as Quarterly Report on the Afghan SIV Program, July 2018). In the April 2014-April 2016 quarterly reports, processing times are provided in business days; beginning with the July 2016 quarterly report, processing times are provided in calendar days.
International Refugee Assistance Project, "Court Allows Class Action Challenge to Delays in Special Immigrant Visa Program for Afghan and Iraqi Allies to Continue," press release, January 30, 2019, https://refugeerights.org/court-allows-class-action-challenge-to-delays-in-special-immigrant-visa-program-for-afghan-and-iraqi-allies-to-continue/. The case is Class Action Complaint, Afghan and Iraqi Allies v. Pompeo, No. 18-cv-01388 (TSC) (D.D.C. June 12, 2018).
Testimony of Janice L. Jacobs at Senate hearing, July 13, 2011, p. 522.
U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, National Security and Foreign Policy Priorities in the Fiscal Year 2014 International Affairs Budget, hearing, 113th Cong., 1st sess., April 18, 2013 (Washington, DC: GPO, 2014), p. 107.
Testimony of DHS Deputy Under Secretary for Analysis Dawn Scalici, U.S. Congress, House Committee on Homeland Security, Terrorist Exploitation of Refugee Program, hearing, 112th Cong., 2nd sess., December 4, 2012, (Washington, DC: GPO, 2013), p. 18.
Quarterly Report on the Iraqi SIV Program, July 2018, p. 1; Quarterly Report on the Afghan SIV Program, July 2018, p. 1.
U.S. President (Trump), Proclamation 9645 of September 24, 2017, "Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats," 82 Federal Register 45161, September 27, 2017.
Subsequent amendments, however, made changes to the numerical limitations provisions (see "Special Immigrant Visas for Iraqis and Afghans").

References: §1059
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