{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-3985","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 3985","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"ALLIES Act of 2021","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To amend the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expedite the special immigrant visa process for certain Afghan allies, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expedite the special immigrant visa process for certain Afghan allies, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"ALLIES Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"ALLIES Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Allies Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2021-06-17","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2021-07-22","vote":{"id":"117-2021-h218","question":"On Passage","title":"Allies Act","result":"Passed","yea":407,"nay":16,"present":0,"not_voting":7,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll218.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate.","date":"2021-07-22"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2021-07-22","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021 or the Allies Act of 2021"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill increases the number of special immigrant visas available to qualified Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. government or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) missions in Afghanistan. The bill also relaxes certain qualifications for such visas."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, this bill makes available an additional 8,000 visas for principal aliens under this special visa program, to be available until all such visas have been issued. (The numerical limitations in this program apply only to the principal alien who applies for the visa, not to any accompanying spouse or child.)"},{"k":"p","t":"Under this bill, an alien may qualify based on a credible basis for concern about the possibility of an ongoing serious threat in Afghanistan due to their work with the U.S. government or a NATO mission, where currently the alien must have experienced such a threat. The bill also eliminates a requirement for each applicant to submit a credible sworn statement describing that threat."},{"k":"p","t":"Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties for U.S. military personnel stationed with a NATO mission, this bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties."},{"k":"p","t":"If an alien submits a visa application that included an accompanying spouse or child but the alien passes away before the application is granted, the surviving spouse or child shall remain eligible to receive a visa under that application. Currently, a surviving spouse or child retains eligibility only if the application was approved before the alien passed away."}],"words":265},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to change eligibility and processing rules for special immigrant visas for certain Afghans and to make 8,000 additional principal-alien visas available.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H6E15579E70ED443ABEE1F743410E9847"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H5731DCD2B9FC46408374B535E9332688"}]},"core_areas":["Special immigrant visa eligibility for Afghan nationals","Special immigrant visa processing requirements","Number of special immigrant visas available","Surviving spouses and children of visa applicants"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Replaces the requirement that an applicant has experienced or is experiencing a serious threat with a requirement that the applicant has asserted a credible basis for concern about the possibility of such a threat, and strikes subparagraph (E) of section 602(b)(2).","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H6E15579E70ED443ABEE1F743410E9847"}},{"text":"Removes the words \"sensitive and trusted\" from the description of activities for United States military personnel stationed with the International Security Assistance Force or a successor force.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H6E15579E70ED443ABEE1F743410E9847"}},{"text":"Adds employment or other work in Afghanistan under a cooperative agreement or grant funded by the United States Government as qualifying employment, if the Secretary of State determines the person contributed to the United States mission in Afghanistan.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H6E15579E70ED443ABEE1F743410E9847"}},{"text":"Replaces the requirement of a petition for classification under section 203(b)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act with a request for special immigrant status made under procedures set by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H6E15579E70ED443ABEE1F743410E9847"}},{"text":"Rewrites the surviving spouse or child provision so it covers a spouse or child of a principal alien whose approved request or petition was revoked because of the principal alien's death, or whose pending request or petition is otherwise approvable but for that death.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H6E15579E70ED443ABEE1F743410E9847"}},{"text":"Allows 8,000 more principal aliens to be granted special immigrant status, in addition to any unused balance, with the authority to issue visas or adjust status ending when those visa numbers are exhausted.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh#H5731DCD2B9FC46408374B535E9332688"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2021-07-22","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3985/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-3985.png","v":"77cd7c97d284","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 3985, 117th Congress: ALLIES Act of 2021. House: 407 Yea, 16 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 22 Jul 2021."}}