Courtney-Cosponsored, Bipartisan Bill To Expedite Visa Process For Afghan Interpreters And Support America's Allies Passes The House

Press Release

Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted to pass the bipartisan Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs (ALLIES) Act (H.R. 3985). Rep. Courtney was one of the first co-sponsors of the ALLIES Act, which introduced after a series of hearings on Afghanistan in the Armed Services Committee. The bill is designed to protect America's Afghan partners and expedite the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process as the U.S. winds down its combat mission in Afghanistan. The ALLIES Act was introduced by Rep. Jason Crow (CO-04), and is now co-sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of 136 other members of Congress.

"The Afghan translators who worked alongside our men and women in uniform made a decision to align themselves with America's cause, and they did so at great risk to themselves and their families from the Taliban," said Rep. Courtney. "Their partnership was essential to the safety of our servicemembers--our own friends and loved ones deployed to the Middle East--and they became our partners with the understanding that America would be there to stand by them when the chips were down. Well, the chips are down, and as our combat mission in Afghanistan comes to an end it is our moral obligation to follow through for our Afghan allies. I was honored to join Congressman Jason Crow, a veteran who served in the Middle East, as a co-sponsor of this bill, and to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in voting to pass it today. The Senate needs to follow our lead here and get this bill to the President's desk--we need to get this done."

The Afghan SIV Program was authorized by the House Armed Services Committee in 2009 to provide safety for Afghan interpreters, contractors, and security personnel who worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The application process has been plagued by delays since the program was established and faces severe backlogs, with wait times routinely stretching for years. Since the Biden Administration announced its plans to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, Rep. Courtney has joined members of Congress on both sides of the aisle in calling on the Administration to expedite this visa process, as Afghan SIV applicants and their families are increasingly under threat by the Taliban.

The ALLIES Act would increase the Afghan SIV cap by an additional 8,000 visas and remove burdensome application requirements that slow down the application process without impacting national security.

Specifically, the ALLIES Act would:

Increase the Afghan SIV cap by an additional 8,000 visas.
Remove the requirement for a "credible sworn statement" regarding the threat applicants face for having worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government, since both public and clandestine reporting confirm that Afghans who have worked for the U.S. face heightened risk of retribution from the Taliban.
Remove the requirement for International Security Assistance Force or Resolute Support employment to be "sensitive and trusted", expanding the field of qualified applicants.
For the bill text of the ALLIES Act, click here.

Since the Biden Administration announced its plans to wind down the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan, Rep. Courtney has joined members of Congress on both sides of the aisle in calling on the Administration to expedite this visa process, as Afghan SIV applicants and their families are increasingly under threat by the Taliban. In June, Courtney helped pass another bipartisan bill to help expedite the visa process for America's allies in Afghanistan: the Honoring Our Promises through Expedition (HOPE) for Afghanistan Act (H.R. 3385). This bill would allow Afghan SIV recipients to complete the requisite medical examination after they have safely left Afghanistan. Click here to read more.

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