# 117-hr-4736: Improving Access for Afghan Refugees Act

117-hr-4736, Improving Access for Afghan Refugees Act, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (D-CA); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-4736
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-4736
- Congress: 117
- Title: Improving Access for Afghan Refugees Act
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
- Introduced: 2021-07-28
- Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 46
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Improving Access for Afghan Refugees Act This bill requires the Department of State to provide priority refugee status to eligible habitual residents of Afghanistan. To be eligible for such priority status, a habitual resident of Afghanistan must also be a national of Afghanistan or stateless. Such an individual shall receive priority refugee status if the individual (1) has suffered persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution and worked in a specified field that makes the individual a target of persecution on account of race, religion, or other characteristics; (2) was employed for at least one year in Afghanistan by U.S.-based media or nongovernmental entities or an entity that received a contract or grant from the U.S. government; or (3) is the beneficiary of a visa petition sponsored by a relative who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The State Department may also provide priority status to other groups of individuals who are nationals and residents of Afghanistan. Certain annual numerical limits on refugee admissions shall not apply to individuals who receive priority status under this bill. For refugee applications under this bill, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security shall ensure that all steps in the approval process in the U.S. government's control are completed within six months of an application's submission, with exceptions for cases that need more time to address national security concerns.

## Cosponsors (46)

- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14] (D-MI), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29] (D-TX), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10] (D-FL), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-16] (D-CA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] (D-NY), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51] (D-CA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (D-CA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] (D-OH), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] (D-PA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] (D-IL), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2] (D-WA), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2021-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6] (D-CO), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8] (D-PA), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2021-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2021-08-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] (D-VA), 2021-08-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] (D-CA), 2021-08-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC), 2021-08-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2021-08-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2021-08-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (D-HI), 2021-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2021-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4] (D-CT), 2021-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3] (D-KY), 2021-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bowman, Jamaal [D-NY-16] (D-NY), 2021-08-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bourdeaux, Carolyn [D-GA-7] (D-GA), 2021-08-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-IN-1] (D-IN), 2021-09-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2021-09-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2021-09-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] (D-FL), 2021-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2022-03-02T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 117-hr-6015: Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Build…
- 117-hr-4: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021
- 117-hr-3755: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021
- 117-hr-3642: Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-hr-8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021

## Sources
- [117-hr-4736 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4736)

## Related
- [117-hr-6015: Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-6015)
- [117-hr-5577: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 C…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5577)
- [117-hr-4: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-4)
- [117-hr-3755: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3755)
- [117-hr-3642: Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3642)
- [117-hr-8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-8)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-4736 (as of 2025-11-18).