The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act of 2007
was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008
which became Public Law 110181 on 28 January 2008. Section 1248(c)
of this Act requires the Secretary of State to request from each
Department of State prime contractor, grantee, or cooperative
agreement partner that has performed work in Iraq since March 20,
2003, under a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement with the
Department that is valued in excess of $25,000, information that
can be used to verify the employment of Iraqi citizens and
nationals by such contractor, grantee or cooperative agreement
partner. To the extent possible, biographical information, to
include employee name, date(s) of employment, biometric, and other
data must be collected and used to verify employment for the
processing and adjudication of refugee, asylum, special immigrant
visa, and other immigration claims and applications.
The Refugee Crisis in
Iraq Act of 2007 was included in the National Defense Authorization
Act of 2008 which became Public Law 110-181 on 28 January 2008.
Section 1248(c) of this Act requires the Secretary of State to
request from each Department of State prime contractor, grantee, or
cooperative agreement partner that has performed work in Iraq since
March 20, 2003, under a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement
with the Department that is valued in excess of $25,000,
information that can be used to verify the employment of Iraqi
citizens and nationals by such contractor, grantee or cooperative
agreement partner. To the extent possible, biographical
information, to include employee name, date(s) of employment,
biometric, and other data must be collected and used to verify
employment for the processing and adjudication of refugee, asylum,
special immigrant visa, and other immigration claims and
applications. 1. In coordination with the Departments of Homeland
Security and Health and Human Services, as well as with key
international partners such as the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees and the International Organization for Migrations, and
with numerous non-governmental organizations, the U.S. Department
of States Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) has
overall management responsibility for the U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has
responsibility for the actual adjudication of refugee applications
and, along with the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Consular
Affairs (CA), responsibility for the adjudication of special
immigrant visa applications. The collection of employment
verification data is critical to expediting the USRAP process, as
well as for expediting asylum, special immigrant visa, and other
immigration claims and applications. 2. Emergency approval for this
information collection is requested to allow PRM, CA and DHS to
more expeditiously and efficiently address Iraqi immigration claims
and applications. The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act of 2007, enacted
on January 28, 2008, requires that several agencies, including the
Department of State, conduct this information collection.
Interagency efforts, led by the Department of Defense, have thus
far failed to produce a coordinated plan of action for fulfilling
this requirement. Therefore, the Department of State has determined
it should proceed on its own to collect this information as
expeditiously as possible from its contractors, grantees and
cooperative agreement partners in order to become compliant with
this law. Since the law required implementation within 120 days of
enactment, the Department seeks an emergency review to become
compliant as soon as possible. 3. Due to the failure of the
interagency to produce a plan, the Department of State is overdue
in its compliance with the requirements set out in Public Law
110-181, Section 1248(c) and wishes to address this issue as
quickly as possible. Therefore, the Department of State requests
emergency OMB approval for this collection by May 15, 2009.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form DS-7655 Iraqi Citizens and Nationals Employed by Federal Contractors, Grantees, and Cooperative Agreement Partners
1248 - Question 1.docx
Justification for Emergency Review - 040609.doc
Legal Authority - 040609.pdf
Iraqi Citizens and Nationals Employed by Federal Contractors, Grantees, and Cooperative Agreement Partners