ARCH Act

Verification of Service: The bill allows individuals to provide documentation to verify their status as Afghan allies, which helps preserve their service history and biometrics for potential future use (Section 2(c)(3)).

Accessibility of Application: The creation of a secure online portal allows applicants to submit their own applications or have a designee do so, regardless of their location as long as they are outside the United States (Section 2(c)(2)).

No Financial Burden for Applicants: The Secretary of Defense is prohibited from charging any fees in connection with a request for classification or records preservation (Section 2(c)(6)(A)).

Rights of Appeal: Individuals who are denied classification are provided a written notice explaining the basis for the denial and have the opportunity to submit an appeal or a request to reopen their request (Section 2(c)(4)).

Legal Support: Applicants have the right to be represented by an attorney or another accredited representative during the application process (Section 2(c)(6)(C)).

Risk of Denial: An applicant may be denied classification if the Secretary of Defense determines they are not an Afghan ally or if there is significant derogatory information associated with them (Section 2(c)(4)(A)).

Limited Appeals: An applicant is limited to submitting no more than one written appeal for each denial, and the Secretary of Defense may deny subsequent requests to reopen a request after one has been considered (Section 2(c)(4)(A)(ii) and (C)(ii)).

Cost of Representation: While the application process itself has no fees, any legal representation for the applicant cannot be at the expense of the United States Government (Section 2(c)(6)(C)).