; and (6) citizens or nationals of Syria or Iraq, or stateless persons who habitually resided in Syria or Iraq, who provided service to United States counter-ISIS efforts for an aggregate period of at least 1 year. (b) Eligibility for admission as a refugee An alien may not be denied the opportunity to apply for admission as a refugee under this section solely because such alien qualifies as an immediate relative of a national of the United States or is eligible for admission to the United States under any other immigrant classification. (c) Membership in certain Syrian organizations An applicant for admission to the United States may not be deemed inadmissible based solely on membership in, participation in, or support provided to, the Syrian Democratic Forces or other partner organizations as determined by the Secretary of Defense. (d) Exclusion From Numerical Limitations Aliens provided refugee status under this section shall not be counted against any numerical limitation under section 201, 202, 203, or 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1151 , 1152, 1153, and 1157). (e) Timeline for processing applications (1) In general The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that all steps under the control of the United States Government incidental to the approval of such applications, including required screenings and background checks, are completed not later than 5 years after the date on which an eligible applicant submits an application under subsection (a). (2) Exception Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the United States Refugee Admission Program may take additional time to process applications described in paragraph (1) if satisfaction of national security concerns requires such additional time, provided that the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the designee of the Secretary, has determined that the applicant meets the requirements for status as a refugee of special humanitarian concern under this section and has so notified the applicant. (f) Reporting