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HomeAfghanistan Inquiries
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AFGHANISTAN INQUIRIES






OVERVIEW

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations in Afghanistan on August 31,
2021.

Immigrant visas, special immigrant visas, as well as P1 and P2 referrals may be
electronically filed.  In order to process travel visas to the United States,
individuals and families will need to leave Afghanistan and find a U.S. embassy
or consulate for an interview.  U.S. government relocation assistance may be
possible.

The Department of State Travel Advisory for Afghanistan is Level 4: Do Not
Travel, due to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. 
Travel to all areas of Afghanistan is unsafe.

 * U.S. citizens in Afghanistan in need of routine consular services can contact
   any U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance Click here to locate the nearest
   U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

 * U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) should not travel to
   Afghanistan to accompany eligible family members for relocation. More
   information on relocation for family members is available on the Afghan
   Family Reunification webpage.
 * The United States is taking every available measure to assist Afghans who are
   at risk, particularly those who worked for or with the United States or have
   supported international efforts.  We have established mechanisms to help
   Afghans at risk receive protection from potential retaliation or harm.  The
   two key mechanisms to support Afghans who are at risk because of their
   affiliation with the United States are the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)
   program and referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). More
   information on these programs can be found below.


U.S. CITIZENS

 * U.S. citizens in Afghanistan in need of routine consular services can contact
   any U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance. Please be aware that the U.S.
   government is only able to provide extremely limited assistance inside
   Afghanistan and cannot provide many of the consular services that are
   available outside of Afghanistan.
 * U.S. citizens in need of U.S. government assistance to depart Afghanistan
   should email complete biographic details and contact information (email and
   phone number) as well as their U.S. passport number to
   AfghanistanACS@state.gov.
 * To assist your qualifying family members in relocating from Afghanistan visit
   The Afghan Family Reunification Page 
 * The U.S. Mission to Afghanistan continues to provide information via the
   Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), the Embassy web page,
   Travel.State.Gov, and U.S. Embassy Kabul Facebook  and U.S. Embassy Kabul
   Twitter .
 * The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security
   of U.S. citizens overseas. U.S. citizens still in country should:
   * Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security
     updates and so the Department can attempt to locate you in an emergency.
   * Review your personal security plans.
   * Be aware of your surroundings and local security developments at all times.
   * Keep a low profile.
   * Notify a trusted person of your travel and movement plans.
 * U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) should not travel to
   Afghanistan to accompany eligible family members for relocation. More
   information on relocation for family members is available on the Afghan
   Family Reunification webpage.
 * Monitor local media.
   * Please review, “What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis.”
 * Resources for U.S. citizens in Afghanistan:
   * AfghanistanACS@state.gov
   * Embassy Citizens’ Services Page
   * Afghanistan Country Information
   * Afghanistan Travel Advisory
   * Follow us on U.S. Embassy Kabul Facebook  and U.S. Embassy Twitter  to
     ensure you receive Alerts and other information


LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENTS (LPR) AND QUALIFYING U.S. CITIZEN AND LPR FAMILY
MEMBERS

 * LPRs in need of U.S. government assistance to depart Afghanistan should email
   complete biographic details and contact information (email and phone number)
   as well as their passport number to CARETravelData@state.gov.
   * U.S. Citizen and LPR qualifying family members requesting relocation from
     Afghanistan can visit: The Afghan Family Reunification Page
   * The Afghan Family reunification page explains how qualifying family members
     of U.S. citizens and LPRs are prioritized for relocation assistance if they
     have an approved U.S. immigrant visa petition and notification from the
     National Visa Center (NVC) that their case is ready for an interview.
   * This prioritization applies without being accompanied by a U.S. citizen or
     LPR family member.
   * U.S. citizens and LPRs should not travel to Afghanistan to accompany
     eligible family members for relocation. You are not required to be in
     Afghanistan for the U.S. government to help your family members depart from
     Afghanistan.
   * The Department of State will contact your family members with departure
     options after the NVC has notified your family members that their immigrant
     visa applications are ready for an interview.
   * Family members applying for non-SIV immigrant visas will need to travel to
     a U.S. embassy or consulate outside of Afghanistan that processes immigrant
     visas when the case is interview ready. Upon arrival in another country,
     you may contact the NVC to request a case transfer.


SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA (SIV) APPLICANTS

 * We continue to prioritize Afghan SIV applications at every stage of the SIV
   process, including transferring interview-ready cases to other U.S. embassies
   and consulates around the world. This effort is of the utmost importance to
   the U.S. government.
 * Starting July 20, 2022, the Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and
   Immigration Services (USCIS) have combined two steps in the Afghan SIV
   application process: (1) the Chief of Mission (COM) approval, and (2) the SIV
   petition. The new SIV petition for Afghans is two pages and submitted with
   the COM application, compared to the 19-page USCIS petition.  As a result,
   applicants processed through this framework will receive COM approval and
   petition approval almost simultaneously and need not submit an I-360 petition
   to USCIS.
 * Afghan nationals who are eligible for the SIV program but who have not yet
   applied should submit one complete application package, including the Form
   DS-157 Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV
   Applicants , to the National Visa Center (NVC)
   (AfghanSIVapplication@state.gov) to facilitate processing as quickly as
   possible. Please refer to Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans – Who Were
   Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government for more information regarding
   the SIV process and who is eligible.
   * Afghan nationals with pending SIV petitions should follow the guidance
     available here:  Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans – Who Were Employed
     by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government.
   * After your petition is approved and you become eligible for an interview,
     you must notify the NVC once you are able to travel to a U.S. Embassy or
     Consulate outside of Afghanistan that processes immigrant visas. We will
     then assist you in transferring your case to that location for an
     interview.
   * If you are currently outside of Afghanistan, please contact the NVC to have
     your case transferred to a U.S. embassy or consulate where you are located.
 * Immigrant visa applicants, including SIV applicants, should continue
   monitoring official U.S. government websites, including travel.state.gov for
   updated information. If there are instructions pertaining to your individual
   SIV or immigrant visa petition, the U.S. government will contact you
   separately.

Please find additional SIV resources below:   If you have not yet received Chief
of Mission (COM) approval for your SIV petition and have questions on how to
receive COM approval Email the NVC at AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov If you have
received COM approval for your SIV petition and have questions regarding the
filing of your Form I-360 petition with USCIS Contact the USCIS Nebraska Service
Center at sivtranslator.nsc@dhs.gov *New* If you have questions about the new
DS-157 Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV applicants
or are unsure which petition you need to file Visit Special Immigrant Visas for
Afghans – Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government  If you have an
approved SIV petition and have questions regarding your visa case status Email
the NVC at NVCSIV@state.gov If you have questions about your SIV interview
Contact the NVC the U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of Afghanistan nearest to
you If you are an SIV recipient in the U.S. and would like information about SIV
resettlement benefits through post-arrival services Contact the Refugee
Processing Center at SIV@wrapsnet.org


U.S. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM (USRAP)

 * Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan is enduring. We continue to
   receive and process submissions for Afghans who may be eligible for referral
   to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Afghans eligible and referred
   to the USRAP generally must be outside of Afghanistan in a third country for
   their cases to be processed. We recognize that it may be difficult for
   Afghans to obtain a visa to a third country or find a way to enter a third
   country, and like many refugees, may face significant challenges fleeing to
   safety. Our expectation – and the expectation of the international community
   – is that people who want to leave Afghanistan should be able to do so.
 * Information on the Priority-2 designation for access to the U.S. Refugee
   Admissions Program is available at the Refugee Admissions page. Information
   for Afghan nationals regarding the P-2 designation and instructions for
   U.S.-based media and U.S. NGOs to submit P-2 referrals are available at
   www.wrapsnet.org.
 * Note: As of December 2022, we have begun to re-email applicants with an
   accepted referral who have not indicated relocation to a third country. This
   email requests applicants confirm their location is Afghanistan. The State
   Department is contacting applicants as part of ongoing U.S. government
   efforts to potentially relocate vulnerable Afghans to a processing location.


ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION RELATED INFORMATION FOR AFGHAN PAROLEES

 * For information regarding asylum processing for Afghan nationals who were
   paroled into the United States, please visit USCIS’ Afghan Operation Allies
   Welcome (OAW) Parolee Asylum-Related Frequently Asked Questions .
 * If you are outside of the United States, you or someone on your behalf may be
   able to request parole into the United States based on urgent humanitarian or
   significant public benefit reasons. For parole requests filed on behalf of
   Afghan nationals, USCIS is currently prioritizing the parole applications for
   Afghan nationals outside of Afghanistan over those who are in Afghanistan
   given the availability of completing processing for parole beneficiaries in a
   location with those individuals at a U.S. embassy or consulate, but USCIS
   continues to process parole applications for individuals in Afghanistan as
   well.

 * For more information on additional immigration programs available to Afghan
   nationals who were paroled into the United States, please visit USCIS’
   Information for Afghan Nationals .
 * For more information on Family Reunification for Asylees and Parolees, please
   the Department of State’s Family Reunification for Afghans Webpage.


AFGHAN CONSULAR SERVICES TO AFGHANS LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES

 * Please reach out to Afghan Embassy and Consulates in Canada. 
 * There is not an Afghan embassy or consulate in the United States.


UNHCR ASSISTANCE

 * Individuals who believe they are being persecuted or who fear persecution in
   their own country and have managed to flee to another country should follow
   procedures to seek asylum or other forms of protection with local/national
   authorities. Such individuals can also seek assistance from the United
   Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). UNHCR’s immediate focus is to
   ensure that Afghans who are seeking safety can reach it, including across
   borders and into neighboring countries if needed and that they can receive
   assistance to meet basic needs.
 * Globally, possibilities for resettlement of Afghans under UNHCR’s program are
   determined by participating governments. With respect to potential
   resettlement in a third country, resettlement quotas from governments around
   the world can currently only include a small proportion of refugees worldwide
   (less than 1%). Although some individuals may be determined to be in need of
   life-saving resettlement and may meet eligibility criteria, this is
   contingent on many factors, including the severity of resettlement needs, the
   protection environment, the position of the host country, and the
   availability of resettlement places. More information can be found on the
   UNHCR website. 


HOW THE PUBLIC CAN HELP

 * A broad network of private actors including but not limited to U.S.
   companies, philanthropies, universities, civil society organizations,
   faith-based communities, and veteran groups have expressed interest in
   supporting Afghans.  This assistance includes funding and sponsorship of
   families and serving as advocates/promoters of this effort.
 * We encourage people who are interested in assisting arriving Afghans to reach
   out to welcome.us   or their local refugee resettlement agency for ways to
   help. There are many opportunities to be involved in welcoming Afghans and
   helping them to rebuild their lives in the U.S.
 * Here is a list of resettlement agency and affiliate contacts 
 * Here is a list of U.S. and international nongovernmental organizations
   assisting Afghans around the world .



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