Afghan’s Attempting to Immigrate to the U.S.

Options available for Afghans looking to immigrate to the United States

Afghans looking to immigrate to the United States, whether due to being refugees, feeling unsafe after helping the US government in Afghanistan, or any other reason, have different opportunities depending on their situation.

• The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) 

• • Available for Afghans who work or have worked “by or on behalf of the U.S. government in the Afghanistan War.” If accepted, this would also include the applicant’s family members to qualify for an immigrant visa. 
  • To be considered eligible for an SIV, there are certain requirements, including..
    • Employed by the U.S government or International Security Assistance Force for two years,
    • Must prove “faithful and valuable service” through a letter of recommendation received from a supervisor.
    • Must provide evidence of continuing serious threat because of their service

• Anyone wanting to come to the United States can apply to the USCIS for “Humanitarian Parole”
  • Humanitarian Parole allows a person to enter the United States for humanitarian purposes. Applicants are still required to apply for a travel document (Form I-131,) which is required to board a commercial flight to enter the United States.
• A U.S. citizen can file a separate Form 1-130 for each family member, including spouses, parents, children, and siblings. Those that already have permanent resident status can file an application, and will receive a case number. Following this, the resident can call USCIS to make a request of having the application expedited. USCIS will listen to the plea and decide if it is worth being expedited.
• Afghans are also eligible to apply for refugee status, under “Priority 2 Designation for Afghan Nationals.”  Under the US Refugee Admission Program (USRAP,) there are now two separate priorities, P1 or P2.
  • P1 Applies to Afghans that are under severe threats
    • Including women, journalists, human rights activists, and civil society actors. 
  • P2 applies to those that do not qualify for an SIV, but worked for contractors, a NGO organization, or a US government funded program. This can be helpful for those that do not meet the two year criteria, or struggled to get a letter of recommendation.
• There is also the option to speak with an immigration lawyer to research if you would apply for any other type of visas. Commonly people will be able to receive a student visa (F-1) or a temporary professional worker visa (H-1B.)