because they're further along in processing, while others won't. . Lewisville, TX 75067. Afghan Parolees Employment Authorized Incident to Parole. Under Section 2502(c) of the Act, we will conduct the initial interview for an asylum application within 45 days of filing and, if there are no exceptional circumstances, we will complete the final adjudication within 150 days of filing. USCIS offers many other online services and tools at uscis.gov to help you find the information you need. . USCIS generally requires a fee to process the associated immigrant visa packets and produce Green Cards. To apply for Chief of Mission (COM) approval for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, you must have access to email; have the ability to scan and save all of the required documents from the list as PDF files; and be able to submit these documents via email. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) or another country's resettlement program. USCIS reviews all parole requests for all nationalities to determine whether the request warrants expedited processing for an urgent or time-sensitive reason and is not expediting parole requests based on nationality alone. USCIS may require you to appear for an interview or provide biometrics (fingerprints, photograph, and/or signature) at any time to verify your identity, obtain additional information, and conduct additional background and security checks, including a check of criminal history records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), before making a decision on your Form I-765 application. (See Step 6 of the Parole Process section of the Humanitarian and Significant Public Benefit Parole for Individuals Outside the United States webpage.) By Abigail Hauslohner. Call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time to request an in-person appointment at the local field office with jurisdiction over your place of residence. Afghanistan has long been one of the largest originators of displaced persons due to prolonged interethnic conflict and proxy wars (1, 2); however, the year 2021 witnessed the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the resultant collapse of the Afghan national infrastructure, and the subsequent takeover of the country by Taliban, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISK), and other . Effective July 20, 2022, USCIS has transitioned the responsibility to adjudicate Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) petitions filed under the AAPA special immigrant program to the Department of State. If you are unable to provide any of the above requested documents or notarized affidavits, provide a detailed written explanation describing why you are unable to provide them. Afghan citizens or nationals who already started the SIV application process and received COM approval on or before July 20, 2022, must still file a Form I-360 with USCIS on their own behalf. As of February 2022, IRAP does not believe that any Afghan citizens have completed processing and will not complete processing for a long time. We are working with other agencies to ensure we receive the information we need in a timely manner to issue Green Cards promptly. If you are submitting any of the secondary documents listed below, you should include an explanation about why primary documents are unavailable. Individuals who received their Form I-94 at the time of their parole into the United States should visit theU.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)Form I-94 website to view and print a copy of their Form I-94. The Form I-485 processing time ends when you receive your permanent residence. Who May Apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) as an Afghan Parolee. Please include your relatives country of birth on Part 4, Item 7., of the Form I-130. U.S. law does not recognize polygamous marriages. On August 29, 2021, President Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to lead and coordinate ongoing efforts across the federal government to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades, as they safely resettle in the United States. If you continue a polygamous marriage you were in before you came to the United States or begin a new polygamous marriage in the United States, we may deny your immigration application or petition. Life Under the Taliban Life in a Remote Valley in Kunar Province. You may apply for an EAD as an Afghan parolee if you were paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or reasons of significant public benefit under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 212(d)(5) on or after July 30, 2021. For more information about TPS, please visit our Temporary Protected Status webpage. New Afghan SIV applicants will no longer need to file an I-360 petition. Note that a Social Security card that contains no employment restrictions is not available to parolees and individuals who are not admitted to the United States on a permanent basis. If you need help finding a medical provider to meet these requirements, visit the CDCHealth Department Directorieswebpage. If you are filing Form I-765 as an Afghan parolee, you may file online or by mail. The several appendices cover the purpose, scope, and methodology of the report; congressional request letters, the . Applying for any other immigration benefit or protection for which you may be eligible. It is important for you to feel comfortable telling your whole story. The following resources are kept up-to-date with key policy and legal developments. Application Type: In Part 2, Item 1.c., select the checkbox for Certain Afghan or Iraqi National, Form I-360 or Form DS-157, and in Part 2, Item 3., enter the receipt number of your approved Form I-360 immigrant petition or the case number on your COM approval letter for your Form DS-157. You must complete all remaining medical requirements listed on the USCIS Notice Regarding Conditions for Parole, which may include required vaccinations and TB testing, within 60 days of arrival in the United States. This page was not helpful because the content: Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, Frequently Asked Questions About the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), DACA Litigation Information and Frequently Asked Questions, Filing Tips for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DED Covered Country Certain Hong Kong Residents, Frequently Asked Questions About Uniting for Ukraine, Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole, Frequently Asked Questions About Urgent Humanitarian and Significant Public Benefit Parole for Afghans, Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program, Cuban Medical Professional Parole (CMPP) Program, Refugee Adjudications: Policy and Procedures, Refugee Processing and Security Screening, Affirmative Asylum Frequently Asked Questions, Asylum Merits Interview with USCIS: Processing After a Positive Credible Fear Determination, Establishing Good Cause or Exceptional Circumstances for Rescheduling Affirmative Asylum Interviews, FACT SHEET: Implementation of the Credible Fear and Asylum Processing Interim Final Rule, Preparing for Your Affirmative Asylum Interview, Victims of Human Trafficking and Other Crimes, Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status, Victims of Human Trafficking: T Nonimmigrant Status, Resources for Victims of Human Trafficking and Other Crimes, Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C), Afghan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Parolee Asylum-Related Frequently Asked Questions, Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF), Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special immigrant, Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government, Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, USCIS Lockbox Filing Locations Chart for Certain Family-Based Forms, Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant, Form AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card, Green Card for an Afghan Who Was Employed by or on Behalf of the U.S. Government, Green Card for an Afghan or Iraqi Translator or Interpreter, Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans - Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government, Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters, Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, Green Card for an Afghan National Who Was Employed by or on Behalf of the U.S. Government, Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, Department of States Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government, Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole (English), Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole (Pashto), Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole (Dari), Department of States Refugee Admissions webpage, Refugee Processing Centers SIV/Afghan P-2 webpage, Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, Form DS-4317, Family Reunification Assistance for Afghan Parolees' Immediate Family Members Outside the United States, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program (URM), Request Records Through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act, DD Form 2870, Authorization for Disclosure of Medical or Dental Information, dha.ncr.healthcare-ops.mbx.dod-oaw-health-records-request@mail.mil, Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 3, Information Sheet for Afghan Parolees Departing Safe Havens - English, Information Sheet for Afghan Parolees Departing Safe Havens - Dari, Information Sheet for Afghan Parolees Departing Safe Havens - Pashto, Applying for Asylum as an Afghan National, Applying for Asylum as an Afghan National (Pashto), Applying for Asylum as an Afghan National (Dari). A detailed explanation of the card error (such as incorrect name, date of birth, etc. If you were admitted to the United States as an Afghan SIV LPR and you still have your immigrant visa paper packet, mail your packet to: In the basis of eligibility section, provide your eligibility category; For the category under which you are applying, select , Select your reason for applying as either . Attn: OAW EAD Card Corrections NOTE: Only use this email address if you entered the United States on or after July 30, 2021, under OAW due to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, or you are (or have a family member who is) an Afghan national outside the United States with a petition or application pending with USCIS. of your Form I-765, and we approve your application for employment authorization, USCIS will electronically send that data to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and SSA will assign you an SSN and issue you a Social Security card. ), In Part 2, Question 27, Information About Your Eligibility Category, write in (c)(11). This is the category number for parolees. Keep the copy of the Form SF-600 you received. Include your most recent date of entry in the Date field on page 1 of Form I-589, Part A.I., Question 19c. . The elimination of this 19-page form will greatly ease the administrative burden on applicants and reduce processing time. If you did not complete Form I-485 at a U.S. government reception center or safe haven, we encourage you to file Form I-485 as soon as possible to apply to become a lawful permanent resident and get a Green Card. For more information on obtaining a Form I-94, see the CBP. Filing Form DS-4317 will not prevent you from filing a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, if you are granted asylum or refugee status in the United States. REMINDER:If you are an Afghan parolee who received the Afghan Parole Information sheet from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon arrival in the United States or a Notice Regarding Conditions for Parole from a U.S. embassy consular officer, your parole is subject to certain medical conditions. For more information on the immigration medical examination, see. "Trump ordered rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan after election loss", Army Times, October 13, 2022. This legislation would appropriate funding from fiscal year 2022 for SIVs through the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, adding to it additional personnel crucial in reducing the backlog of SIV processing and expediting . Falls Church, VA 22041. This FAQ provides an overview of both the traditional immigration pathways as well as the new avenues for refugee processing and family reunification available to Afghan evacuees. If you are an Afghan parolee covered under section 2502(b), P.L. CBP has corrected their parole period to a full 2 years. Please always check the sender information to make sure it ends in (.gov). August 9, 2022, 3:42 PM. There is no fee to request reissuing a card. An Employment Authorization Document (EAD); or, Your USCIS number (A-Number) and other documents, such as your Form I-94. This has already produced significant If you are outside the U.S., call 212-620-3418 or checkCase Status Online. If you did not either complete these medical requirements before you traveled to the United States or complete a medical exam at a U.S. government reception center or safe haven after you arrived in the United States, you must receive the required testing and vaccinations elsewhere. If the U.S. government helps your family members depart Afghanistan, they will only be able to enter the United States if U.S. immigration officials approve their entry. For more information, visit our. For more information, see the, If you are filing a paper Form I-765, mail to the appropriate address as provided on our, Locate a copy of your Form I-94, Arrival Departure Record, passport, or other travel document showing you were paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or reasons of significant public benefit under INA 212(d)(5), which should have an Afghan parole notation, such as OAW or OAR., For more information on obtaining a Form I-94, see CBPs. Many Afghans paroled into the United States in 2021 and 2022 are seeking to reunify with family members left behind in Afghanistan or who are residing in third countries. P.O. There is no cost to create an account, which offers a variety of features, including the ability to communicate with USCIS about your application through a secure inbox. Beginning Dec. 5. Your admission as a lawful permanent resident would not be contrary to the national welfare, safety, or security of the United States. We will mail secure documents to the address on file, so it is important to include receipt numbers for all pending cases. This policy update applies to Afghan parolees whose unexpired Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, contains a class of admission of OAR, if their parole has not been terminated. If you completed Form I-765 at a U.S. government reception center or safe haven, you might have the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Washington, D.C. as your address of record. You entered the U.S. using your immigrant visa, You Have not yet paid the immigrant visa fee, You must pay the immigrant visa fee online before your permanent resident card can be processed. For more information, see the, Locate a copy of your Form I-94, passport, or other travel document showing you were paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or reasons of significant public benefit under INA 212(d)(5). UNHCR's website provides information . Review and submit you application to receive $0 fee. But most parole applications from Afghans remain unresolved and. The department boasts of speeds in processing time, pointing to how it has "already reduced the total average processing time for an Afghan SIV application to 587 days in the most recent quarter . . For information about parole for Afghan nationals, see Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole (English), Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole (Pashto) or Information for Afghan Nationals on Requests to USCIS for Humanitarian Parole (Dari). A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Package all Forms I-485 for your family in a single envelope. In the meantime, we have identified specific individuals affected by the missing visa packets, and we are mailing Green Cards to the addresses we have on file for them. Home. The U.S. government does not require you to be in Afghanistan to help your family members depart and will not help your family members depart more quickly if you are there. If we determine you are not inadmissible based on health-related grounds, we will remove the conditions on your permanent residence. You have already completed the medical requirements to obtain lawful permanent resident status. September 22, 2022. . We've made important strides to . 279(g)(2); and, If you are submittingForm I-589, address the envelope according to guidance in the Where to File or Special Instructions section (whichever applies) on the webpage for. a one-time payment of $2,275 for each Afghan an agency serves, of . What is the average U.S. government processing time for Afghan SIVs and how many cases are processed in that time? This is considered derivative refugee or asylee status, because your beneficiary will be deriving their status from you after you were admitted to the United States as a refugee or received a grant of asylum. If the U.S. government can help your lawful spouse* and unmarried children under 21 depart Afghanistan, your family members will travel to a country outside the United States where they can be considered for refugee status through the U.S. To obtain a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) as an Afghan who was employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government, whether you live inside or outside the United States, you must first seek special immigrant classification by filing either Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special immigrant, with USCIS or Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, with the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Certain Afghan citizens or nationals who already started the SIV application process and received COM approval as of July 20, 2022, must still fileForm I-360 with USCIS on their own behalf, with this exception: If the COM approval letter states that your signed Form DS-157 submitted with your application for COM approval is approved as a petition and you are classified as a special immigrant under INA 203(b)(4), you do not need to file Form I-360. Sign your Form I-485 in Part 10, Item 6.a. Attn: IV The Department of State will process this form both for COM approval and as a special immigrant petition. If we deny your application for asylum, or any other immigration benefit, that will not affect your ability to register for TPS. On Nov. 21, 2022, USCIS announced that Afghans paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) and certain Afghans paroled under Operation Enduring Welcome (OEW) are employment authorized incident to parole. top of page. analysis relative to higher-priority tiers. IOM is taking steps to deliver both EADs and Social Security cards. Time: 2023-02-28 14:23:38; source:Yahoo News . Individuals employed as civil servants in Afghanistan at any time from September 27, 1996 to December 22, 2001 or after August 15, 2021. . Supplemental SIV Chief of Mission Application or Supplemental NIV Application, prior to July 20, 2022. Answer 1: Due to a very large number of Afghan SIV applications submitted during and after August 2021, the NVC has been struggling to review and process all the SIV applications submitted. However, registration for TPS does not prevent you from: PLEASE NOTE: To be granted any other immigration benefit, you must still meet all the eligibility requirements for that particular benefit. You were paroled into the United States and later granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Individuals who are authorized parole may apply for employment authorization after arrival. USCIS The Afghan SIV program was an important mechanism to repay these courageous individuals, but it has not lived up to the promise we made to participants when it was established over a decade ago. If we approve your Form I-360, we will forward the approved petition to the DOS for consular processing of your SIV. We send receipt notices to the address listed on the application or petition. If you have questions or need to update your personal information with USCIS, visit the USCIS Contact Center to connect with a USCIS representative. L. 117-2617 (PDF)amended the act to extend the program through Dec. 31, 2024, and to increase thetotal number of principal noncitizens who may receive special immigrant status to38,500. 5109 Leesburg Pike Skyline Six, Form I-693 retains its evidentiary value for 2 years after the date the civil surgeon signed Form I-693. For these parolees, their unexpired Form I-94 is an acceptable List A receipt that shows their identity and employment authorization for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. For more information, see ourGreen Card for a Refugee page. After the 90-day period, parolees must present an unexpired Form I-765, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or unrestricted Social Security card and acceptable List B identity document from the Form I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents (such as a state-issued drivers license or identification card). The SIV program has faced massive backlog and processing can take months, if not years for some. The Biden administration is establishing a system based in Qatar designed to fast-track the processing of at-risk Afghans overseas and ensure they can arrive in the U.S. with permanent legal. The administration must take immediate steps to ensure this program can operate with integrity, now and post-withdrawal, including through the allocation of 20,000 visas in Fiscal Year 2022. You are a citizen or national of Afghanistan, or you have no nationality and last habitually resided in Afghanistan; You were paroled into the United States between July 30, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022; and, You were paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2022, and, You are the spouse or child of an individual who meets Category 1 above, or, You are the parent or legal guardian of an individual who meets Category 1 above and who is determined to be an unaccompanied child as defined under 6 U.S.C. Suite 504 ); Copies of supporting documentation of the correct information. As of June 2022, an Afghan national applicant was required to complete a three-phased process to receive an SIV: Chief of Mission (COM) approval, I-360 petition, 4 and visa application. A State Department spokesperson said in mid-July that 20,000 applicants are in various stages of. The attestation should state that the information in the statement you provided is valid. The program is deeply troubled by insufficient staffing . The secretary of homeland security may designate a foreign country for TPS when conditions in the country temporarily prevent its nationals from returning safely or, in certain circumstances, when the country is unable to adequately handle the return of its nationals. If such individuals apply for a Special Immigrant Visa outside of the United States or apply to adjust status in the DS-157 Circuit-Ride Locations to Conduct Interviews for Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Asylum Applicants. In 2020, the government agreed to a plan stipulating that SIV application decisions must be made within 120 days and that it would report its progress in clearing the applications backlog every. If you have been persecuted or have a fear of future persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, you may be eligible for asylum. One year later, the United States has yet to fulfill its moral, congressional, and court-ordered obligations to protect Afghans who remain at risk, including Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program applicants. For individuals in the United States with COM requests pending on July 20, 2022, please reference the chart below. The Afghanistan SIV process covers Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government or the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Javed, 38, an SIV applicant in Kabul, said he lives in fear every day because he worked as an operations manager and translator at Bagram airbase, the largest US military installation in Afghanistan. While the U.S. government has withdrawn its personnel from Kabul, we will continue to assist U.S. citizens and their families in Afghanistan from Doha, Qatar. UNHCR will identify individuals for resettlement referral based on an assessment of their vulnerability at the time of registration. For inquiries regarding a pending Chief of Mission application or immigrant visa, please visit theDepartment of States Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Governmentwebpage for contact information. For information specific to P-2 program for Afghan nationals, please visit theRefugee Processing Centers SIV/Afghan P-2 webpage. If you still need to complete the immigration medical examination in the United States, a civil surgeon designated by USCIS must perform the examination. If we approve your Form I-765, we will mail your EAD to you at your address on record. You can qualify for an exception if you can show: Generally, maintaining valid status or parole until a reasonable period before filing the asylum application is considered an extraordinary circumstance. The chart lists the locations where OAW asylum applicants who qualify for expeditious processing under Section 2502(c) of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF)may expect to have their asylum interviews, based on where they live. Generally, we will only consider the first marriage of a polygamous marriage valid for immigration purposes. For those petitioners that wish to be considered for the fee exemption and whose Afghan national relative was not born in Afghanistan, you cannot submit your petition online. To find information about an asylum office, visit theUSCIS Service and Office Locator. MODERATOR: Hey everyone, good morning. For the fees for petitions filed at the U.S. Emmbassy or Consulate, contact the applicable Embassy or Consulate. The Biden Presidency Facts First 2022 Midterms Audio . For noncitizens who are not covered under the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF), we will prioritize affirmative asylum applications within the parameters indicated on the general Affirmative Asylum Interview Scheduling webpage. You may be eligible to receive a Green Card under Section 13 of the Immigration & Nationality Act if: For more information on Section 13 and special filing instructions for Afghan nationals who were admitted in diplomatic status, see theSection 13webpage. You must provide a U.S. address to file Form I-485. Please submit any urgent interview scheduling requests in writing to the asylum office with jurisdiction over your case. After we receive and accept your application, we will inform you in writing if you need to attend a biometric services appointment. and/or your country of citizenship as Afghanistan (Questions 18.a. Paula Bronstein/Getty Images August 19, 2021, 12:42 PM The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program refers to a program created by Congress to allow Iraqi and Afghan nationals, who are targeted because of their work for the United States, to relocate to safety in the U.S. In June 2020, OIG reported 1 that the Bureau of Consular Affairs' (CA) method for collecting, verifying, and reporting Afghan SIV application processing times was inconsistent and potentially flawed. If you entered the United States as a refugee, you cannot adjust status as an Afghan who was employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government. (Notify USCIS of an address change by filing Form AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card, online using the Change of Address webpage.). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. There is no filing fee for an Afghan Special Immigrant filing Form I-824. Asylum office directors may consider, on a case-by-case basis, an urgent request for an asylum interview, including when you have an immediate family member in danger of harm in the country of claimed persecution.
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