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. USCIS is providing immigration services to Afghan nationals and their immediate family members relocated to the United States who require additional immigration processing after entry. 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. You are a noncitizen who entered the United States as an A-1, A-2, G-1, or G-2 nonimmigrant; You failed to maintain your A-1, A-2, G-1, or G-2 nonimmigrant status; Your duties were diplomatic or semi-diplomatic; Compelling reasons why you cannot return to the country represented by the government that accredited you as a diplomat; and. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may petition for certain relatives to immigrate to the United States. 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. What efficiency improvements have been made to Afghan SIV processing? We may also grant TPS to eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country. Additionally, you must clear a background check and appropriate screening, as determined by the secretary of homeland security, and must be determined eligible to receive an immigrant visa and otherwise admissible to the United States for permanent residence. The U.S. government may be able to offer departure assistance for your eligible family members who are outside the United States if you are an Afghan national who entered the United States as a parolee and: You may apply for your lawful spouse* and your unmarried children under the age of 21 to enter the United States as refugees. top of page. Include the following information in your explanation: You should also attest to the validity of your statement that you are unable to provide primary or secondary documentation. We do this by providing resources to SIV Ambassadors living in SIV communities throughout the United States. Your previously filed Form DS-157 will be deemed a PETITION FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRANT CLASSIFICATION FOR AFGHAN SIV APPLICANTS. 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). For more information on the immigration medical examination, see. Mark Attn: OAW anywhere on the front of the envelope; On page 1 of Form I-589, Part A.I., Item 19.c., write your current status followed by (Parole) in the Status field. 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. If you still need to complete the immigration medical examination in the United States, a civil surgeon designated by USCIS must perform the examination. Please submit any urgent interview scheduling requests in writing to the asylum office with jurisdiction over your case. Some Afghan lawful permanent residents who adjusted status as Afghan special immigrants (SIV LPRs) under the OAW effort may seek follow-to-join immigration benefits for their spouses and children outside the United States. If you have an asylum application pending with USCIS, you can check yourCase Status Online. Afghan citizens or nationals who already started the SIV application process and received COM approval on or before July 20, 2022, must still file Form I-360 with USCIS on their own behalf. Administrative Processing: 120 Days Total Processing time for visa issuence: 705 Days Source: Report of Afghan SIV Program - July 2018 Conclusion The most important point to remember is to avoid making comparisons with other cases and to patiently wait for your own case to be processed for completion until your visa is issued. Beginning in early 2022, the Afghan SIV (ASIV) Unit began to dedicate 20 percent of processing time to processing applications that have been documentarily complete and pending decision the longest, regardless of their prioritization tier. 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. For more information, see the USCIS Policy Manual and the Department of State's Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans webpage. Read the Payments by Phone or Email section on our. September 30, 2022. Use the Asylum Office Locator to find your asylum office. If you already completed an immigration medical examination (either outside the United States or in the United States) and need to have conditions removed on your permanent resident status, you should request an in-person appointment to submit the documentation of your medical examination to the local USCIS office with jurisdiction over your place of residence by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. 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. 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). The above method of changing your address will update the address on file with USCIS for all pending applications, petitions, or requests that you include receipt numbers for on the form. File Online If you need to find legal services, please visit theFind Legal Serviceswebpage. 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. The following resources are kept up-to-date with key policy and legal developments. The Department of State will process this form both for COM approval and as a special immigrant petition. You must obtain the required vaccinations and TB testing listed on your conditions of parole. 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. Circuit-Ride Locations to Conduct Interviews for Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Asylum Applicants. ALERT: From Dec. 9, 2021 until March 31, 2023, we are temporarily waiving the requirement that a civil surgeon must sign your Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before you file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. "These deficiencies have contributed to Afghan SIV applicant processing times exceeding the 9-month goal set by Congress and may have delayed vulnerable Afghan allies from reaching safety. If you do not have a passport, you can use your A-Number to retrieve your Form I-94 online from the site above by choosing Get Most Recent I-94. Enter your A-Number in the Passport Number field and enter USA in the Passport Country of Issuance field. For more information, see the DOSs, On or after July 20, 2022, you may seek special immigrant classification by filing Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, when you apply for COM approval. For more information, see the Form I-730 webpage. On March 16, 2022, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced a new designation of Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. If your address changes, you must notify us of your new address within 10 days by submitting, You do not have to pay the filing or biometric services fees for Form I-485 if you were paroled into the United States on or after July 30, 2021 , with an approved. A high number in this field reflects older cases being completed, not older . 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. To obtain the fee exemption when filing Form I-765 online for an initial or replacement EAD: File by Mail . If you need help finding a medical provider to meet these requirements, visit the CDCHealth Department Directorieswebpage. More asylum-related information for Afghan parolees is available at Afghan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Parolee Asylum-Related Frequently Asked Questions. If you did not enter a physical address because it is not safe for you to disclose it, then you may get emails from uscis.gov. Release Date: July 18, 2022 Ongoing Efforts to Support Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Applicants The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to the thousands of brave Afghans who stood side-by-side with the us over the course of the past two decades. If you are filingForm I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, and you fall into category 1 or 2 below, you should follow the instructions below to ensure expeditious processing of your Form I-589 under Section 2502(c) of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF): When you complete your Form I-589, please complete the following additional steps: If you properly complete your Form I-589 and we determine that you meet the eligibility criteria for Category 1 or 2 above, we will submit your Form I-589 for expeditious processing under Section 2502(c) of theExtending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF). During a designated period, TPS beneficiaries (or individuals found preliminarily eligible for TPS after an initial review of their cases, called prima facie eligible): Once an individual has TPS, the Department of Homeland Security cannot detain them on the basis of their immigration status in the United States. There is no filing fee for an Afghan Special Immigrant filing Form I-824. On August 30, 2021, the final U.S. military flight left Kabul airport, completing a chaotic evacuation process from Afghanistan. Note: Confidentiality restrictions may apply to certain information on the Form I-730, depending on who submitted the information, who it relates to, and with whom it is being shared. Individuals who are authorized parole may apply for employment authorization after arrival. The Department of State will contact you with departure options for your family members after receiving your Form DS-4317. 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. If you have experienced forced marriage, domestic violence, human trafficking, or other abuse, please contact the resources below to receive free help in your language: As an Afghan parolee who received the Afghan Parole Information sheet from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when you arrived 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. Nov 1995 - Jun 201014 years 8 months. The Form I-485 processing time ends when you receive your permanent residence. (Your parole will not be valid if you violate its terms.) . In general, an unaccompanied child is a person under the age of 18 who does not have lawful immigration status in the United States and who does not have a parent or legal guardian in the United States who can provide care and physical custody. 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. 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. "These deficiencies have contributed to Afghan SIV applicant processing times exceeding the 9-month goal set by Congress and may have delayed vulnerable Afghan allies from reaching safety in the United States," according to the IG report, which was requested by Congress. Upon arrival, you must complete an immigration medical examination within 30 days of admission to remove conditions on your permanent resident status. and Foreign Service Personnel in how to best advocate for Special Immigrant Visas for their Iraqi and Afghan Interpreters. If you request an SSN in Part 2 (Items 13.a.-17.b.) A notarized affidavit of birth, which should include: Your date of birth, place of birth, and correct spelling of your full name; The full names of both of your parents; and, Your correct full name, date of birth, and place of birth; and. If you move, you must give us your new address within 10 days of when your address changes. In addition, all Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers located in third countries should register with the nearest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office. the ASIV team, the Afghan SIV team . ), In Part 2, Question 27, Information About Your Eligibility Category, write in (c)(11). This is the category number for parolees. Complete a separate Form I-485 for each family member applying to adjust status. Thousands of individuals have been referred for this program, but the U.S. government has not built all of the steps needed for processing. Each individual parolee must complete the attestation. (Notify USCIS of an address change by filing Form AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card, online using the Change of Address webpage.). Data examined by IRAP and Freshfields shows that the wait for SIV For more information about changing your address, see the How to Change Your Address webpage. Your parents full names, their dates of birth, and their places of birth. The U.S. government is racing to speed up the evacuation and immigration of Afghan translators and others who provided assistance during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. It may take up to 90 days from the date you made your payment to receive your permanent resident card. Individuals should not continue to practice polygamy in the United States. 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. The Afghan SIV process and number of days allotted to complete each step. Release Date: June 14, 2022 . The law requires applicants for asylum to apply within 1 year of their last arrival to the United States, unless they can show that they qualify for an exception to the 1-year filing deadline. We will mail secure documents to the address on file, so it is important to include receipt numbers for all pending cases. If you file your asylum application after your parole expires, you may still qualify for an exception to the 1-year filing deadline if you filed for asylum within a reasonable period of time after your parole expired. This page provides information for Afghan nationals. If your application is approved, USCIS will mail your green card to you shortly after your adjustment of status interview. Once you have received the required testing and vaccinations, you must complete the certification at theAfghan Parolee Vaccination Statuswebpage. 2501 S State Hwy 121 Business 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. If you have not received your EAD after submitting a Form I-765, checkCase Status Onlineor contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283(TTY 800-767-1833) Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, for information on the status of your application. If you are filing Form I-765 as an Afghan parolee, you may file online or by mail. For more information, see the One-Year Filing Deadline Lesson Plan (PDF, 545.34 KB). Submit proof of your immigration medical examination. (This occurs when your priority date for your immigrant category is current. Find information on access to USRAP at theDepartment of States Refugee Admissions webpageandUSCIS Refugees webpage. Package all Forms I-485 for your family in a single envelope. Lawful Immigration Pathways for Eligible Afghan Nationals Residing in the U.S. Lawful Immigration Pathways for Eligible Afghan Nationals Residing in the U.S. (Pashto), Lawful Immigration Pathways for Eligible Afghan Nationals Residing in the U.S. (Dari), OAW SIV Classification Welcome Center Flyer, OAW SIV Classification Welcome Center Flyer (Pashto), OAW SIV Classification Welcome Center Flyer (Dari), Information Sheet for Afghan Parole into the United States, Information Sheet for Afghan Parole into the United States (Dari), Information Sheet for Afghan Parole into the United States (Pashto), Employment Information Regarding Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Holders and Parolees, Once Form I-360 is approved, file Form I-485, Completed Form I-765 at a safe haven, and USCIS mailed your EAD but you have not received it, Need to correct or update your mailing address to receive your EAD, Need to report non-delivery or non-receipt of your mailed EAD, Were admitted into the CBPas a lawful permanent resident, Were paroled into the United States by CBP and subsequently classified as an Afghan Special Immigrant. A refugee is a person who generally is outside their home country and has experienced past persecution or has a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. 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. Additionally, the agencies found that the SIV processing time between the two quarters went from 435 days to 743 days -- nearly doubling -- while actual approvals dropped off. 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. For more information, see theGreen Card Eligibility Categories webpage. 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. You must have a positive recommendation or evaluation documenting your faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government. If you are an Afghan national paroled into the United States, you must notify USCIS of an address change within 10 days of moving within the United States or its territories. Sign your Form I-485 in Part 10, Item 6.a. . UNHCR will identify individuals for resettlement referral based on an assessment of their vulnerability at the time of registration. For more information, see instructions on the DOS website on Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government. A State Department spokesperson said in mid-July that 20,000 applicants are in various stages of. Find additional information about Form I-9 and your rights as an employee at theI-9 Central webpage. The Iraqi and Afghan SIV programs have faced challenges with respect to application processing, security screening, and visa availability. 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. Below are some tips for completing Form I-765: Please note: Applications for Afghan nationals will receive priority scheduling at Application Support Centers to collect their biometrics. Individuals in the United States may apply for asylum regardless of country of nationality or current immigration status. 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. We will also continue our efforts to help Lawful Permanent Residents, as well as the many Afghans who have stood with us over the years, who are seeking to leave Afghanistan. If you are an Afghan national paroled into the United States due to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, you do not have to pay the filing fee for your initial Form I-765 or for a replacement EAD. This section has a link to Form DS-4317, Family Reunification Assistance for Afghan Parolees' Immediate Family Members Outside the United States, which you may use to apply for your eligible family members. 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. Form I-693 retains its evidentiary value for 2 years after the date the civil surgeon signed Form I-693. Effective July 20, 2022, Afghans who start the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)application process on or after July 20, 2022, will seek classification as a special immigrant with DOS by filing Form DS-157 with the application for Chief of Mission (COM) approval. Falls Church, VA 22041. If you are upset or uncomfortable, ask for a short break to calm down and recollect your thoughts. If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, we may deny your application. Specialized in Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), humanitarian parole (I-131/I-134), asylum and resettlement cases. If IOM is unable to resolve your inquiry, and you still are not able to obtain your EAD, determine whether you need to update your mailing address or report your card as not received (see options below). For more information, visit our. 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. (See Step 6 of the Parole Process section of the Humanitarian and Significant Public Benefit Parole for Individuals Outside the United States webpage.) few days a go I asked IRC to support me in order to find out the status of my case but they replied like this: Dear Shafi . What is the average U.S. government processing time for Afghan SIVs and how many cases are processed in that time? August 18, 2022 at 12:08 p.m. EDT. A detailed explanation of the card error (such as incorrect name, date of birth, etc. You can change your address online and update your address on any pending applications and petitions at the same time using the USCIS Online Change of Address system. 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. Introduction. New Afghan SIV applicants will no longer need to file an I-360 petition. Filing location: You must file your application only at the USCIS Phoenix lockbox address listed below. Supplemental SIV Chief of Mission Application or Supplemental NIV Application, prior to July 20, 2022. 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. But most parole applications from Afghans remain unresolved and. This usually takes 8 to 14 months after filing. USCIS generally requires a fee to process the associated immigrant visa packets and produce Green Cards. If you have questions regarding any pending application, please see the Contact Uswebpage for more information. 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. For inquiries regarding pending asylum applications, you or your attorney of record should contact the asylum office with jurisdiction over the case. If we deny your application for asylum, or any other immigration benefit, that will not affect your ability to register for TPS. Need to update your initial EAD validity date to align with your updated Form I-94 parole period. We will mail your Green Cardto the address on record. If you have questions about polygamous marriage and U.S. immigration law, contact yourlocal resettlement agency. To be eligible to file an application for adjustment of status as a special immigrant based on employment by or on behalf of the U.S. government, you are required to first receive Chief of Mission (COM) approval with the Department of State (DOS). In a report ( PDF) late last month, DHS said more than 36,400 Afghan refugees do not qualify for the special immigrant visa (SIV) programme designed for Afghans who worked with US forces during. 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 . Since July 2021, USCIS has received over 46,000 applications from Afghans hoping to come to the U.S. through the parole process. It is taking a very long time to issue a NVC case number as each individual application is processed. Polygamy is the religious practice or historical custom of having more than 1 spouse at the same time. You will need the receipt number we provided you after you filed your application. If you are an Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) asylum applicant, your asylum interview might take place at a USCIS field office. Visit the Department of States Afghanistan Family Reunification webpage and navigate to the If You Are a Parolee section for more detailed information. Attn: OAW EAD Card Corrections 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. However, we may deny your application for TPS on the same grounds we deny your other application. At the time, there were about 8,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Fort Bragg, North Carolina (Various Worldwide Deployments) Low Level Voice Intercept (LLVI) Team/Squad Leader. because they're further along in processing, while others won't. . For information on locating legal services, please visit theFind Legal Serviceswebpage. 1. Close All Open All TPS does not lead to any immigration status, including lawful permanent resident status (a Green Card). Principal applicants accounted for about 31,000 of the total, and dependent spouses and children accounted for the remaining 69,000. Data on SIV processing times was divided into two distinct phases: Chief of Mission (COM) applications and Post-COM processing. If we determine you are inadmissible based on health-related grounds, you may be eligible to obtain a waiver of inadmissibility by filing. Complete Form AR-11, Aliens Change of Address Card, online using the, Create an inquiry with USCIS online using the, If USCIS does not have records of non-delivery, we may ask you to submit, In Part 1, Reason for Applying, select 1.b., Replacement of lost, stolen, or damaged employment authorization document, or correction , In Part 2, Item Number 27, Information About Your Eligibility Category, write in (c)(11). This is the category number for parolees. 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.