FAQs Afghan Immigration

Listed below are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and some answers. In addition, more information for some of the FAQs are provided in the link below.

Information about Immigration
Informational Resources about Afghan Immigration

What is the Department of State doing right now? As of mid-October, the DoS was working to get American citizen and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs with Green Cards) evacuated from Afghanistan. The DoS is working on plans to help visa recipients and applicants in the future.

What do I do if contacted by someone saying they are from the Department of State? In the past the DoS has done a poor job of convincing Afghans they have called in Afghanistan on the validity of the phone call or text message. There are numerous instances of scams or spoofing occuring - people pretending to be from DoS and providing instructions to Afghans wanting to leave Afghanistan. At the moment, DoS STILL has not developed a good plan to validate their phone calls. If you get a call from someone reaching out to you on behalf of the US Government you may be able to verify if the person is legitimate by contacting the organization(s) you have been listed with to assist you. Sometimes DoS allows these evac organizations to verify phone numbers and people from the State Department.

How do I get a US visa? You can apply for US immigration visa, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), P1/P2 parole status, or Humanitarian Parole. The DoS is overwhelmed with immigrant visa requests but hopefully will eliminate the backlog in the future. Depending on the type of visa it may be several months before some visas are issued.

How Can I Check my Visa Status? The Consular Electronic Applications Center (CEAC) allows foreigners and their legal representatives to check the status of their U.S. visa applications online. The Upcounsel lawyers have provided a webpage that explains the process. See "CEAC Visa Status: Everything You Need to Know."
https://www.upcounsel.com/ceac-visa-status

Can I booking a commericial airline ticket? If you make your way to a third country in accordance with that country's immigration laws, and have a valid passport and US visa, you may take a commercial flight to the United States. Ariana Afghan Airways and Kam Air have now resumed international flights.

What is my visa is still being processed and I am in a third country? If your US visa is still being processed and you have arrived in a third country and are expecting to remain there for an extended period, you may request to transfer your case to that consulate or embassy by submitting a request through this form:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html

What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)? In March 2022, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Temporary Protected Status for Afghans.