HomeAfghanistan Inquiries

# 									Afghanistan Inquiries							

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. 

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations in Afghanistan on August 31, 2021.  U.S. citizens in Afghanistan who are 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****.** 

Immigration Legal Services for Afghan Arrivals (ILSAA) offers eligible Afghans free immigration legal services to navigate the U.S. legal immigration system. The Office of Refugee Resettlement-funded program provides assistance in English, Dari, and Pashto through three options: 1) the ILSAA website, 2) via email: ILSAAinfo@icf.com or 3) by phone: 833-286-0864.

The Wellness Helpline for Afghans (800-615-6514) offers counseling services to those experiencing sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, depression, difficulty sleeping, or any other distress. This free service is offered in Dari, Pashto, and English. Afghan refugees, asylees, parolees, and SIV holders are encouraged to call the Wellness Helpline for virtual support and, if desired, referral to additional programs that support their well-being funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

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خط کمک تلیفونی سلامتی برای افغان ها (800-615-6514) خدمات مشاوره ای را به کسانی ارائه می دهد که غمگینی، خشم، اضطراب، ترس، دیپریشن، مشکل در خوابیدن یا هر ناراحتی دیگری را تجربه می کنند. این خدمات رایگان به زبان های دری، پشتو و انگلیسی ارائه می شود. افغان پناهندگان، پناهجویان، پارولي و اشخاصی دارای اس آی وی تشویق می شوند تابرای حمایت مجازی با خط کمک تلیفونی سلامتی تماس بگیرند، و در صورت علاقمندی، به برنامه های اضافی که از سلامتی آنها حمایت می کند  که توسط دفتر اسکان مجدد پناهندگان تمویل می شود، معرفی نماید.

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د افغانانو لپاره د سالمی روغتیا مرستندویه ټیلیفونی کرښه (800-615-6514) هغو کسانو ته د مشورې خدمتونه وړاندې کوي چې خپګان، غوسه، اضطراب، ویره، ډیپریشن، د خوب ستونزه او یا کوم بل مشکل سره مخ وی. دا وړیا خدمتونه په دري، پښتو او انګلیسي ژبو وړاندې کیږي. افغان کډوال، پناه غوښتونکي، پارولي، او اس آی وی لرونکی اشخاص هڅول کیږي چې د سالمی روغتیا مرستندویه کرښی ته د مجازی مرستې لپاره زنګ ووهي، او که غواړي چی اضافي پروګرامونو ته چی د دوی په هوساینې

## Relocation Eligibility 

The United States’ commitment to our Afghan allies is enduring.  The U.S. Department of State’s Office of the**Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE)**is the center for the U.S. government’s interagency effort to relocate Afghan allies with whom we have an enduring commitment.  

CARE handles the planning and logistics of relocating eligible Afghans on flights or by ground transportation to overseas case processing sites.  Additionally, CARE manages those case processing sites in third countries where the paperwork and related processing for eligible Afghans occurs.  CARE works closely with a broad range of partners at home and abroad to advance this vital mission. 

CARE works to relocate eligible Afghan allies, including those who qualify for Special Immigrant Visas, Immigrant Visas, and approved United States Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP) cases, including Priority 1 (P-1) and Priority 2 (P-2) referrals.  Eligible traveler types include: 

          - U.S. citizens and immediate relatives (spouse, unmarried children under 21, and parents)  with approved I-130 petitions and interview-ready immigrant visa (IV) cases. 
          - U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) and immediate relatives (spouse, unmarried children under 21)  with approved I-130 petitions, documentarily complete IV cases, and current priority dates. 
          - SIV principal applicants and eligible family members  included on their case who have already been issued visas or who are COM-approved and documentarily complete (spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21). 
          - Approved USRAP cases and eligible family members  included on their case (spouse and unmarried children who were under the age of 21 as of August 14, 2021). 
          - Immediate relatives of Afghans previously relocated to the United States through Operations Allies Welcome (OAW)  (spouse, unmarried children under 21, and, in case of an unaccompanied minor relocated as part of OAW, their primary caregiver, including but not limited to a parent or legal guardian, and the spouse and children under 21 of the primary caregiver).  

**All individuals traveling with U.S. government assistance must have a valid passport.** If you qualify for U.S. government relocation assistance but do not have a valid passport, please contact us at caretraveldata@state.gov. 

## U.S. Citizens and Qualifying U.S. Citizen Family Members

United States (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**. 

**U.S. citizens 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.** 

To assist your qualifying family members in relocating from Afghanistan, visit the **Afghan Family Reunification webpage****.**  Qualifying family members of U.S. citizens must have an approved U.S. immigrant visa petition and notification from the National Visa Center (NVC) that their case is documentarily complete and **ready for an interview**.   

CARE****will contact your family members in Afghanistan with departure options**after** the NVC has notified your family members that their immigrant visa applications are documentarily complete.  If CARE assists your family members to depart from Afghanistan, CARE will also transfer your family members’ visa case to the U.S. embassy or consulate at their processing site. 

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. 

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**. 

**If you are a U.S. citizen seeking clarification on guidance regarding your own relocation from Afghanistan, please direct all inquiries to AfghanistanACS@state.gov.** 

## Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) and Qualifying LPR Family Members

Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) in need of U.S. government assistance to depart Afghanistan can email complete biographic details and contact information (email and phone number) as well as their passport number to **CARETravelData@state.gov.** 

**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.** 

Qualifying family members of LPRs requesting relocation from Afghanistan can visit the **Afghan Family Reunification webpage**.  Qualifying family members of LPRs must have an approved U.S. immigrant visa petition and notification from the National Visa Center (NVC) that their case is documentarily complete. CARE****will contact your family members in Afghanistan with departure options**after** the NVC has notified your family members that their immigrant visa applications are documentarily complete and their priority date is current.  If CARE assists your family members to depart from Afghanistan, CARE will also transfer your family members’ visa case to the U.S. embassy or consulate at their processing site.  

For questions regarding cases that are not yet documentarily complete, please **contact the NVC****.**  

## Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Applicants

We continue to prioritize Afghan SIV applications at every stage of the SIV process, including relocating applicants whose cases are documentarily complete and transferring their cases to other U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. This effort is of the utmost importance to the U.S. government. 

The U.S. government may be able to offer departure assistance for SIV applicants whose cases are documentarily complete, their spouses, and their unmarried children under the age of 21.   

CARE will contact eligible individuals with departure options **after** the NVC has sent notifications that your SIV applications are documentarily complete.  If CARE assists your family members to depart from Afghanistan, CARE will also transfer your visa case to a U.S. embassy or consulate at your processing site. 

SIV applicants who wish to continue their visa process at an immigrant-visa issuing U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of Afghanistan, rather than at one of CARE’s overseas immigration processing locations, must be able to travel to and remain in that country without U.S. government assistance for the time it takes to complete the process.   

To request reassignment of an SIV case to a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country, SIV applicants must contact NVC via our inquiry form at NVC.state.gov/inquiry with the following information:  

              - Full name  

              - NVC case number  

              - The name of the U.S. embassy or consulate to which the SIV applicants intend to travel 

Family members applying for non-SIV immigrant visas who do not qualify for relocation or who wish to continue their visa process at an immigrant-visa issuing U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of Afghanistan must be able to travel to and remain in that country for the time it takes to complete the process.   

To request reassignment of an IV case to a U.S. embassy or consulate in another country, IV applicants must email a request to **ASKNVC@state.gov** with the following information:  

              - Full name,  

              - Date of birth,  

              - NVC case number, and  

              - The name of the U.S. embassy or consulate to which the IV applicant(s) intend to travel  

**Individuals are not required to transfer their case to another post for processing if they want and qualify for U.S. government departure assistance. **

U.S. government assistance to depart Afghanistan is not a guarantee of visa issuance.  The decision to issue or refuse a visa must be made by a consular officer during the visa interview. 

Afghans who are **eligible for the SIV program,**but who have **not yet applied,** should submit one complete application package to the National Visa Center (NVC) at **AfghanSIVapplication@state.gov** to facilitate processing as quickly as possible, including the **Form DS-157 Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants. ** 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. 

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:   

## 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). 

**If you have been contacted by CARE, and you are currently located in Afghanistan, do not self-relocate to a third country.  CARE will relocate you to a third country where your case will be processed.** 

              - Priority 1 :  Individual cases referred by designated entities, including UNHCR, U.S. embassies, and certain qualified NGOs, to the program by virtue of their circumstances and apparent need for resettlement. 
              - Priority 2 :  Groups of special concern designated by the Department of State as having access to the program by virtue of their circumstances and apparent need for resettlement. 

Information about the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is available at the **Refugee Admissions** page and at www.wrapsnet.org. 

For questions, please contact **USRAPAfghanInquiries@state.gov**.  

## Family Reunification

For information regarding CARE’s family reunification assistance, please visit our Afghanistan Family Reunification page. 

## Asylum and immigration related information for Afghan Parolees

On June 8, 2023, USCIS announced a streamlined, fee-exempt process for Afghan nationals with an “OAR” or “PAR” code of admission to request consideration of a new period of parole, commonly referred to as re-parole. Under this streamlined process, applicants can request an employment authorization document as part of their parole request without the need to submit a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Under this process, the employment authorization request will be automatically adjudicated upon the grant of the parole request.

Effective June 9, 2023, through July 31, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will consider, on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, a two-year extension of the original parole period for Afghan parolees who have already applied for asylum or for adjustment to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (such as adjustment of status as a special immigrant). This is in recognition of the continued urgent humanitarian reasons and significant public benefit underlying the original parole grant and the time necessary for Afghan parolees to accomplish the purpose of their parole and regularize their immigration status. These Afghan parolees who have already applied for asylum or LPR status do not need to apply for re-parole. If approved, USCIS will extend their original employment authorization and send a Form I-797C, Notice of Additional Action, to their last address of record with USCIS. 

More information about both announcements and how to apply can be found at USCIS Re-Parole Process for Certain Afghans.

As a reminder, if you move, you must update your address with USCIS through your USCIS online account or by submitting Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card. USCIS has tutorial videos showing you how to update your address through your account and how to submit Form AR-11 online. Please ensure that you list all receipt numbers for pending benefits requests with USCIS on your Form AR-11. Report your new address to USCIS within 10 days each time you move, even if you are moving to a temporary location.

If you have not reported your change of address within 10 days of your move, you must still update your address with USCIS as soon as possible. Please remember that changing your address with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) or another U.S. government agency will not change your address with USCIS. Please update your information with both USCIS and USPS.

For information regarding asylum processing for Afghan nationals who were paroled into the United States, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) webpages:  **Afghan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Parolee Asylum-Related Frequently Asked Questions ** and **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 for Afghans Living in the United States

Please contact the Afghan Embassy and Consulates in Canada, as there is not an Afghan embassy or consulate in the United States. 

## UNHCR Assistance

For individuals who are facing imminent protection threats or have concerns about their personal safety, please contact the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Protection Helpline or UNHCR’s legal partner, Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP).   UNHCR provides direct assistance to highly vulnerable individuals who are in need of international protection.  For more information on other types of assistance available based on your location, please contact UNHCR directly. 

Globally, possibilities for resettlement of Afghans under UNHCR’s program are determined by participating governments.  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

The Department of State encourages people who are interested in assisting arriving Afghans to reach out to AfghanEvac, **welcome.us **or a local refugee resettlement agency for ways to help.  There are many opportunities to get involved with welcoming Afghans and to help them rebuild their lives in the United States. 

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