Afghan nationals who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government or for the International Security 

Assistance Force in Afghanistan may be eligible to apply for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) classification. As 

a special immigrant a person may apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status in the United States. 

To be eligible, you must: 

• Receive Chief of Mission (COM) approval from the Department of State (DOS); and

• Depending on when and whether you are in the United States when you file, you must also request SIV

classification by either filing:

• Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, with DOS; or

• Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, with U.S. Citizenship and

Immigration Services (USCIS).

How Do I Apply? 

Effective July 20, 2022, Afghan nationals seeking SIV classification must file a Form DS-157 petition with DOS 

when applying for COM approval. This is a new process that replaces the previous two-step process. For more 

information visit travel.state.gov/afghan. 

When to File Form I-360 with USCIS

Afghan nationals who are in the United States with COM requests either approved or pending on July 20, 2022, 

will generally still be required to file a Form I-360 petition with USCIS. Note that if you have a COM request 

pending as of July 20, 2022, and your COM application included a signed DS-157 petition, you will not need to 

file the Form I-360 petition with USCIS. See the chart below. For more information visit uscis.gov/i-360. 

Afghan nationals present in the United States with an approved Form I-360 or an approved Form 

DS-157 may apply to adjust their status to LPR status (obtain a Green Card) with Form I-485, Application to 

Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. For more information, visit uscis.gov/i-485.

If Your... Then...

COM request is pending and you have a signed 

DS-157

After your COM request and DS-157 petition are 

approved, you may apply for a Green Card by filing 

Form I-485 with USCIS.

COM request is pending and you have an unsigned 

DS-157

After your COM request is approved, file Form I-360 

with USCIS. After approval of your I-360 petition, 

you may apply for a Green Card by filing Form 

I-485 with USCIS. 

COM request is pending and you have no DS-157 After your COM request is approved, file Form I-360 

with USCIS. After approval of your I-360 petition, 

you may apply for a Green Card by filing Form 

I-485 with USCIS. 

COM request was approved before July 20, 2022 File Form I-360 with USCIS. After approval of your 

I-360 petition, you may apply for a Green Card by 

filing Form I-485 with USCIS.

Form I-360 is pending with USCIS After your Form I-360 is approved, you may apply 

for a Green Card by filing Form I-485 with USCIS.

Applying for a Special Immigrant Visa Classification as 

an Afghan National Working for the U.S. Government
Additional Guidance for Filing Form I-360 with USCIS

For USCIS to review your petition efficiently, you must submit all required information and evidence with 

your Form I-360. 

Required Documents

• A copy of your passport, birth certificate, or national identification card (Tazkira) showing that you are 

a national of Afghanistan;

• A copy of your COM approval;

• A copy of the front and back of your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, from U.S. Customs and 

Border Protection (CBP), if you are physically present in the United States; and

• A Form I-360 petition that you signed in Part 11., Item Number 6.

If you do not have primary documents showing your national identity, you may submit secondary documents 

with your correct information. If you submit any of the secondary documents listed 

below, you must include an explanation about why your primary documents are unavailable.

 Primary documents

• Passport;

• Tazkira; or

• Birth certificate.

Secondary documents

• Driver’s license;

• Biographic information or supporting documents provided for prior USCIS or U.S. government 

applications or petitions, or other official records including:

• U.S. visa applications (DS-160, DS-260);

• Religious or medical records containing your name and date of birth; or

• School or employment records containing your name and date of birth; or

• 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

• How the affiant knows of your birth.

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. Include the following information in 

your explanation:

• Your correct full name, date of birth, and place of birth; and

• Your parents’ full names, their dates of birth, and their place of birth.

You must also attest to the validity of your statement that you are unable to provide primary or secondary 

documentation. 

• The attestation should state that the information in the statement you provided is valid. 

• You must sign your attestation, but it does not need to be notarized.

Additional Resources

Visit USCIS for additional information for Afghan nationals:

• Information for Afghan Nationals - uscis.gov/allieswelcome

• Green Card for an Afghan Who Was Employed by or on Behalf of the U.S. Government 

uscis.gov/green-card-for-an-afghan-employed-behalf-us-government

• USCIS Contact Center – 800-375-5283 (To be routed to live assistance, when speaking to the 

automated system mention that you have an “Afghan” or “Operation Allies Welcome” case.)

• Report a change of address with USCIS within 10 days of moving at uscis.gov/ar-11.

To retrieve your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record from CBP, visit i94.cbp.dhs.gov. 

To learn about applying for a REAL ID, visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website at 

dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-faqs. 2