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Information Sheet for Afghan Nationals Paroled into the United States

Welcome to the United States. Your health, safety, and well-being continue to be our top 

priority as you integrate into your local community. 

This information is for individuals paroled into the United States for up to two years by 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). 

What Is Parole? 

Parole allows an individual who may be inadmissible or otherwise ineligible for 

admission into the United States to enter the United States legally for a temporary 

period. Parole is not considered admission to the United States. When a noncitizen is paroled 

into the United States, they are still considered an applicant for admission.

Parole terminates automatically when the authorized parole period expires or when the 

parolee leaves the United States. In addition, if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) determines that the purpose we authorized parole for has been accomplished or that 

neither humanitarian reasons nor significant public benefit justify the parolee’s continued 

presence in the United States, we may terminate parole with written notice to the noncitizen. 

When parole is terminated, the noncitizen returns to the same status they had before they 

were paroled. 

What You Must Do to Maintain Your Parole

To maintain parole and remain in the United States, you must meet certain conditions.

Conditions of Parole for all Afghans Nationals 

• Consistent with 8 U.S.C. § 1305 and as a condition of your parole, you must provide 

your address to USCIS as described at uscis.gov/addresschange. 
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• You must notify USCIS of every change of address as soon as possible and no later 

than 10 days from each change of address. 

• You may also be subject to additional conditions of parole on a case-by-case basis.

If you are an Afghan parolee who received the Afghan Parole Information sheet from 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. The table 

below describes the medical requirements to maintain parole. 

If you are subject to medical requirements to maintain parole and you did not complete a 

medical exam at a government-run safe haven on a military base, you must report your 

compliance with the medical requirements of your parole to USCIS at uscis.gov/vaccinationstatus. You may also need to present your medical records if you apply for federal, state, or 

local public benefits.

If you are an Afghan 

national

Then as a condition of parole

Paroled into the United 

States by CBP from Aug. 

25 through Sept. 6, 

2021

• Within seven days of being granted parole, you must: 

o Get vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella 

(MMR) and polio and get one dose of the COVID 

vaccine, if you cannot prove you were already 

vaccinated; and

o Be tested for tuberculosis (TB). If you test positive for 

TB, you must be isolated and receive treatment.

If you did not go to a federally funded facility to 

complete your medical screening and vaccinations, you 

are responsible for arranging the vaccinations and 

testing on your own. After you obtain these vaccinations, 

you must visit uscis.gov/vaccination-status and attest 

that you have obtained your medical screening and 

vaccinations.

You must comply with all public health directives, requests for 

additional information from the Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) and federal law enforcement, and local, state, 

and federal laws, regulations, and ordinances.
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Paroled into the United 

States by CBP from

Sept. 7 through Dec.

31, 2021

• You must undergo a medical screening and receive the 

first dose of the following vaccinations, unless you can 

prove you were already vaccinated, or you have a caseby-case determination that any of the following are not 

medically appropriate:

o MMR vaccination;

o Polio vaccination; 

o COVID-19 vaccination; and

o Other age-appropriate vaccinations, as determined

by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) at cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/civilsurgeons/vaccinations.html#anchor_1506449934815, 

if you cannot prove you were already vaccinated. 

You must also have a TB test. If you test positive for TB, 

you must be isolated and receive treatment.

If you did not receive your medical screening and 

vaccinations at a federally funded facility, you are 

responsible for obtaining the medical screening and 

vaccinations on your own. After you obtain these 

vaccinations, you must visit uscis.gov/vaccination-status

and attest that you have obtained your medical 

screening and vaccinations.

You must comply with all public health directives, requests for 

additional information from DHS and federal law enforcement, 

and local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and ordinances.

Paroled into the United 

States by CBP on or 

after Jan. 1, 2022

You completed your medical screening and vaccinations before 

you arrived in the United States. 

You must comply with all public health directives, requests for 

additional information from DHS and federal law enforcement, 

and local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and ordinances.

Conditionally approved 

for parole by USCIS and 

you received a Notice 

Regarding Conditions 

for Parole

You must complete all medical requirements listed on 

the Notice Regarding Conditions for Parole within 60 

days of arrival in the United States. These medical

requirements may include: 

• A TB test. If you test positive for TB, you must be isolated 

and receive treatment;

• MMR vaccination;

• Polio vaccination;
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• The complete COVID-19 vaccination series; and

• Other age-appropriate vaccinations, as determined by 

the CDC at cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/civilsurgeons/vaccinations.html#anchor_1506449934815

After you obtain these vaccinations, you must visit 

uscis.gov/vaccination-status and attest that you have obtained 

your medical screening and vaccinations.

Failure to Comply with Conditions of Parole

If you fail to comply with these conditions, DHS may terminate your parole, detain you, or 

remove you from the United States, and could prevent you from becoming a lawful 

permanent resident or obtaining other benefits or immigration relief for which you might 

otherwise be eligible.

How Do I Contact USCIS?

You can call the USCIS Contact Center for assistance at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833), 

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. When you call, please identify yourself as a citizen 

or national of Afghanistan so we can connect you with someone who can help you.

Finding Legal Services

For information on finding legal services, please visit uscis.gov/avoid-scams/find-legalservices.

Working in the United States

Effective Nov. 21, 2022, Afghan parolees and their qualifying family members with certain 

classes of admission are considered employment authorized incident to parole. If you are an 

Afghan parolee whose unexpired Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, has OAR for the class 

of admission and whose parole has not been terminated, you do not need to wait for USCIS 

to approve your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, before you can work 

in the United States. Your unexpired Form I-94 is an acceptable receipt you may present to 

your employer to show your identity and employment authorization for the purposes of Form 

I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Your Form I-94 satisfies the Form I-9 requirement for 

90 days from the date of hire (or in the case of reverification, the date employment 

authorization expires). 
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If you received a Form I-94 when you entered the United States, visit U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection’s Form I-94 page to view and print a copy of your Form I-94. If you do not have a 

passport, you can use your A-Number to retrieve your Form I-94 online at the site above by 

choosing “Get Most Recent I-94.” Enter your A-Number in the Document Number field and 

enter your country of citizenship or “USA” in the Country of Citizenship field. If you are an 

Afghan parolee covered under section 2502(b), P.L. No. 117-43, and your Form I-94 does not 

have OAR for the class of admission, please email U.S. Customs and Border Protection at 

oawi94adjustments@cbp.dhs.gov to update your class of admission, if appropriate.

After the 90-day period, you must present an 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 driver’s license or identification card). 

Afghan parolees must still file a Form I-765 to receive a physical EAD. USCIS will provide 

additional guidance for employers about completion of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility 

Verification. 

If you are an Afghan national and the Nov. 21, 2022, policy guidance does not apply to 

you, USCIS must approve your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization 

(uscis.gov/i-765), before you can legally work in the United States.

Applying for Employment Authorization

Afghan nationals paroled into the United States due to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan 

do not have to pay a fee to file their initial Form I-765 when they apply under the (c)(11) 

category. To apply for your initial EAD: 

1. Complete Form I-765. Select “Initial Permission to Accept Employment” in Part 1 on

Form I-765. Type or write your eligibility category in Part 2, Item Number 27. The

category number for parolees is “(c)(11).” Sign your form in Part 3.

2. 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 significant public

benefit under INA 212(d)(5). For more information on obtaining a Form I-94, please see

i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94.

If you do not have a passport, you can use your A-Number to get your Form I94 online. Enter your A-Number in the Passport Number field and enter:

• “AFG” in the Passport Country of Issuancefield; or

• “USA” in the Passport Country of Issuance field.
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3. Mail your Form I-765 to the address specified on our USCIS Lockbox Filing Locations 

Chart for Certain Family-Based Forms page (uscis.gov/uscis-lockbox-filing-locationschart-for-certain-family-based-forms) based on where you live. Include 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 significant public benefit under INA 

212(d)(5). 

Please Note: Federal law requires every employer who recruits, refers for a fee, or hires an 

individual for employment in the United States to complete Form I-9, Employment Eligibility

Verification. Find additional information about Form I-9 and your rights as an employee at 

uscis.gov/i-9-central. If you seek employment, a potential employer may ask to see your EAD.

For more information, see uscis.gov/allieswelcome. Click the Afghan National Parolees – 

Information about Employment Authorization section.

USCIS may require you to appear for an interview or submit biometrics (fingerprints, 

photograph, and/or signature) at any time to verify your identity, obtain additional 

information, and conduct background and security checks, including a check of criminal 

history records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), before we make a 

decision on your Form I-765. After we receive your Form I-765 and verify that it is complete, 

we may notify you that you need to attend a biometric services appointment. The notice will 

list the location, date, and time of your appointment. If you do not attend your biometric 

services appointment, we may deny your application.

Receiving Your EAD

If we approve your Form I-765, we will mail your EAD to you at your address on record. As a 

condition of parole, you must notify USCIS of an address change within 10 days each time 

you move, even if you are moving to a temporary location. USCIS must have your current 

physical address to send you notices and documents without delay. 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 at

egov.uscis.gov/coa/displayCOAForm.do or by visiting uscis.gov/ar-11. 

If you need to report non-delivery or non-receipt of an EAD, create an inquiry with USCIS 

online at egov.uscis.gov/e-request/displayNDCForm.do?sroPageType=ndc&entryPoint=init. 

Changing your address with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not change your address with 

USCIS. Please update your information with both USCIS and the USPS.
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If you have any issues or questions about an address change request, email USCIS at 

nbcafghancoa@uscis.dhs.gov. Only use this email address to inquire about address change 

requests if you entered the United States on or after July 30, 2021, due to the humanitarian 

crisis in Afghanistan.

Social Security Number and Card

You will need a Social Security number to get a job, collect Social Security benefits, and 

receive other government services. If you completed Form I-765 at a safe haven, we have 

given information to the Social Security Administration so they can assign you a Social 

Security number and mail a Social Security card to your address on record. If you did not 

complete Form I-765 at a safe haven, you can apply for a Social Security number and card 

using the instructions at ssa.gov/ssnumber.

Fee Exemptions and Expedited Application Processing for Certain Afghan Nationals

Certain Afghan nationals are eligible for the following fee exemptions and expedited 

processing of their USCIS applications, through Sept. 30, 2023:

Fee Exemptions

• An initial and replacement Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for 

Afghan nationals who are applying for work authorization on the basis of parole 

(eligibility category (c)(11));

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to adjust 

status on the basis of Afghan special immigrant classification, and any associated 

Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility;

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, filed with USCIS in the United States on behalf 

of any Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available;

• Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, for an 

Afghan holding a Special Immigrant Visa;

• Form I-601 for any Afghan national with an approved Form I-130 with a visa 

immediately available; and

• USCIS Immigrant Fee (Form I-551) for Afghan nationals.

Expedited Processing 

• An initial and replacement Form I-765 for those applying for employment 

authorization on the basis of parole (eligibility category (c)(11));

• Form I-485 for Afghan nationals seeking to adjust status on the basis of Afghan special 

immigrant classification, and any associated Form I-601;
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• Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, filed by certain 

Afghan parolees as described in Section 2502(a) of the Extending Government Funding 

and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act;

• Form I-130, filed with USCIS in the United States on behalf of an Afghan national 

(beneficiary) with a visa immediately available, and any associated Form I-601; and

• Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, filed with USCIS on behalf of an 

Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available.

Temporary Immigration Options You May be Eligible for

Temporary Protected Status

Afghan nationals (or individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in 

Afghanistan) who have continuously resided in the United States since March 15, 2022, are 

eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS is a temporary benefit that does 

not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status. During a 

designated 18-month period of TPS, individuals who are TPS beneficiaries (or who are found 

preliminarily eligible for TPS upon initial review of their cases) are not removable, can obtain 

an EAD, and may be granted travel authorization. 

Registration for TPS does not prevent you from applying for nonimmigrant status, filing for 

adjustment of status based on an immigrant petition, or applying for any other benefit or 

protection you may be eligible for. 

For additional information, please visit the Afghanistan TPS webpage

(uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-statusdesignated-country-afghanistan) and the Temporary Protected Status webpage

(uscis.gov/tps). 

Types of Long-Term Legal Status You May Be Eligible For

Asylum

Individuals in the United States may apply for asylum regardless of their country of

nationality or current immigration status. If you have been persecuted or fear future

persecution in your country of origin because of race, nationality, religion, membership in a 

particular social group, or political opinion, you may be eligible for asylum. For more 

information on asylum, visit uscis.gov/asylum. 

Generally, individuals applying for asylum must apply within one year of their arrival to the 

United States, with limited exceptions. Afghan parolees can establish an extraordinary 

circumstance due to maintaining parole during the one-year period after you arrive in the 
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U.S. However, you must still show that you have filed within a reasonable amount of time 

given the circumstances. If you have complied with the terms of your parole and your parole 

is still valid at the time of your asylum application, you have filed within a reasonable amount 

of time and you qualify for an exception to the One-Year Filing Deadline. If you do not file 

before your parole expires, you may still qualify for an exception to the One-Year Filing 

Deadline if the delay in filing is reasonable.

Find information about applying for asylum with USCIS at uscis.gov/i-589. If you have already 

applied for asylum with USCIS, you can check your case status online at uscis.gov/casestatus, 

using the receipt number we gave you after you applied.

Form & Fee Information:

To apply for asylum, file Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal 

(uscis.gov/i-589). There is no fee to file Form I-589.

Benefits of Asylum: 

Individuals granted asylum may apply for lawful permanent resident status (a Green Card) 

after one year. For more information, visit uscis.gov/asylum or visit uscis.gov/tools/settlingus to download the brochure, USCIS Welcomes Refugees and Asylees. After five years of being 

a lawful permanent resident and meeting certain eligibility requirements, you may apply for 

naturalization to become a U.S. citizen. Additionally, if you are granted asylum status as a 

principal asylee, you may be eligible to file a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, to 

request follow-to-join benefits for your spouse and/or unmarried children under 21 years of 

age. Similarly, if you are the spouse or child of a person who has been granted asylum in the 

United States, they may be able to petition for you to be granted asylum as a derivative by 

filing Form I-730. To access Form I-730, the form instructions, and instructions on where to 

file, visit uscis.gov/i-730. 

Family-Based Immigration Petitions

If you have family (spouse, parents, children, siblings) who are U.S. citizens, lawful 

permanent residents, or principal refugees or asylees, they may be eligible to file a 

petition on your behalf. If their family-based petition is approved, you may be eligible 

to apply to adjust your status to lawful permanent resident (get a Green Card) or obtain 

status as a refugee or asylee. For more information, see uscis.gov/green-card/greencard-eligibility-categories. For more information on individuals who may petition for a 

relative of a refugee or asylee and procedures, please see uscis.gov/family/family-ofrefugees-and-asylees.
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To check on pending petitions for family-based immigration (Form I-130, Petition for Alien 

Relative, and Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition) and applications for adjustment 

of status (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), 

petitioners, beneficiaries, or attorneys of record with a Form G-28 on file may 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. USCIS is processing pending family-based petitions for petitioners and 

beneficiaries from Afghanistan as quickly as possible. 

Form and Filing Information:

• Form I-130, visit uscis.gov/i-130

• Form I-730, visit uscis.gov/i-730

• Form I-485, visit uscis.gov/i-485

Please see above guidance for any fee exemptions that may apply. 

Special Immigrant Visa Program

If you believe you are eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program or you have 

already started the SIV application process, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Submit Department of State (DOS) Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant 

Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, when you apply for Chief of Mission (COM)

approval with DOS. DOS will process this form both for COM approval and as a special 

immigrant petition. You do not need to file Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, 

Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, with USCIS. For more information, see 

travel.state.gov/afghan or travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/siviraqi-afghan-translators-interpreters.html. If DOS has approved your DS-157 petition, 

proceed to step 2.

Note: If you already started the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application process and received 

COM approval on or before July 20, 2022, you must file a Form I-360 with USCIS on your own 

behalf. If you are in the United States and your COM request was pending on July 20, 2022, 

see the chart below. For more information, visit uscis.gov/i-360. 

Table: Afghan nationals already in the United States

If you have a Then

COM pending and have a signed 

DS-157

Once COM and DS-157 are approved, file Form I-485 

COM pending and have an 

unsigned DS-157 

Once COM is approved, file Form I-360

COM pending and have no DS-157 Once COM is approved, file Form I-360
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COM approved before July 20, 

2022 

File Form I-360

Form I-360 pending with USCIS Once Form I-360 is approved, file Form I-485

2. If you have an approved Form I-360 petition or DS-157, you may apply for lawful 

permanent resident status (a Green Card) by submitting Form I-485, Application to

Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Include a copy of your Form I-360 

approval notice or COM approval letter which also indicates approval of your Form 

DS-157. Follow the instructions at uscis.gov/green-card-for-an-afghan-employedbehalf-us-government. Your Form I-360 or DS-157 petition must be approved before 

you file Form I-485. 

3. After you file Form I-485, USCIS may schedule you for an interview. Follow all

instructions we provide. If we approve your Form I-485, we will mail your permanent

resident card (Green Card) to you. 

4. Fees

• There is no fee to file Form I-360 or for associated biometric services for an Afghan

special immigrant. 

• There is no fee to file Form I-485 based on an approved Form I-360 or DS-157 for an 

Afghan special immigrant. You should write “OAW” on the top right corner ofthe

Form I-485.

Petitioners, beneficiaries, or attorneys of record with questions about a pending Form I-360 

for an Afghan special immigrant may call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-

767-1833). The Contact Center hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Eastern. 

From outside the United States, call 212-620-3418 or check the case status online at 

egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do.

For questions about a pending COM application or Form DS-157, please visit the DOS Special 

Immigrant Visa webpage (travel.state.gov/afghan) for contact information.

Resources for Victims of Abuse, Violence or Exploitation

There are many forms of abuse and exploitation, including domestic violence, forced 

marriage and human trafficking. In the United States, there are laws that may help you avoid 

or escape an abusive situation or forced marriage.

• Domestic Violence is a pattern ofbehaviorin a relationship thatis used to gain or

maintain power and control over an intimate partner, parent, or child. Domestic abuse 
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can involve physical, sexual, emotional, financial, or psychological harm or threats of 

harm.

• Forced Marriage is a marriage that takes place without the consent of one or both 

people in the marriage. Consent means that you have given your full, free, and 

informed agreement to marry your intended spouse and to the timing ofthe marriage.

Forced marriage may occur when family members or others use physical or emotional 

abuse, threats, or deception to force you to marry without your consent. For 

additional information on forced marriage, please visit 

uscis.gov/humanitarian/forced- marriage.

• Human Trafficking involves exploiting someone to compel a commercial sex act or 

forced labor. Generally, this exploitation must involve force, fraud, or coercion to be 

considered human trafficking. However, if someone under 18 years old is induced to

perform a commercial sex act, that is considered human trafficking even if there is no 

force, fraud, or coercion. For additional information on immigration relief and other 

resources USCIS provides for victims of human trafficking, see 

uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-human-trafficking-and-other- crimes.

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:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233, 800-787-3224 (TTY), ndvh.org

• National Sexual Assault Hotline of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network

(RAINN): 800- 656-4673, rainn.org

• National Centerfor Missing and Exploited Children: 800-843-5678, missingkids.com

• The National Centerfor Victims of Crime: 800-394-2255, 800-211-7996 (TTY), ncvc.org

• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888, Text: 233733.

Information for Unaccompanied Children

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.

For more information on available programs and services to support such children, contact 

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) 

Hotline for Unaccompanied Children and Sponsors: 800-203-7001,

email information@ORRNCC.com, or visit ORR’s webpages on the Unaccompanied Children 

(UC) program at acf.hhs.gov/orr/programs/uc and the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors 

Program (URM) at acf.hhs.gov/orr/programs/refugees/urm.