If you are an Afghan parolee in the United States, beware of individuals asking for personal information. 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. 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. Introduction. Keep the copy of the original Form I-693 given to you at the government-run facility for future use. . If we approve your Form I-360, we will forward the approved petition to the DOS for consular processing of your SIV. Data on SIV processing times was divided into two distinct phases: Chief of Mission (COM) applications and Post-COM processing. If you are an Afghan parolee covered under section 2502(b), P.L. State said have to of end and von is was cut of number and unopened emails is 140,175, "almost half of May 2022 figure." . SSA will mail your Social Security card directly to the address you provide on Form I-765. Please submit any urgent interview scheduling requests in writing to the asylum office with jurisdiction over your case. 5109 Leesburg Pike Skyline Six, because they're further along in processing, while others won't. . Report your compliance at theAfghan Parolee Vaccination Statuswebpage. If such individuals apply for a Special Immigrant Visa outside of the United States or apply to adjust status in the DS-157 You are a citizen or national of Afghanistan, or you have no nationality and last habitually resided in Afghanistan; You were paroled into the United States between July 30, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022; and, You were paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2022, and, You are the spouse or child of an individual who meets Category 1 above, or, You are the parent or legal guardian of an individual who meets Category 1 above and who is determined to be an unaccompanied child as defined under 6 U.S.C. Application Process Information on Green Cards for Afghan Lawful Permanent Residents with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) Afghan National Parolees - Information about Employment Authorization Information for Afghan Nationals Relocated to the United States Special Immigrant Visas For more information, visit our. Please include your relatives country of birth on Part 4, Item 7., of the Form I-130. It may take up to 90 days from the date you made your payment to receive your permanent resident card. For more information, see the USCIS Policy Manual and the Department of State's Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans webpage. 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. USCIS will never ask you to transfer money to an individual or pay fees other than through your myUSCIS account. You may be eligible for the extraordinary circumstances exception to the 1-year filing deadline if you file for asylum while your parole is still valid. However, registration for TPS does not prevent you from: PLEASE NOTE: To be granted any other immigration benefit, you must still meet all the eligibility requirements for that particular benefit. You have already completed the medical requirements to obtain lawful permanent resident status. Polygamy is the religious practice or historical custom of having more than 1 spouse at the same time. To find information about an asylum office, visit theUSCIS Service and Office Locator. If you are an Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) asylum applicant, your asylum interview might take place at a USCIS field office. Need to update your initial EAD validity date to align with your updated Form I-94 parole period. For more information, see the Polygamous Marriages section. We are expediting pending affirmative asylum applications filed by certain Afghan applicants. 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. When reviewing an email, always remember: Employment Information Regarding Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Holders and Parolees:A fact sheet on protections for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders and parolees under INA's anti-discrimination provision. USCIS offers many other online services and tools at uscis.gov to help you find the information you need. You must give notice each time you move, even if you are moving to a temporary location. To obtain the fee exemption when filing Form I-765 online for an initial or replacement EAD: File by Mail 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. For example, if you entered the United States with an OAR status, you would write OAR (Parole) in the Status field; and. To obtain a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) as an Afghan who was employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government, whether you live inside or outside the United States, you must first seek special immigrant classification by filing either Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special immigrant, with USCIS or Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, with the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Suite 100 However, we may deny your application for TPS on the same grounds we deny your other application. Applying for TPS does not affect your application for asylum, parole, or any other immigration benefit, and vice versa. Once the immigration medical examination is complete, the civil surgeon annotates the results on Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. 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. U.S. Embassy Islamabad is processing immigrant visas across all categories. We may also grant TPS to eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country. Mr. Safi, who previously worked as a contractor for . USCIS reviews all parole requests for all nationalities to determine whether the request warrants expedited processing for an urgent or time-sensitive reason and is not expediting parole requests based on nationality alone. Operation Allies Welcome Expeditious Processing for Asylum Applications. The following resources are kept up-to-date with key policy and legal developments. 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). Each individual parolee must complete the attestation. 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 time to request an in-person appointment at the local field office with jurisdiction over your place of residence. You must complete all remaining medical requirements listed on the USCIS Notice Regarding Conditions for Parole, which may include required vaccinations and TB testing, within 60 days of arrival in the United States. 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. Review our. Marriage certificate for your lawful spouse*; Birth certificate for each child under the age of 21; USCIS does not routinely send emails to inform you that you have been approved for a diversity visa, immigrant visa, nonimmigrant visa, or any other type of immigration benefit, except in certain situations. August 9, 2022, 3:42 PM. Package all Forms I-485 for your family in a single envelope. ); Copies of supporting documentation of the correct information. Please always check the sender information to make sure it ends in (.gov). Managed . If you still need to complete the immigration medical examination in the United States, a civil surgeon designated by USCIS must perform the examination. For individuals in the United States with COM requests pending on July 20, 2022, please reference the chart below. 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. You must notify USCIS within 10 days of any change in your address to ensure timely and accurate delivery of your EAD. 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 . You will also need the following documents for your lawful spouse* and unmarried children under 21 who are outside the United States: *Please note that, generally, we will consider only the first lawful marriage of a polygamous marriage valid for U.S. immigration purposes, unless you provide a divorce certificate or death certificate as evidence that the first marriage has ended, along with a marriage certificate for any subsequent marriage. 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. . Form I-693 retains its evidentiary value for 2 years after the date the civil surgeon signed Form I-693. One year later, the United States has yet to fulfill its moral, congressional, and court-ordered obligations to protect Afghans who remain at risk, including Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program applicants. Are not removable from the United States; Can obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD); and, Filing for adjustment of status based on an immigrant petition; or. 7 min read . We recently learned that USCIS never received paper visa packets for some Afghan nationals admitted into the United States as lawful permanent residents (LPRs) based on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). How to check on the status of a completed Form I-765 and EAD production. For more information, see the One-Year Filing Deadline Lesson Plan (PDF, 545.34 KB). 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. The eleventh-hour moves are a response to long delays and backlogs that have plagued the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program since it was unveiled more than a decade ago. Find information on access to USRAP at theDepartment of States Refugee Admissions webpageandUSCIS Refugees webpage. You must have a positive recommendation or evaluation documenting your faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government. For inquiries regarding pending asylum applications, you or your attorney of record should contact the asylum office with jurisdiction over the case. . If you have questions or need to update your personal information with USCIS, visit the USCIS Contact Center to connect with a USCIS representative. For more information, see theUSCIS Policy Manualand the DOS Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans webpage. The chart lists the locations where OAW asylum applicants who qualify for expeditious processing under Section 2502(c) of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF)may expect to have their asylum interviews, based on where they live. The Biden administration is establishing a system based in Qatar designed to fast-track the processing of at-risk Afghans overseas and ensure they can arrive in the U.S. with permanent legal. What efficiency improvements have been made to Afghan SIV processing? To file Form I-765 online, eligible applicants must first visitmy.uscis.govto create a USCIS online account. Your admission as a lawful permanent resident would not be contrary to the national welfare, safety, or security of the United States. 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). If you need a break, you can ask for one. We will mail secure documents to the address on file, so it is important to include receipt numbers for all pending cases. 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. Circuit-Ride Locations to Conduct Interviews for Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) Asylum Applicants. 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. Include your most recent date of entry in the Date field on page 1 of Form I-589, Part A.I., Question 19c. If you have a family member who is eligible to file, See below for information on Special Immigrant Status, Family-Based Immigration Petitions (Form I-130 or. and Foreign Service Personnel in how to best advocate for Special Immigrant Visas for their Iraqi and Afghan Interpreters. A lock ( A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Complete a separate Form I-485 for each family member applying to adjust status. 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. . A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Hi Sir, I have USRAP Afghan P-2 Referral from International Rescue Committee (IRC). Individuals in the United States may apply for asylum regardless of country of nationality or current immigration status. Our Information for Afghan Nationals webpage offers complete information on what you need to do as a parolee. If we deny your application for asylum, or any other immigration benefit, that will not affect your ability to register for TPS. If you have questions about your asylum interview, contact the asylum office with jurisdiction over your case. The attestation should state that the information in the statement you provided is valid. It is important to attend this appointment so we can collect your biometrics and avoid additional delays issuing your Green Card. Generally, we will only consider the first marriage of a polygamous marriage valid for immigration purposes. The Afghanistan SIV process covers Afghan nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government or the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). By Abigail Hauslohner. Update on Special Immigrant Visa Processing Press Statement Ned Price, Department Spokesperson June 9, 2022 The Department of State remains committed to processing Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications from Afghan partners as expeditiously as possible. If you were told you must get additional treatment, follow up with your health department. Under the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PDF), we are prioritizing asylum applications filed by certain Afghan citizens and nationals, or those with no nationality who last habitually resided in Afghanistan, as defined in Section 2502(a) of the Act (see section Operation Allies Welcome Expeditious Processing for Asylum Applications below for further information). . After we review your Form I-693 to ensure a civil surgeon properly completed it and did not identify any health-related grounds of inadmissibility, we will remove the conditions on your LPR status. 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. In Part 1, Reason for Applying, select 1.a., Initial permission to accept employment, In Part 2, list your country of birth as Afghanistan. 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