U.S. May Halt Special Immigrant Visa Programme for Afghans, Says Senior Official

A senior U.S. official has told Afghanistan International that the United States may suspend country-specific immigration programmes, including the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programme for Afghan applicants.

According to the official, former President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to submit a report on immigration operations by 21 March.

The report will assess the U.S. government’s capacity to process immigration cases based on applicants’ country of origin. The official suggested that the order could impact immigration cases from Afghanistan and Iraq, including SIV applications.

The official also warned that, given changing U.S. immigration policies and deteriorating security conditions in Pakistan and other regions, there may be only a month left to facilitate travel for individuals eligible under the SIV programme.

Earlier, Reuters reported that officials at the State Department’s office overseeing Afghan resettlement had been instructed to prepare for its closure by April 2025. If implemented, the move could prevent approximately 200,000 eligible Afghan refugees from relocating to the United States.

A source advocating for Afghan refugee resettlement told Reuters that those affected by the potential closure include families of Afghan-American military personnel, children and relatives of Afghans already residing in the U.S., and tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the U.S. government during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

Currently, thousands of former U.S. allies in Afghanistan remain stranded in Pakistan, awaiting approval for SIV applications. Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities have intensified restrictions and deportations of Afghan migrants in recent months, further complicating their situation.