US EditionUS State Department stops processing visas for Afghan allies
The suspension affects about 265,000 Afghan applicants, including 180,000 in the Special Immigrant Visa program, amid heightened U.S. security concerns after a shooting.
- On Nov 29, the U.S. State Department ordered diplomats worldwide to stop processing visas for Afghan nationals, effectively suspending the special immigrant program including Special Immigrant Visas.
- The cable on Friday said the pause was aimed at verifying applicants' identities, ensuring eligibility under U.S. law after a Wednesday shooting in Washington, D.C. intensified legal immigration scrutiny.
- Consular officers were told to reject Afghan visa applications and refuse cases when they arise; authorized but unprinted visas should be reversed while printed visas must be destroyed, and scheduled appointments remain.
- The pause affected hundreds of thousands awaiting U.S. processing, advocates warned, with applications still open for 265,000 Afghans outside the U.S., including about 180,000 in the SIV pipeline.
- Amid broader enforcement moves, officials publicly signaled a pause on Afghan passport visa issuance, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying on platform X that `ALL individuals` traveling on Afghan passports would have their visa issuance `paused`.
49 Articles
49 Articles
US State Department Stops Processing Visas for Afghan Allies
US State Department stops processing visas for Afghan allies
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its diplomats worldwide to stop processing visas for Afghan nationals, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, effectively suspending the special immigration program for Afghans who helped the United States during its 20-year-long occupation of their home country.
Trump Crackdown Forces State Department to Halt Afghan Visas After DC Terror Attack - Real News Now
The State Department issued a sweeping directive Friday, blocking visa approvals for Afghan nationals just hours after President Donald Trump vowed to crack down on third-world migration. The internal guidance ordered consular officers to refuse all Afghan passport holders—regardless of visa category—until enhanced vetting measures are in place. The move follows Trump’s Thanksgiving pledge to shut down the Biden-era immigration pipeline, citing …
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