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'.
51 Articles
51 Articles
US stops processing visas for Afghan allies: Tens of thousands likely to be affected
The Trump administration has halted all asylum decisions and paused issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports, seizing on the National Guard shooting in the nation's capital to intensify efforts to rein in legal immigration. The move may impact the around 190,000 Afghans who were evacuated by Washington during Operation Allies Welcome and Operation Enduring Welcome, Beth Bailey, host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Bailey added …
State Department "Immediately" Slams Door Shut On Afghan Visas After DC Terror Attack - The American Tribune.com
After the tragic and fatal ambush of National Guard members, Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a CIA-vetted asylum seeker who entered America during the Biden years, the State Department paused all Afghan passport visas to safeguard American security. Providing context for the massive decision, Secretary Rubio explained that security is his highest priority. However, a leftist NGO called A…
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 …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center, 43% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
