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IMPORTANT SIV UPDATE:
The government has paused issuing visas to Afghan SIV applicants.
The deadline to file an application for COM approval under the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was December 31, 2025.
If you have a pending COM application, the U.S. government has stated that the deadline to submit any outstanding documents for your pending COM application is June 5, 2026.
If you receive a COM denial letter and you are able to appeal it, you should still have 120 days from the date the decision letter was sent to you, even if that date is after June 5, 2026. The June 5, 2026 deadline is only to submit additional documents for a pending application.
You can learn more about what this means for SIV applicants here.
NOTE: This information is affected by new policies as of January 20, 2025 and will be updated soon.
This article is being updated. Please check back soon.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides free legal help to some refugees and displaced people.
- IRAP helps some people find services and prepare refugee and visa applications.
- IRAP is not part of any government, IOM, or UNHCR.
- IRAP cannot grant refugee status or visas or speed up cases.
- IRAP cannot provide financial help, find or pay for housing, or find jobs.
- All of IRAP’s help is free. No one affiliated with IRAP has the right to ask you for money or any other service.
IRAP decides to help people based on their need and eligibility for immigration status. IRAP does not decide to help people based on any other social, political, or religious criteria.
This website provides general information about legal processes available to some refugees. It is not meant as legal advice for individual applications.
Requirements may change. Always check for current requirements from the government or agency deciding your request.
If you are in a refugee emergency, we recommend that you contact the UNHCR office in the country where you live.
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