My relative travelled to the United States on an SIV. How can I join them?

Summary

This guide is for Afghan and Iraqi SIV recipients in the United States to reunite with relatives. 

The information below comes from the Department of State Afghan SIV website under the heading "May my family accompany or follow to join me in the United States?"

An Afghan or Iraqi SIV applicant can apply for their spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 to travel with them to the United States. To do this, those relatives must go to the visa interview. NOTE: This requirement to go to the interview does not apply to children under the age of 14 who live in Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan does not allow applicants under the age of 14 to attend the interview. 

If a spouse or child who is required to be interviewed cannot go to the interview, they must schedule visa interviews later. They may have to travel after the primary applicant. 

An applicant can add a spouse to their petition if they marry after USCIS confirms their I-360 petition but before traveling to the United States. If an applicant has already had an interview, they should immediately contact the Embassy. 

An SIV recipient who gets married after traveling to the United States will need to file an I-130 after getting married. An SIV recipient who becomes a U.S. citizen can also file an I-130 for other relatives. IRAP’s guide on the I-130 process is here.

A child who is born after an SIV recipient travels to the United States may apply as a derivative if the SIV recipient and the child’s parent were married before the SIV recipient traveled to the United States. If the parents were not married, or the marriage occurred after the SIV recipient traveled to the United States, then the SIV recipient must file an I-130 petition for the child. 

Priority 3

Since April 2021, recipients of Afghan and Iraqi SIV recipients can also apply for some relatives through the Priority 3 program. Click here to read IRAP's guide on P-3.