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What does the SIV application deadline mean for me?

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This article was last updated on February 20, 2026

What is the SIV application deadline?

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. The government will not accept any new applications submitted after December 31, 2025 unless lawmakers in the United States (“Congress”) pass a law to extend the application deadline. 

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.

What this means for SIV applicants, at this time:

  • If you have a pending COM application: you do not need to take any action at this time. 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 are preparing a COM appeal: you must submit it within 120 days of receiving the COM denial letter. Your appeal should still be reviewed as long as it is submitted within the 120-day deadline, even if it is sent after the December 31, 2025 or June 5, 2026 deadlines. The June 5, 2026 deadline is only to submit additional documents for a pending application.
  • If you have a pending COM appeal, and it is denied after December 31, 2025: you will not be able to send in a new application.
  • If you do not have a pending COM application or appeal, and the timeframe to submit your appeal has passed, you will not be permitted to start a new COM application.
  • If you have COM approval: and you are currently outside of the U.S., you will need to continue the remaining steps of the SIV application process at a U.S. Embassy outside of Afghanistan. As of December 1, 2025, we understand that visa interviews will continue for SIV applicants, but that applications which would otherwise be approved will now be denied under “221(g)” or “212(f)”, which are sections of the U.S. immigration laws. Please go here for more information about how these changes affect Afghans applying for visas.

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides free legal help to some refugees and displaced people.

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.