U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the expansion and extension of some previously announced polices for Afghan nationals. As part of the Enduring Welcome program, qualifying Afghan nationals have access to filing fee exemptions and expedited application processing. The extensions let USCIS more quickly process requests for long-term status, status for immediate relatives, and related services for qualifying Afghan nationals.

The following fee exemptions are available to Afghan nationals paroled into the United State on or after July 30, 2021.

  • Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. Fee waiver extended through January 31, 2025, for re-parole and related employment authorization renewal or employment authorization documents.
  • Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Fee waiver extended through September 30, 2025, for any Afghan national beneficiary with an immediately available immigrant visa, when filed from inside the United States.
  • USCIS Immigrant Fee: Fee waiver extended through September 30, 2025.
  • Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Permanently waived filing fee exemption for qualifying Afghan nationals due to the final fee rule. This is available for Afghan special immigrant classification when applying to adjust status to lawful permanent resident.
  • Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition. Permanently waived filing fee exemption for qualifying Afghan nationals due to the final fee rule. This is filed for Afghan nations with a special immigrant visa.
  • Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility. Fee waiver expires on September 30, 2024. File for an Afghan national how is a beneficiary of an approved form I-130 with an immediately available immigrant visa.
  • Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Fee waiver expires September 30, 2024. For Afghan nationals being paroled into the U.S. under section 212(s)(5) of the INA (eligibility category (c)(11)) when applying for an initial or replacement EAD.

The following expedited processing exceptions are available to Afghan nationals paroled into the United State on or after July 30, 2021.

  • Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. Expedited processing extended to January 31, 2025. Filed by Afghan nationals to re-parole submissions or requests to renew employment authorization or EADs.
  • Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Expedited processing extended to September 30, 2025. Available to Afghan nationals to adjust status to lawful permanent resident status if based on Afghan special immigrant classification or based on asylum. The option to expedite asylum claims for qualifying Afghan nationals is a new benefit.
  • Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Expedited processing benefit extended to September 30, 2025. This is filed by qualifying Afghan parolees per section 2502(a) of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act.
  • Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Expedited processing extended to September 30, 2025. This is filed in the United States for the beneficiary of an Afghan national when a visa is immediately available.
  • Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. Expedited processing extended to September 30, 2025. This is filed for beneficiaries of Afghan nationals with a visa immediately available.

As always, if you have questions about filing any petition or any other U.S. immigration issue, contact us at ILBSG. Our clients work directly with attorneys to ensure they get the right advice.

Afghan Nationals Afghan Resettlement