TIMELINE

The National Visa Center (NVC) is currently working on SIV cases submitted prior to September 5, 2021. All SIV applicants who applied prior to this date should have been contacted by the Department of State (DOS) and received a case number. SIV applicants who applied after this date have not been forgotten and should be contacted soon.

Note:

• If you applied prior to this date and have not received a case number, check your spam email folder. If you are certain that you have not received any communication from NVC, it is recommended that you reapply. Please include information on your initial submission in your new application. 

• If you have received a case number but are concerned with the speed of your application processing, do not reapply or follow up excessively. Repeat applications or inquiries will only slow your process down. 

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US GOVERNMENT’S CURRENT EVACUATION PRIORITIES

It is believed that the US government is currently prioritizing evacuations in this order: 

• US Citizens (and/or eligible immediate family* of US citizens with completed/accurate paperwork and advanced case status)

• Lawful Permanent Residents/LPRs (and/or immediate family* of LPR with completed/accurate paperwork and advanced case status)

• SIV Foil US Visa in hand

• SIV listed as “Issued” in CEAC (Consular Electronic Application Center)

• NEO separated family reunification

• Family SIV listed as “Ready”

Please do not assume that you will be left behind if you are not in this initial priority list. Other groups, such as P1s and P2s, are expected to gain priority as evacuations for this initial group progress. Exceptions in prioritizations are occurring, although it is impossible for us to predict when and why those exceptions will occur.

If you have received a KBL#, you can check your case status at: https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=NIV

*”Immediate family” typically means spouse (husband or wife) and unmarried children under the age of 21.

EVACUEE APPLICANT SAFETY TIPS

As you wait for evacuation, there are a number of precautions you can take to keep you and your family safer.

Communications

• Initial communication from the US government regarding your evacuation may come via several different methods (email, phone call, etc.). Check your emails and communication sources frequently.

• Fake emails can be very convincing. If you have a case manager/handler/ally that you work with, reach out to them before responding to any requests you receive from the US government, if possible. Your case manager may be able to assist you with confirming the authenticity of the request and preparing all the necessary information. After checking in with your case manager, please respond and send requested information/documentation as soon as possible.

• Emails ending in “@state.gov” are usually legitimate. Emails from any other domain are usually dangerous. If you are in doubt, seek advice from your case manager. Accidentally responding to an illegitimate email could put you and your family in serious danger.

Logistics

• It may take some time from the first time you are contacted until you are actually evacuated. Please plan for that. Do not sell your belongings, break your lease, quit your job, tell people you are leaving, or anything else that could put you in an unstable position.

• Scheduled evacuation flights are frequently delayed. Even if you are notified that your flight is booked, assume that will change. Again, don’t sell your belongings or take any steps that could put you in a vulnerable situation if your flight is cancelled or rescheduled. Very often, multiple attempts are made before your evacuation flight occurs.

• Do not share any of the contact information or phone numbers you receive from evacuation staff with anyone but your case manager.  Sharing this information with family and friends or posting it on social media puts you, your flight, and others in peril.

• If you must leave your home, take steps to blend in and ensure you are not targeted by authorities.

  • Follow current mandates and guidelines for your safety.

  • Women should wear a burqa and ideally travel with a male companion to avoid notice.

  • Men should wear traditional attire. All men who have not yet grown out their hair and beard, start now.

  • Do your best to leave your phone at home, if possible. If this is absolutely not possible, scrub all links, apps, and information from your phone that could connect you with any person or organization outside of Afghanistan, especially a team/person linked to evacuation. Any messages in English or phone numbers from outside of Afghanistan can raise suspicion. Delete any emails that could be traced to these entities/individuals and empty your email “trash can”.

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FURTHER RESOURCES

For SIV/P1/P2/Humanitarian Parole Applicants:

Department of State SIV Info: All official information on the SIV process can be found on the Department of State’s website here.

Afghan Evacuation Coalition (#AfghanEvac): #AfghanEvac provides a comprehensive page of resources for Afghan refugees and evacuation groups engaged with the United States, which can be found here. They also have a variety of pages explaining evacuation processes, including helpful infographics, which can be found under the “Infographics” tab of their website. One especially helpful infographic can be found here.

Refugee Council USA: Refugee Council USA has also compiled comprehensive resources for Afghans at all stages of the evacuation process here. Although their site is primarily focused on Afghans with a pathway to the US, they have some international information as well.

Project Anar: This group is focused on Afghans applying for humanitarian parole and have provided resources on that here.

For Afghans without a path to the US:

Canadian Government: For all Afghans with connections to Canada, they can find information on the visa process here.

UK Government: The UK parliament has compiled information on the various pathways for Afghans to evacuate to the UK here.

PRO ASYL: PRO ASYL has a guide for Afghans who worked with the German government or NGOs here.

UNHCR: UNHCR, the foremost global agency for assisting refugees, provides resources on its programs both in and outside of Afghanistan here.