Afghanistan Evacuation and Immigration Resources
Senator Padilla’s top priority is the safe evacuation of Americans, our Afghan allies and the most vulnerable populations, including women and children. He strongly supports the safe relocation of Afghan refugees, evacuees, and parolees to California. Our team will coordinate with the Governor’s office and non-governmental organizations key to their successful resettlement. As our office continues to monitor developments, we will work directly with the State Department and other agencies to process requests as expeditiously as possible.
If you or your immediate family need assistance evacuating or immigrating from Afghanistan, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM.
For any questions about how to complete the above form, please email our office: afg-evac@padilla.senate.gov.
For the latest alerts from the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, please visit: https://af.usembassy.gov/.
For additional updates, follow the US Embassy on Facebook and Twitter and the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
For the U.S. State Department’s latest on Afghanistan, please visit: https://www.state.gov/afghanistan-inquiries/.
- U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents in Afghanistan Now
- Afghanistan Special Immigrant Visas (SIV)
- U.S. Refugee Admission Program- (Priority 2 Visas Specially Designated for Afghans)
- Humanitarian Parole
- Advocating for Immediate-Family Non-Citizen Relatives in Afghanistan
- Refugees Resettling in California
US Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents in Afghanistan Now
U.S. citizens seeking assistance to depart Afghanistan should utilize this link: Repatriation Assistance Request or in an emergency, call 1-888-407-4747 (U.S. and Canada) or +1-202-501-4444 (overseas). Legal permanent residents (LPRs) and spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens in Afghanistan who are awaiting immigrant visas should also complete this form.
Once you fill that out, please fill out this form to provide us with your name(s), passport number(s), and date(s) of birth, and we will follow up with the State Department.
Find latest security alerts and embassy updates here: https://af.usembassy.gov/
Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIV)
Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to Afghan nationals who are facing serious threats because they were employed in Afghanistan:
- by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan, or
- by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or a successor mission, in a capacity that required the applicant to serve as an interpreter or translator for U.S. military personnel while traveling off-base with U.S. military personnel stationed at ISAF or to perform activities for the U.S. military personnel stationed at ISAF.
Information on applying for the Afghan SIV can be found here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/special-immg-visa-afghans-employed-us-gov.html
If you believe you have an approved petition, but have not been contacted by the National Visa Center, or if you have questions about your pending SIV case after the petition has been approved, please email NVCSIV@state.gov or call 1-603-334-0828 and provide your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receipt number, full name, and date of birth. Customer Service Representatives at NVC are available from 4:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time).
For more information on SIVs for Iraqi and Afghan translators—who have worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority at U.S. Embassy Kabul—please visit:
U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
Refugee visas are available to those who have experienced persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political group.
If you or a relative fit these categories, please complete this form.
Priority 2 Visas:
On August 2nd, the State Department announced a new Priority 2 designation for certain Afghans. These are visas available for the following people:
- Interpreters who worked for the US military but not long enough to qualify for SIV,
- Afghan employees of a US news organization, and
- Afghans employed directly by a US NGO. (ex:Afghans who were employed directly by Indiana University, Ball State University, Kansas State University, Save the Children, International Assistance Mission, Reuters, Associated Press, etc.)
If you or a relative fit these categories, please complete this form.
Priority 1 Visas:
These visas are available to refugees identified and referred to the program by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a US Embassy, or a designated non-governmental organization (NGO).
Priority 3 Visas:
These visas are reserved for family reunification with immediate relatives already in the United States.
Humanitarian Parole
Humanitarian parole can be requested by Afghans or sponsors who are outside of the United States. USCIS makes determinations for humanitarian parole, but generally the beneficiary must show particular vulnerabilities and significant family or other ties to the United States. Unlike a visa, parole does not give the beneficiary immigration status in the United States and they will still have to apply for an adjustment of status if they plan to stay beyond the duration of their parole.
For more information on humanitarian parole, please visit:
Advocating for Immediate-Family Non-Citizen Relatives in Afghanistan
If you are in the U.S. and want to advocate for your family in Afghanistan, you need to send our office all family members’ documents along with this Privacy Release Form. Please include the name of the spouse/immediate family member in Afghanistan in the “problem” portion of the form along with date of birth, passport number, and exact spelling of the spouse’s/immediate family member’s name.
Please submit this information by completing this form.
Refugees Resettling in California
A Resettlement Agency provides resettlement assistance and is initially the sponsor of a refugee entering the United States. These agencies contract with the U.S. Department of State to provide services such as reception, basic orientation, counseling, food, shelter and health services to refugees. The agencies act as referral sources to the appropriate local agencies for employment and English language training.
For more information on Resettlement Agencies, and a list of agencies in California provided by the California Department of Social Services, CLICK HERE.
The California Refugee Programs Bureau can be reached at (916) 654-4356 or RPB@dss.ca.gov