On Wednesday, Abdulhaq Sodais was finally granted asylum by a court in Germany, where he was forced to flee after being denied a U.S. visa repeatedly . The family of a former Afghan interpreter who was killed while serving with the Australian military is calling on the federal government to help them leave a German refugee camp where they were taken after being evacuated from Kabul last week. STEP 2 - Prepare for Your Visa Application. Assist you with access to English language classes, if necessary. For the current amount for these fees, see Fees for Visa Services. Today, the Department of State is announcing a Priority 2 (P-2) designation granting U.S. About 18,000 Afghans who worked with U.S. troops as interpreters, translators or in other positions are eligible for a special immigrant visa to leave the country for their safety. U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE — BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS, References - U.S. Laws, numbers 1, 2, and 3, Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, Green Card for an Afghan or Iraqi Translator, Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, DS-0234, Special Immigrant Visa Biodata Form, References - U.S. Laws, numbers 4, 5, and 6, Special Immigrant Visa Biodata Form (DS-0234). General, Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier General in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps; Admiral, Rear Admiral in the Navy; or the Chief of Mission in Baghdad or Kabul. Lawmakers and advocates fear that Afghans who helped the U.S. and NATO forces will face retaliation. When your approved petition reaches NVC, you will be advised by e-mail and provided with instructions. You must appear in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate where a consular officer will interview you. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. Germany's defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, is thinking about the future. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. In order to apply for a U.S. visa and travel to the United States, you must have an A or G series passport. This law initially made Afghan and Iraqi SIV holders eligible for the same resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits as refugees admitted under the U.S. A copy of the biodata page from the passport of each applicant. The planned withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan before September 11, 2021, has heightened fears that the Taliban will target Afghan interpreters, translators, embassy staff, and . You should not wait to submit the Refugee Benefits Election Form and the Special Immigrant Visa Biodata Form until visa issuance. “It’s just infuriating to know that he was very close to reaching a safer place in the world.”Â, Kornfield and others are now leading efforts to help Mohammad’s family receive US visas.Â, At least 300 Afghan interpreters have been killed since 2014. “They come under attack.”Â, Special Immigration Visas can be lifelines, but the process is often opaque, with unexplained denials, and it can go on for years. Each applicant must pay the immigrant visa application processing fee at the visa interview. NVC will forward your SIV case to that embassy or consulate for your visa interview. Found inside – Page 208A question of morality: Germany's Afghan staff fear reprisals. ... Iraqi interpreters feel frightened and “fooled” as U.S. visa programme ends. No. Yes, you may request a fee waiver by placing a cover sheet on the petition and explaining the reasons for the request. Hours before the deadly bombing attack at the Kabul airport's Abbey gate, the 20-year-old wife of an Afghan interpreter and his mother made it through and joined the tens of thousands evacuating on flights before the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Does the thought of flying fill you with dread? Do panic attacks leave you feeling scared and vulnerable? If so, this book could change your life. Grotian points out that only Afghan staff who have worked for German forces within the past two years qualify for resettlement. He lives in Washington, DC, now, but worked closely with Mohammad in Afghanistan.Â. Bridget Thorsdottir is a seventeen-year-old girl living during the waning days of the Norse colony in Greenland in the year 1501. National Visa Center. All refugees and SIV recipients who elected to participate in the program are provided with sponsorship and resettlement services appropriate to their personal circumstances by one of these organizations. Your resettlement agency will have a local office in or near the town where you will be resettled and will provide basic living assistance and support for up to the first 30-90 days after you arrive. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — It's been almost a month since we first spoke to Afghan interpreter, Abdul Hameed Totakhil, who is still in Afghanistan. Disclaimer: Please note that the situation surrounding Afghanistan has rapidly changed in the last 72 hours and will continue to evolve following the publication of these critical questions. To visit his family’s home in eastern Afghanistan, Mohammad said that he had to go undercover and avoid Taliban checkpoints.Â, “You can’t travel alone in a ranger, even a convoy, an armored truck. BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say they have granted 2,400 visas so far to Afghan employees of the country's military and their relatives, although not all of them want to come to Germany immediately. For more information about the relevant U.S. laws, see References - U.S. Laws, numbers 4, 5, and 6. Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. L ast week more than 200 Afghan interpreters who worked with the U.S. military landed in Virginia, recipients of a special visa for those who served alongside U.S. forces. NOTICE ON LITIGATION MATTER: Afghan and Iraqi Allies Under Serious Threat Because of Their Faithful Service to the United States, on Their Own and on Behalf of Others Similarly Situated, et al. NOTE: We strongly advise you to bring your spouse and minor dependent children with you to your visa interview. For most purposes, the standard visitor visa suffices. In Afghanistan, the US military has for years leaned heavily on hiring people locally, often as interpreters. Found inside... visas a year are issued specifically for Iraqi and Afghani translators. ... The influence of German authors like playwright August von Kotzebue and the ... He now lives in Germany while his family resides in Afghanistan. Afghan employees realised this and started organising protests. ", “So few people serve in the military, and of that — even fewer see combat,” Smyth said.Â. Following nearly 20 years of war in Afghanistan with a cost of more than $2 trillion and 241,000 . “I'm trying to help those that are still in Afghanistan. After arrival in the United States, you may apply for these benefits in the state in which you reside. To apply, you must return scanned, signed copies of the Refugee Benefits Election Form  (PDF - 115 KB) (signature required) and the Special Immigrant Visa Biodata Form (DS-0234)  (PDF - 312 KB), included in the visa instruction packet, to NVC, the Refugee Processing Center (RPC), or the appropriate Resettlement Support Center (RSC), as soon as possible but no later than 10 calendar days after the date your visa is issued. In April, 41 Afghan interpreters who worked alongside Australian soldiers pleaded with the Australian government for humanitarian visas, fearing they will be killed by the Taliban after Australian troops withdraw. The official U.S. government report on Russian interference in democracy around the world! The White House announced last week that it will start evacuation flights this month for these individuals and their families. No. Found inside – Page iThis book examines the issue of irregular transit migration to the EU by presenting the case of the Afghans. The Department of State funds nine (9) Resettlement Agencies that participate in the Reception and Placement (R&P) Program under a cooperative agreement. “I am hopeful that I'll get the approval,” he said then, adding, “You never know. With big picture insight and on-the-ground grit, Jessica Donati shares the stories of the impossible choices these soldiers must make. Consular services, including visa services, remain available outside Afghanistan. To learn more, review our Cookie Policy. The chart below contains a list of U.S. laws relevant to Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for eligible Iraqi or Afghan translators/interpreters who worked directly with the U. S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority. Asylum. The planned withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan before September 11, 2021, has heightened fears that the Taliban will target Afghan interpreters, translators, embassy staff, and . He was killed by the Taliban before his visa was approved.Â, David Smyth, a former Army Special Forces Major, is shown in Afghanistan in 2007. U.S. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations on August 31, 2021. "Watches Without Time gives a granular account of the challenges Zeller and his men encountered in Ghazni, and of the complex missions they undertook there. If you marry after your petition is approved but before you travel to the United States, your new spouse may be added to the original petition. "The Long, Slow Betrayal of America's Interpreters", War is Boring. Found inside – Page 46Finally another Herati, an interpreter, came on the scene. ... The Herati who knew German went around with Mirza Badenjan to a big rug wholesaler. We'd love to hear what you think about our global security reporting. Photograph: Supplied "The recent developments in Afghanistan has turned the tables. Crow’s bill would also allow family members of deceased SIV applicants to continue through the process if the applicant is killed before a visa approval. However, even if your visa interview is successful, you might not receive your visa on the same day. Afghan interpreter Hassan (centre) with coalition troops in Afghanistan. The militant group has long targeted civilians it accuses of working for the Afghan government or foreigners. The US State Department did not grant an interview to The World, but emailed a statement: “We take these threats very seriously, and we are committed to providing efficient and secure SIV processing while maintaining national security as our highest priority. If you marry a foreign national after you have already traveled to the United States, you will need to file a new petition for your spouse. This law extended the period of eligibility of Afghan SIV holders for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits to up to eight (8) months from their date of admission or date of adjustment if applying domestically. Sullivan spent years fighting to get his Afghan translator asylum after his former platoon's other interpreter was denied a U.S. visa before being killed by the Taliban in 2017. v. Blinken, et al.No. Germany to offer refuge to Afghans who helped military. Aug. 23, 2019, 1:30 AM PDT. options that will influence where you will be placed in the United States. She is a senior staff attorney with IRAP and worked with Mohammad on his case. The German Association of Journalists (Deutscher Journalisten-Verband, DJV) today called on the federal government to allow Afghan journalists, media workers, informants and interpreters to enter Germany. The Case for Expediting Special Immigrant Visas amid a Transition of Power in Afghanistan. If you wish to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Reception and Placement (R&P) Program, which covers only your first 30-90 days in the United States, you must apply for it before you travel to the United States. The method of payment is either a personal check on a U.S. bank, a money order in U.S. dollars, or a fee receipt from a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. At the visa interview, you will also be expected to provide written evidence of your intent to immigrate promptly to the United States. As the U.S. continues to pull out of Afghanistan, Canadian veterans are campaigning to fast track the visa process for interpreters who assisted Canadian soldiers overseas, saying their help puts . Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday about 212 of Afghanistan’s district centers are now under Taliban control. If it is not possible for your family members to travel to the interview with you, they will be required to schedule interviews for a later date and may follow-to-join you in the United States at a later time. Denials As amended, the Act provides for SIV status for eligible Iraqi or Afghan translators and interpreters, who have worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission (COM) authority at U.S. Embassy Baghdad or U.S. Embassy Kabul. In addition, you must submit a scanned copy of your visa foil as soon as possible but no later than 30 calendar days prior to the visa’s expiration. The oldest is 19.Â. “Everyone!” he said, including his wife, and four daughters and two sons. If you are citizen of Afghanistan, you will need to apply for a visa before you travel to the United Kingdom. Complain that they are not being granted asylum in Germany while his family, on soil. 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