In August 2021 when the Taliban for the second time took power in Afghanistan and the US Embassy in Kabul was closed the US forces evacuated over 100,000 Afghans in military aircrafts.
Most of these evacuees are people who worked with US in Afghanistan, and they have to complete the refugee process for permanent residency in the US.
According to the VoA report, P1 visas are awarded to individuals who worked with US in Afghanistan, P2 visas are for people who worked a non-US governmental organisation or in the media outlets the central office of which is in the US and P3 visas are awarded to Afghans whose close family members are living in the US.
It is pertinent to mention that P1 and P2 programmes are not included in the normal visa issuance programmes and has not relationship with the non-immigration P visa. P1 and P2 visas also different with the SIV process, US award SIV visas to individuals who worked with the US military, civilian and other relevant organisations in Afghanistan during the past two decades.
Which Afghans are referred to P1 and P2 visas?
Applicants of P1 visas should be referred through embassies, non-government organisations and UNHCR. Individuals themselves could not refer for P1 programme themselves.
Some US employees could refer Afghans to embassy, if an Afghan through his work establishes contact with US citizen than he could be referred to this programme. He also needs confirmation from a high-ranking US government official.
Non-government organisation could refer individuals to P1 programme. This individual should meet the required criteria by the referral organisation. UNHCR also refer a limited number of migrants for resettlement, individual out of their country or origin are eligible for these criteria.
Applicants could not directly apply for P2 programme, a US government employee should apply on the individual’s behalf.
Afghans who worked in the media and NGOs the main office of which is in the US should be referred by a high-ranking US official who is the US resident and its main office is in the US.
If you did not work for a US based media outlet of NGO, you should be referred by a US official who provided fund for your employer. Your employer needs to contact the US official who provide fund and get information about how individuals could be referred.
Besides all these information there is no guarantee that individuals meeting these criteria would certainly get US visas.
https://www.state.gov/refugee-admissions/
The US state Department says in this regard: “The criminal background of all applicants needs to be extensively checked and should hold an interview with the US Home Security Department’s officer.”
What is US immigration Programme:
Under this programme a refugee should first go to a third country where US Foreign Affairs Department could establish contact and the process of immigration kicks off.
Before interview by US official the refugee is question in the settlement centre, his criminal background is checked, and medical examination is conducted to make sure that this person is suitable for settlement in the US.
US Foreign Affairs Department perform the process of referring individuals to the settlement centres but before leaving Afghanistan there is not contact between individual and the US government.
According to the US government an application takes 12-to-18-month time and this means that applicant should live in the third country and take care of himself and family until the process is over.
Third category of the immigration process give priority to individuals whose close family members lives in the US or they have got asylum documents in the past five years.
Family based migration:
According to the US foreign ministry if an individual has migrant status in the US, he could apply to bring wife, husband, and unmarried children.
Individuals who have Humanitarian parole visas in the US could also invite their husband, wife, and unmarried children below the age of 21. US citizen and individuals with permanent documents could bring their relatives to the US.
US congress in 1965 laid out guideline for the migration and citizenship back in 1965. Through this guideline, individuals and US citizens with permanent residency documents could bring immediate family members — wife, husband, mother, father, unmarried children.
US citizen and fill a form which that has 12 steps and sent it to the US Foreign Affairs Department and Immigration Offices.
When this form is approved the applicant gets permission for travelling to the US.
US Foreign Affairs Department pay for the migrants’ settlement in the US which is implemented by the International Organisation of Migration (IOM).
These individuals should return the money after six months. Migrants in the US are referred to the resettlement authority who help them find house and work.
According to the US law, individuals with refugee status could apply for US green card after one year and after five years of green card they could apply for the US citizenship.
Sources:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/follow-to-join-refugees-and-asylees.html#overview
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition.html
https://www.pashtovoa.com/a/p1-p2-and-p3-visas-explained-for-afghan-refugees-/7227056.html
https://www.bbc.com/pashto/afghanistan-62217239
https://www.visapro.com/immigration-dictionary/p/
https://support.iraplegalinfo.org/hc/ps/sections/360008472712
https://support.iraplegalinfo.org/hc/ps/articles/360057037651
https://www.wrapsnet.org/documents/Information%20for%20U.S.-Affiliated%20Afghan%20Nationals.pdf
https://af.usembassy.gov/ps/visas-ps/travel-tourism-ps
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