The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program refers to a program created by Congress to allow Iraqi and Afghan nationals, who are targeted because of their work for the United States, to relocate to safety in the U.S. The following resources are kept up-to-date with key policy and legal developments.
Resources on the Special Immigrant Visa Program
Afghan SIV Explainer
This set of FAQs, current as of January 14, 2019, outlines the basics of the Afghan SIV program and its current status.
SIV Arrivals at U.S. Airports
If you are a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holder arriving in the United States for the first time, read this to prepare for your trip and carry it with you on your trip (available in: Arabic, Dari, English, Pashto).
If you are a lawyer working with a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holder arriving in the United States for the first time, use this Practice Guide to prepare for your client’s arrival.
SIV Program Delays
In the lawsuit Afghan and Iraqi Allies v. Pompeo, filed in June 2018 in federal district court in the District of Columbia, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP are challenging widespread delays in the processing of SIV applications. In discovery for the lawsuit, IRAP and Freshfields uncovered evidence that the government is inaccurately reporting processing times for Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications. The data suggests that the average Afghan and Iraqi SIV applicant is likely to wait for more than four years for a visa. The data also undermines the validity of the DHS and State Department’s joint quarterly reports on the status of the programs that are mandated by Congress.
View the summary of the evidence here: Processing Delays in the SIV Program – Summary