USCIS Announces Updates to Fee Exemptions and Expedited Processes for Afghan Nationals

Afghan nationals seeking to relocate to the United States have had to deal with personal challenges, long processing times, and fees that might be unaffordable for them. However, USCIS announced extensions to fee exemptions and expedited processes that will apply to Afghan nationals filing for certain statuses. Originally announced in November 2021, USCIS decided to extend these exemptions as of November 22, 2022. These new procedures will remain in effect until September 30, 2023.

Fee exemptions: USCIS won’t charge visa or associated immigration packet fees to Afghan nationals filing for the following forms:

• An initial Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for Afghan nationals who are applying for work authorization on the basis of parole (eligibility category (c)(11))

• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to adjust status on the basis of Afghan special immigrant classification, and any associated Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, filed with USCIS in the United States on behalf of any Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available

• Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, for an Afghan holding a Special Immigrant Visa

• Form I-601 for any Afghan national with an approved Form I-130 with a visa immediately available, and

• USCIS Immigrant Fee (Form I-551) for Afghan nationals

Expedited processes: The U.S. is currently facing a backlog of 2 million unprocessed immigration applications. With an expedited process, the USCIS is committing to looking at applications more quickly. For Afghan nationals, the following forms will be processed more quickly, allowing them to get answers about their application more quickly so they can move on with their lives in the U.S. 

• An initial and replacement Form I-765 for those applying for employment authorization on the basis of parole (eligibility category (c)(11))

• Form I-485 for Afghan nationals seeking to adjust status on the basis of Afghan special immigrant classification, and any associated Form I-601

• Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, filed by certain Afghan parolees as described in Section 2502(a) of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act

• Form I-130, filed with USCIS in the United States on behalf of an Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available, and any associated Form I-601; and

• Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, filed with USCIS on behalf of an Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available.

The USCIS has outlined all of this information in its Information for Afghan Nationals page. This information is also available in Dari and Pashto.