AfghanEvac Case Guide
Where does your case stand?
Afghan cases are stuck in different places for different reasons. The State Department hold, the travel ban, and USCIS policy do not hit everyone the same way.
Find your case type below. Each one shows who holds it, what is holding it up, and what to do now. SIV, refugee, asylum, parole, border, and family cases are all here.
Last updated September 22, 2026Start here
Where you are decides who holds your case.
The first question is not what kind of case you have. It is which side of the border you are on.
Outside the United States
The State Department holds your case. Two things stop it: the worldwide public charge training hold, and the travel ban, Proclamation 10998, which suspends visa issuance to Afghan nationals.
Inside the United States
USCIS holds your case. The travel ban controls entry, not green cards granted inside the country. A June ruling in Dorcas v. USCIS lifted the USCIS hold on Afghan cases.
Same nationality. Different agencies. Different problems.
SIV
SIV · Outside the U.S. · Awaiting Chief of Mission
COM moving · visas blockedCOM decisions are still coming. Visas are not.
Who has your case
The State Department’s Afghan SIV Unit, through the National Visa Center.
What is holding it up
New COM applications closed December 31, 2025. Pending ones are still being decided, but State has reported no SIVs issued to Afghan passport holders since the travel ban took effect January 1, 2026.
What to do now
Answer every NVC request quickly. If you are denied, you have 120 days to appeal. Use them.
SIV · Inside the U.S. · Awaiting Chief of Mission
Waiting on StateSame line. Better exit.
Who has your case
The State Department decides COM. Once you are approved, your case moves to USCIS.
What is holding it up
COM review is slow, and withdrawals and revocations continue. A pending COM application does not give you legal status or protect you from removal.
What to do now
Keep the status that protects you now alive: your asylum case, parole, or work permit. Stay in the U.S. Appeal any denial within 120 days.
SIV · Outside the U.S. · COM approved, awaiting interview
Issuance blockedTwo locks on the same door.
Who has your case
A U.S. embassy or consulate, after the National Visa Center.
What is holding it up
First, the worldwide training hold pauses immigrant visa adjudication, and the worksheet cable names SIVs. Second, the travel ban suspends visa issuance to Afghan nationals, so approvable cases are refused under Section 212(f).
What to do now
A travel ban refusal does not erase your COM approval. Respond to NVC at least once a year so your case is not closed. Talk to an attorney before deciding whether to interview now or wait.
SIV · Inside the U.S. · COM approved, awaiting green card
Moving under court orderThe travel ban does not reach you. Delay still does.
Who has your case
USCIS.
What is holding it up
On June 5, 2026, a federal court in Dorcas v. USCIS struck down the USCIS hold on cases from 39 countries, including Afghanistan. On August 14, the First Circuit left that part in place during the appeal. Cases should be moving, slowly.
What to do now
Do not leave the U.S. while your case is pending. Meet every biometrics and evidence deadline. SIVs are exempt from public charge. If asked for an Affidavit of Support, write down who asked and when.
Refugee
Refugee (P-1 / P-2) · Outside the U.S.
SuspendedYour case still exists. The program that moves it does not.
Who has your case
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program: the State Department, its Resettlement Support Centers, and USCIS.
What is holding it up
Refugee admissions have been suspended since January 20, 2025, and the travel ban covers refugees not yet admitted. This year’s limited refugee slots went mostly to white South Africans, not Afghans.
What to do now
Keep your case number and contact details current with your Resettlement Support Center. Never pay anyone who promises to speed up your case. If you also have an SIV case or family in the U.S., ask an attorney whether another pathway fits.
Refugee · Awaiting green card
PausedThe law says apply after one year. USCIS stopped deciding.
Who has your case
USCIS, with DHS re-vetting.
What is holding it up
Since November 2025, USCIS has paused green cards for refugees admitted January 20, 2021 through February 20, 2025, and is calling them in for re-vetting. On March 23, 2026, a federal court blocked ICE from arresting refugees just for not having a green card.
What to do now
File your I-485 anyway. It is free for refugees, and the law requires it. Go to every re-vetting interview, with a lawyer if you can.
Refugee · Green card holder
Lawful permanent residentYou are a permanent resident. Move carefully anyway.
Who has your case
USCIS for citizenship. U.S. Customs and Border Protection every time you cross a border.
What is holding it up
The travel ban does not apply to green card holders. But on August 14, 2026, the First Circuit let USCIS resume re-reviewing approved cases from travel ban countries while the Dorcas appeal continues.
What to do now
Avoid nonessential travel abroad. Keep copies of your refugee and green card records. Apply for citizenship as soon as you are eligible. For refugees, the five years count from your arrival date.
Asylum
Asylum seeker · Inside the U.S.
Moving under court orderYour case is moving again. The bar is higher.
Who has your case
USCIS if you applied on your own. An immigration judge if you are in removal proceedings.
What is holding it up
Dorcas lifted the USCIS hold on asylum decisions in June. Since then, a new asylum interview rule took effect July 28, and on September 1 the Attorney General made Matter of A-Q-R-K-, a decision on judging the credibility of Afghan asylum seekers, binding nationwide.
What to do now
Never miss an interview or court date. Review your earlier filings with your attorney before any interview or hearing. Keep your work permit current. Ask AfghanEvac for a Battle Buddy, a U.S. veteran who will go with you.
Parole
Humanitarian parole
No permanent statusParole was a bridge. It was never the destination.
Who has your case
USCIS for asylum, re-parole, and work permits. ICE and immigration court if your parole lapses.
What is holding it up
Parole is temporary, and for many it has expired. TPS for Afghanistan ended in 2025. Dorcas lifted the USCIS hold on asylum decisions, but a pending application is not the same as status.
What to do now
If you have not filed for asylum or SIV adjustment, see an attorney now. Carry proof of every pending application. Update your address with USCIS within 10 days of any move.
Family
Follow-to-join · Asylee family (I-730)
Open, under appealA court says the travel ban does not apply to you.
Who has your case
USCIS approves the I-730. The State Department issues the travel document abroad.
What is holding it up
State had refused Afghan asylee family members under the travel ban. On July 29, 2026, a federal court in Virginia ruled that unlawful in A.A. v. State, because the proclamations exempt asylees. The court refused to pause its ruling. The government has appealed.
What to do now
If your family member was refused under the travel ban, make sure your attorney knows about A.A. v. State. Keep contact details current with the embassy.
Follow-to-join · Refugee family (I-730 and DS-4317)
SuspendedBoth run through the refugee program. It is still shut.
Who has your case
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, run by the State Department with USCIS.
What is holding it up
An executive order suspended refugee admissions on January 20, 2025, including follow-to-join refugee processing overseas. DS-4317 referrals for family of Afghan parolees feed the same program. In March 2026, the Ninth Circuit let the suspension keep follow-to-join refugees out.
What to do now
Keep your records and contact details current. If your U.S. relative has since won asylum, a green card, or citizenship, ask an attorney whether another petition fits.
Family-based immigrant visa · Outside the U.S.
Issuance blockedClose family is no longer an exception.
Who has your case
USCIS approves the I-130 petition. Then the National Visa Center and a U.S. embassy.
What is holding it up
The travel ban’s exception for spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens ended January 1, 2026. Immigrant visa interviews are also paused worldwide for public charge training, and family cases face the new worksheet review.
What to do now
Keep your NVC case active. An approved petition stays valid. Gather Affidavit of Support documents now so you are ready when interviews resume. If your U.S. relative is an asylee or refugee, ask an attorney whether an I-730 fits.
Border
Southern border · Entered with CBP One
Parole contestedYou came the lawful way. Your parole is still at risk.
Who has your case
Immigration court if you received a Notice to Appear. USCIS for asylum and work permits. ICE for enforcement.
What is holding it up
DHS cancelled CBP One paroles in April 2025. On March 31, 2026, a federal court in Massachusetts restored them for a class of parolees, but let DHS re-terminate case by case. The D.C. Circuit has also let DHS resume expedited removal of parolees while the core legal fight continues.
What to do now
File for asylum if you have not. The one-year deadline runs from your arrival. Go to every hearing and answer every notice. If the government asks the judge to dismiss your case, ask for time to talk to an attorney.
Southern border · Entered without inspection
Highest riskThe fast track to deportation is back.
Who has your case
ICE and immigration court. USCIS only if you have filed for asylum.
What is holding it up
In June and July 2026, the D.C. Circuit let DHS use expedited removal nationwide against people who cannot prove two years in the U.S. Whether a detained person gets a bond hearing now depends on where they are held. Depending on when you crossed, border asylum rules may presume you ineligible.
What to do now
Carry proof of how long you have been here: leases, pay stubs, school and medical records. If you have not filed for asylum, see an attorney now. If ICE detains you, ask for a lawyer and do not sign anything you do not understand.
What would fix this
Every one of these holds is a choice. Every one can be reversed.
- Restore the Afghan SIV exemption to Proclamation 10998, and have Congress make it permanent.
- Exempt Afghan SIVs from the public charge worksheet, consistent with State’s own manual.
- Include Afghans, and their families, in the FY2027 refugee admissions determination.
- Pass the Afghanistan TPS Act, H.R. 9899 and S. 5308.
Find your pathway
pathways.afghanevac.orgThis guide is general information about where Afghan cases stand as of September 22, 2026, and reflects policy and litigation that can change quickly. AfghanEvac is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Talk to a qualified immigration attorney or a Department of Justice accredited representative about your own case.