Explainer · SIV & Chief of Mission
Chief of Mission (COM) withdrawal of support: what it means and what to do
Some Afghan allies who were approved for Special Immigrant Visa status are receiving notices that the U.S. Department of State has withdrawn its Chief of Mission support. It is serious, but it is not the end of your case. Here is how the process works and the choices in front of you.
Last updated October 2026
A COM withdrawal of support is the first step in a two-step process. First, the State Department withdraws the Chief of Mission approval that was the basis for your SIV. Then, if you do not appeal or your appeal is denied, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can move to rescind your lawful permanent resident status and place you in immigration court.Built in consultation with attorneys, former U.S. government officials, and families navigating these cases.
The basics
What a COM withdrawal of support is
A Chief of Mission (COM) withdrawal of support is a notice from the U.S. Department of State stating that the Chief of Mission has withdrawn its support for a previous COM approval, the approval that was the basis for your Special Immigrant Visa.
The notice gives the reasons for the withdrawal. Common reasons include a lack of sufficient documents to make a determination, an insufficient length of qualifying employment, a lack of qualifying employment by or on behalf of the U.S. government or ISAF, fraudulent documents, derogatory information associated with the case, or a finding of a lack of faithful and valuable service. Read your notice carefully, because the reasons it gives are what your appeal must answer. The notice usually provides 120 days to file an appeal.
How it works
A two-step process
A withdrawal notice is the beginning, not the end. Losing lawful permanent resident status takes a second, separate step by a different agency.
Step 1 · State Department
The Department of State withdraws the COM approval that was the basis for your SIV. This is the step the withdrawal notice begins, and it is the step you can appeal.
Step 2 · USCIS
If you do not appeal, or your appeal is denied, USCIS can move to rescind your lawful permanent resident status (your green card) and place you before an immigration judge.
When a withdrawal notice is issued, U.S. Department of Homeland Security agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are notified. Do not travel outside the United States during the appeal process or after a rescission notice.
Your first move
How to appeal
Filing the appeal protects your status
Filing an appeal maintains your SIV status while the appeal is pending. File even if the 120-day deadline has already passed, and file even if you cannot get new documents. You get one opportunity to appeal, so make it count.
File within the deadline
File your appeal of the COM denial within the 120-day period stated in your notice. If the deadline has passed, still file.
Answer the specific reasons
Read the notice closely and focus your appeal on the exact reason or reasons given for the withdrawal. Gather the documents or letters that support your original COM approval.
Prepare your supervisors and employers
The Chief of Mission may email your supervisors and employers to verify that your letters are valid. Talk with them, and ask whether they were contacted from an “@state.gov” address.
File for affirmative asylum at the same time
The best practice we are seeing from attorneys is to file for affirmative asylum (Form I-589) at the same time you file your COM appeal, so you are protected if the appeal fails. If you are not yet in immigration court, you file with the USCIS Asylum Office. If the appeal later succeeds and your SIV status is restored, the asylum application can be withdrawn.
Get the right help
Find a qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative. AfghanEvac does not make legal referrals, but once you have a lawyer, submit your information at afghanevac.org/com-help and we will brief your attorney on how these cases are being handled. IRAP publishes step-by-step guidance on appeals, HR and recommendation letters, and locating U.S. government contracts.
Two outcomes
If your appeal succeeds, and if it does not
- What happens
- You may receive a new COM approval on your original SIV case, or a new COM approval under a different case number.
- What to check
- Depending on the result, you may need to take further steps to re-adjust your status and keep your green card.
- Next step
- Have a legal representative review the decision and tell you whether any further action is needed.
- What happens
- The COM approval that was the basis for your SIV is withdrawn, and you are placed before an immigration judge.
- How
- Through one of two notices: a Notice of Intent to Rescind (NOIR) or a Notice to Appear (NTA).
- Your defense
- In immigration court, you can apply for asylum and any other relief for which you qualify.
Bottom line An appeal is the step that can preserve your SIV and your green card. If the appeal is denied or never filed, the case moves to immigration court, where asylum becomes your main defense.
The path at a glance
From notice to decision
This chart maps the choices after a COM withdrawal of support. It simplifies a complex process; your own case may differ.
The two notices
If your case goes to immigration court
If your appeal is denied or not filed, you will be placed in proceedings through one of two notices. Both lead to an immigration judge, and the deadlines are short.
Notice of Intent to Rescind (NOIR)
USCIS states its intent to rescind your green card, with the reasons. You have 30 days to respond. You can admit the allegations, surrender your green card, and depart; or submit a written answer under oath to contest the allegations; or request a hearing before an immigration judge. Submitting an answer or requesting a hearing is how you contest it.
Notice to Appear (Form I-862)
You are placed directly in removal proceedings with a court date. You must attend every hearing. If you miss a hearing, the judge can order you removed. Keep your address current with the court, watch for date changes on the EOIR website or the 1-800-898-7180 line, and know that the government will not provide a free attorney.
If your green card is rescinded, family members who obtained green cards through you would also lose them. Time without status counts as unlawful presence, which can affect future applications, and you cannot work lawfully without status.
Deadlines decide outcomes
Two clocks are running.
The first is the 120-day window to appeal the COM withdrawal. Filing within it keeps your SIV status active while the appeal is decided.
The second is the 30-day window to respond to a Notice of Intent to Rescind. Missing either clock narrows your options, so act early and get help before the dates pass.
While you appeal
File asylum concurrently, and check other ways to stay
Not every appeal succeeds, often through no fault of the employee. The best practice we are seeing is to file the COM appeal and an affirmative asylum application concurrently, rather than waiting for the appeal to be decided. Family-based options are worth checking at the same time.
Asylum, filed concurrently with your appeal
Asylum is for people in the United States who suffered past persecution or fear future persecution if they return. You apply on Form I-589. If you are not in immigration court, you file with the USCIS Asylum Office (affirmative). If you are in court, you file your application there (defensive). You can apply for a work permit 180 days after filing, and a grant of asylum can lead to a green card and, later, citizenship.
Family-based green card
If you are the immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, a spouse, an unmarried child under 21, or the parent of an adult U.S. citizen, you may be able to apply for a green card right away. Other family relationships can qualify but face long backlogs.
Asylum has a one-year filing deadline, with exceptions, including for people who have maintained lawful status. Include every reason you may be at risk, not only your U.S. government work. Firm resettlement in another country can bar asylum. If you are considering asylum, do not renew or travel on an Afghan passport, and do not return to Afghanistan. Asylum applications are complex; work with a qualified legal representative.
Set expectations
What a COM withdrawal does not do.
- It does not take your green card by itself. Rescission is a separate second step by USCIS, through a NOIR or an NTA, with its own rights and deadlines.
- It does not bar you from appealing if you missed the 120-day deadline. Still file. Filing is what keeps your SIV status active.
- It does not require new documents before you can protect your status. File the appeal even if you cannot gather anything new.
- It does not make travel safe. Do not leave the United States during the appeal or after a rescission notice.
- It does not reopen the SIV program. New COM applications under the SIV program closed on December 31, 2025, and the deadline to submit documents for an existing COM application was June 5, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Questions Afghan allies are asking
I already have a green card. Can it really be taken away?
Not by the withdrawal notice alone. A COM withdrawal is the first step. To rescind your green card, USCIS must take a separate step, either a Notice of Intent to Rescind or a Notice to Appear, and you have the right to respond and to a hearing before an immigration judge.
Should I appeal if I do not have new documents?
Yes. Filing the appeal maintains your SIV status while it is pending, whether or not you have new evidence to add.
I missed the 120-day deadline. Should I still file?
Yes. Attorneys advise filing the appeal even after the deadline has passed.
Can I apply for asylum and appeal at the same time?
Yes, and that is the best practice we are seeing. Attorneys are filing the COM appeal and an affirmative asylum application concurrently, so the person is protected if the appeal is denied. If your appeal later succeeds and your SIV status is restored, a pending asylum application can be withdrawn.
Will my family be affected?
Family members who obtained green cards through your SIV could also lose status if your appeal is denied and your green card is rescinded. Spouses and children under 21 who are in the United States can usually be included in an asylum application.
Can I travel?
No. Do not travel outside the United States during the appeal process or after a rescission notice.
AfghanEvac's position. The promises the United States made to its Afghan allies must be honored. People who were vetted, approved, and welcomed here, and who stood with American troops and diplomats, should be able to rely on the status this country granted them. We are committed to helping Afghan allies understand these notices accurately, and to helping their attorneys understand the best way to handle these cases.
Get help
Received a COM withdrawal letter? Do not wait.
If you are inside the United States and received a notice withdrawing or denying your Chief of Mission support, you need your own qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative, and you should find one now. AfghanEvac does not make legal referrals. Once you have a lawyer, submit your information and we will help your attorney understand the best way to handle the case. Response timelines matter.
This explainer is general information, not legal advice, and it simplifies a complex legal process. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Your situation may differ, and you should consult a qualified immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative about your own case. This explainer was built in consultation with attorneys, former U.S. government officials, and families in the process, and draws on guidance from the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). Reviewed October 2026; details and deadlines can change.