As part of Operation Allies Welcome, an all-government effort to resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked with or on behalf of the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will exempt filing fees and streamline application processing.
Afghan nationals who were paroled into the United States on or after July 30, 2021, are eligible for the following fee exemptions and streamlined processing:
Fee Exemptions
- An initial Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization;
- Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (if filing Form I-485 as an Afghan special immigrant) or an associated Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility;
- Associated biometric services.
Streamlined Processing
- An initial Form I-765 for those applying for work authorization on the basis of parole (eligibility category (c)(11));
- Form I-485, for applicants seeking to adjust status as an Afghan special immigrant, and any associated Form I-601; or
- Form I-589, filed by certain Afghan parolees as described in Section 2502(a) of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act
Approximately 70,000 Afghans have arrived in the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome. Those who were granted parole may apply for work authorization using Form I-765, on the basis of their parole. Afghan nationals will also have the opportunity to apply for immigration benefits such as Afghan special immigrant status, lawful permanent residence, and asylum. Additional information for Afghans can be found on USCIS’s website.