AfghanEvac calls for resumption of processing of Afghan immigration cases.
Following a U.S. federal court ruling that declared the suspension of immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries unlawful, AfghanEvac has called for the resumption of processing for Afghan applicants seeking admission to the United States.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, said in a statement on Saturday, August 22, that the U.S. government should resume processing applications for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and issue clear and specific guidance on how these cases should be handled.
He urged the U.S. Department of State to establish a clear process for reviewing cases that, under the court’s ruling, should be reconsidered, allowing applicants who have been waiting for decisions to learn the status of their cases.
AfghanEvac has also called on the U.S. government to exempt former Afghan employees and partners of the U.S. military and government agencies who have already been granted immigrant visas from entry restrictions, enabling them to enter the United States.
The organization further urged the U.S. Congress to complete the processing of cases involving former U.S. partners in Afghanistan and their family members who are still waiting to enter the United States.
The calls come as thousands of former Afghan partners of the U.S. military and government agencies, along with their family members, face uncertainty over the fate of their cases following the State Department’s new policy.
Some of these individuals, who have been forced to leave Afghanistan because of fears of Taliban retaliation, remain either inside the country or in neighboring countries while awaiting Special Immigrant Visas and relocation to the United States.
Under a policy implemented by the U.S. Department of State on January 1, 2026, citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, faced restrictions on entering the United States on immigrant visas. The restrictions also affected former partners of the U.S. military and government agencies in Afghanistan.
However, a U.S. federal court recently ruled that the ban lacked a legal basis and should be revoked. Judge Jeanette Vargas of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on Friday, August 21, that the Donald Trump administration’s policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries was “void and unlawful.”
Judge Vargas said the U.S. Department of State lacked the legal authority to impose such a broad prohibition based on individuals’ nationality.
The court also held that U.S. immigration law prohibits discriminatory visa issuance based on nationality and that each applicant’s eligibility must be assessed individually by a consular officer.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
