Full Breakdown
Afghan Visa Delays and Lost Protections Five Years After the U.S. Withdrawal
8/23/2026, 9:18:21 PM
Core Situation: Stalled Special Immigrant Visas and Status Loss
The United States has halted the processing of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) interviews for Afghans who completed paperwork years ago. As a result, hundreds of thousands remain in limbo, unable to travel to the United States despite having approved petitions. The slowdown coincides with the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans, leaving many without legal work authorization and exposing them to possible detention.
Background: Policy Shifts Under the Trump Administration
The Trump administration removed a prior exemption that allowed SIV holders to bypass the broader travel ban. It also ended TPS for Afghans, stripping roughly 11,000 individuals in the United States of work eligibility. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security issued notices to hundreds of Afghan green-card holders, revoking the approval letters that originally supported their status.
Data & Statistics
- Nearly 180,000 SIV applicants have received approval letters but are still awaiting interviews.
- About 3,000 relatives of active-duty U.S. service members remain stranded abroad, including 150 in Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar.
- 1,100 Afghan families are currently residing in Camp As Sayliyah after U.S. vetting.
- The TPS termination affects roughly 11,000 Afghans living in the United States.
Official Statements & Responses
Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of #AfghanEvac—a nonprofit created in 2021 to assist Afghan resettlement—characterized the interview halt as a deliberate stoppage rather than a routine backlog. He emphasized that all required paperwork is complete and that only the final interview, medical exam, and visa printing remain. The Department of Homeland Security’s notices to green-card holders signal heightened scrutiny of previously granted status.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They finished all of the paperwork. All they needed is an interview, a medical check, and a visa printed. That’s not a backlog. A backlog is what you have when you’re working through cases. This is what you have when you just stop it,” — Shawn VanDiver — Shawn VanDiver
