Over 18,000 SIVs approved for Afghan allies last year: US State Department

The spokesperson for the US State Department told media outlets that last year the US government approved more than 18,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghans who worked with the US.

He said that this figure represents the highest number of SIVs issued in a year.

The spokesperson for the State Department once again asked the US Congress to approve the residency plan for Afghans who worked with the United States in that country.

CNN reported earlier this month, that nearly 80,000 former local employees of the United States in Afghanistan, eligible for Special Immigrant Visas, are awaiting evacuation in Afghanistan and neighboring countries.

Among these individuals, tens of thousands have recently initiated the process of requesting their visas, as highlighted in the CNN report.

As of the eighth month of the year, only 10,800 applicants for Special Immigrant Visas have received leadership approval for evacuation, while the cases of 67,000 others are still pending approval, according to CNN’s Wednesday report.

Additionally, tens of thousands of former American colleagues and employees in Afghanistan have begun the visa request process, amplifying the urgency of the situation following the Taliban’s takeover.

One Afghan engineer, who worked with Americans, shared his experience of fleeing to Pakistan with his family after the fall of Afghanistan, waiting for over a year for approval of their Special Immigrant Visa application, citing the slow and time-consuming process.

He outlined the six essential documents required for the application, emphasizing the increasing delay in visa approval, which now exceeds a year compared to the earlier three-month timeline.

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