Extends and Expands Fee Exemptions and Expedited Processing for Afghan Nationals

Today, U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services announced it is extending and expanding previously announced filing fee exemptionsand expedited application processing for certain Afghan nationals. Theseactions will help Afghan nationals resettle, and in many cases reunite withfamily, in the United States by enabling USCIS to process their requests forwork authorization, long-term status, status for immediate relatives, andassociated services more quickly. We encourage you to use the webpages below tolearn more about the eligibility details for each type of filing you may wishto pursue.

Certain Afghannationals are eligible for the following fee exemptionsand expedited processing, through Sept. 30, 2023:

• An initial or replacement Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for Afghan nationals whoare applying for work authorization on the basis of parole (eligibilitycategory (c)(11));
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• Form I-485,Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to adjust status on thebasis of Afghan special immigrant classification, and any associated Form I-601,Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility;
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• Form I-130, Petitionfor Alien Relative, filed with USCIS in the United States on behalfof any Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available;
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• Form I-824,Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, for an Afghan holding aSpecial Immigrant Visa;
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• Form I-601for any Afghan national with an approved Form I-130 with a visa immediatelyavailable; and
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• USCIS Immigrant Fee (Form I-551) forAfghan nationals.

• An initial and replacement Form I-765 for those applyingfor employment authorization on the basis of parole (eligibility category(c)(11));
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• Form I-485 for Afghan nationalsseeking to adjust status on the basis of Afghan special immigrantclassification, and any associated Form I-601;
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• Form I-589,Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, filed by certain Afghanparolees as described in Section 2502(a) of the Extending GovernmentFunding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act;
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• Form I-130, filed with USCIS in theUnited States on behalf of an Afghan national (beneficiary) with avisa immediately available, and any associated Form I-601; and
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• Form I-140, ImmigrantPetition for Alien Workers, filed with USCIS onbehalf of an Afghan national (beneficiary) with a visa immediately available.

The Information for AfghanNationals page has additional information for Afghans.

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