When the United States decided in 2021 to pull military operations out of Afghanistan, the Taliban quickly reassumed power throughout the country. The shift in power triggered a mass evacuation and severe refugee crisis, as hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled the violence and tyranny of the new regime. Over 76,000 of those refugees came to the United States.
Most Afghans that evacuated to the United States entered through the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program or through humanitarian parole. These programs provide temporary protection, but many refugees face uncertainty about what happens next. After two years, if refugees have not extended their temporary protected status or have not gained permanent resident status, they can lose their ability to work in the United States, lose access to healthcare, and ultimately could be deported.
In response to the challenges that Afghan refugees are experiencing with the U.S. immigration system, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives have joined together to introduce the Afghan Adjustment Act. Introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Afghan Adjustment Act would provide Afghan refugees with a pathway to lawful permanent resident status.
The bicameral legislation was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers earlier in August 2022. Should the Afghan Adjustment Act pass and be signed into law, it would give hope, certainty, and stability to thousands of Afghan families who are trying to rebuild their lives in the United States.
Read more about the Afghan Adjustment Act, including a quotation by Spojmie Nasiri featured in a press release from Congressman Earl Blumenauer's (D-OR) office, by clicking the button below.
As the one-year anniversary of the fall of Kabul is upon us, the 76,000 Afghans temporarily paroled into the United States continue to face endless challenges as they try to rebuild their lives in times of uncertainty, fading hope and immense distress. They remain in legal limbo, lacking a clear pathway to lawful permanent residency.
On Aug. 9, the sun dawned upon these Afghan parolees with a slight ray of hope. As they continue to endure extreme hardships, the long-anticipated Afghan Adjustment Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress. This particular bipartisan bill will pave the way for Afghan parolees who left everything behind and are now restarting their lives in the United States.
If enacted, the Afghan Adjustment Act will allow these Afghans to adjust their status and apply for lawful permanent resident status ("green card") more expeditiously than asylum and special immigrant visa (SIV) process, both of which are extensive.
Marijuana and cannabis has been a popular topic in the media recently. As some states have legalized some forms of medicinal or recreational use, the cannabis industry has been booming. Despite all the hype, marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug according to the United States Controlled Substance Act.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved marijuana or cannabis for any medical use. As it stands currently, under Federal law it is still illegal to possess, consume, grow, or sell marijuana – even in states that have legalized it, like California.
Immigration law involves Federal courts and proceedings, and so the Federal law relating to marijuana supersedes any state laws or provisions that allow the use or possession of cannabis. As a result, marijuana use or possession can have a significant impact on the immigration status of noncitizens and the admissibility of those applying for immigration status.
If you are a noncitizen applying for a green card, temporary protected status, deportation defense, or full citizenship, you should not buy, sell, grow, possess, or use marijuana, or work in the cannabis industry. Click the button below to read more about this important issue, and to access a list of tips related to marijuana possession & use for noncitizens.
This summer, immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri was recognized with the 2022 AILA Pro Bono Champion Award by the Northern California Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Spojmie was recognized for demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to providing pro bono assistance and for advocating for underserved members of the immigrant population.
AILA issued the following statement about Spojmie related to her receiving the 2022 award:
An Afghan immigrant herself, Spojmie Nasiri has emerged as a leader in responding to the needs of Afghan immigrants during the Afghan evacuation crisis. Through her practice at the Law Office of Spojmie Nasiri, Spojmie utilizes her immigration expertise, language skills, and life experience to help countless clients escape dangerous conditions and reunite with their loved ones. Spojmie represents clients through applications for humanitarian parole, asylum, SIV, family-based petitions, and more. She has also been generous with her time, mentoring attorneys across the country who are newer to Afghan migration through training webinars, listserv responses, and social media.
Immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri issued the following statement about receiving the award:
"Beyond honored to receive the 2022 Northern California AILA Chapter Pro Bono Champion Award and being recognized as a true champion of pro bono and a professional exemplar.My life has now come full circle. The Afghan immigrant child separated from her mother at a young age is now herself an immigration attorney helping displaced Afghans in similar circumstances decades later. I never lose sight of this privilege.
At a very young age, I moved to the U.S. with my father and siblings. I remember my older siblings and I spending the better half of our childhood at different immigration offices in the Bay Area seeking legal assistance from nonprofit organizations who were helping us to reunite with my beloved mother who remained in Pakistan due to immigration related legal complications. My mother’s absence in our lives was thick and suffocating, yet we cut through it with Allah’s blessing my mother’s prayers and resilience. Our family remained separated from our mother for nearly six years—a period steeped in frustration, fear, and uncertainty. When I met my mother again, I was about twelve years, almost a teen with lofty ambitions and impossible dreams of helping others like me in one way or another.
Now, as an immigration lawyer, I have seen thousands of Afghan families displaced from their homes, torn from all they had known, futures put at stake, and lives destroyed after the fall of Kabul in August 2020. Over the course of the 9 months, I had the opportunity to visit seven military bases providing refuge to the 73,000 plus of these recently displaced Afghan families. At first, they treated me as any other foreigner, visiting them for one reason or another. Yet, as an Afghan and my fluency in Pashto and Dari close to their heart allowed me to understand their raw emotions. I realized, with striking clarity, that human resilience is unshakable when it comes to the survival of their loved ones, especially their kids. I hope that, just like me, these kids can create a better future for themselves without losing the innocence that dwells in their hearts at present. This award is in their honor and the thousands of others left behind in Afghanistan."
--Spojmie Nasiri
The Law Office of Spojmie Nasiri, PC is excited to announce a partnership with immitranslate.
Immigration forms often require additional documents from the applicant. These documents come from the applicant's home country, and are typically in a different format and language than what is used in the United States. However, USCIS has very strict guidelines and requirements on what they will accept as part of an immigration file.
To help ensure that your applications are accepted by USCIS, our firm has partnered with immitranslate. This service provides expert and professional translation services in over 60 languages, with guaranteed acceptance by USCIS. Through a secure online portal, clients can upload documents for translation, including:
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