As the situation continues to unfold in Afghanistan, with the Taliban swiftly taking control of the country, there is much chaos and confusion surrounding the evacuation effort. Thousands of US citizens, foreign nationals, and Afghans with varying levels of immigration protections are attempting to flee the country.
Follow here for the latest updates and developments in the evacuation effort and the immigration process. Afghan-American immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri and her team are closely monitoring the situation, and providing updates as quickly and frequently as possible.
Immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri has been intimately involved in the situation with Afghanistan. As a former child refugee herself, Spojmie knows the challenges that thousands of families have faced in trying to find a new place to restart their lives.
As an immigration attorney with this unique background, Spojmie has been a frequent speaker and author about the refugee situation and the various immigration legal matters associated with the crisis.
In the Fall of 2021, Spojmie wrote the featured cover story for a magazine called Immigration Lawyers Toolbox, which provides important information for immigration attorneys across the country. Her cover story gave a narrative of the journey thousands of refugees faced as they fled the Taliban's advances in Afghanistan. Spojmie also discussed important legal information about the immigration challenges that refugees had faced and the immigration processes that will be involved going forward.
You can read the article below, or click the button to download a PDF copy of the cover story article.
Due to the security situation, I do not recommend sending Afghans who have not been specifically called by Embassy Kabul. Inside the airport the conditions are reported to be unsanitary and there is little to no food or water. We had advised earlier that we encouraged people to bring their own for an approximate 48 hour period, but are amending that to at least 72 hours. Communications continue to be an issue and people should be advised to bring as many phones and chargers as possible. They should conserve comms/battery as best they can.
If your family member or anyone you know gets a call from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul or anyone else to go to the airport, make sure they go ASAP! I KNOW THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS, BUT THERE ABSOLUTELY WILL BE NO ESCORT FROM THEIR LOCATION TO THE AIRPORT! US Army is only in the vicinity of the airport.
The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have jointly issued a blanket waiver of the requirement to undergo a medical exam prior to immigrant visa issuance or admission to the United States for certain Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants. The waiver applies to SIV applicants who are Afghanistan, meet all the other SIV requirements except for the medical evaluation, and if the Chief of Mission has determined that the applicant is unable to complete the medical exam in a timely manner without undue hardship or risk to personal safety.
The consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has closed due to the rapidly changing security situation. Nonimmigrant visa appointments remain unavailable and all immigrant visa appointments, including Special Immigrant Visas, at the Embassy have been cancelled.
