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Resources

Afghans Seeking Assistance

Information for Afghan Nationals Applying for Asylum – Dari
Source: USCIS YouTube

Information for Afghan Nationals Applying for Asylum – Pashto
Source: USCIS YouTube

Information for Afghan Nationals Applying for Asylum – English
Source: USCIS YouTube

Here is ILCM’s fact sheet on Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan.

Legal Aid Society TPS for Afghanistan Advisory – English
Legal Aid Society TPS for Afghanistan Advisory – Dari
Legal Aid Society TPS for Afghanistan Advisory – Pashto

Effective Nov. 21, 2022, Ukrainian and Afghan parolees, and their qualifying family members, with certain classes of admission are considered employment authorized incident to parole, which means that they do not need to wait for USCIS to approve their Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, before they can work in the United States. This updated policy guidance applies to the following individuals, if their parole has not been terminated:

  • Afghan parolees whose unexpired Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, contains a class of admission of “OAR.” If you are an Afghan parolee covered under section 2502(b), P.L. No. 117-43 who did not receive an “OAR” class of admission on your Form I-94, please email U.S. Customs and Border Protection at oawi94adjustments@cbp.dhs.gov to update your class of admission, if appropriate.

For these parolees, their unexpired Form I-94 is an acceptable receipt they may present to their employer to show their identity and employment authorization for for the purposes of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The receipt satisfies the Form I-9 requirement for 90 days from the date of hire (or in the case of reverification, the date employment authorization expires). Individuals who received a Form I-94 when they entered the United States should visit U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Form I-94 page to view and print a copy of their Form I-94. If you do not have a passport, you can use your A-Number to retrieve your Form I-94 online at the site above by choosing “Get Most Recent I-94.” Enter your A-Number in the Document Number field and enter your country of citizenship or “USA” in the Country of Citizenship field.

After the 90-day period, parolees must present an EAD or unrestricted Social Security card and acceptable List B identity document from the Form I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents (such as a state-issued driver’s license or identification card). Ukrainian and Afghan parolees must still file a Form I-765 to receive a physical EAD. USCIS will provide additional guidance for employers about completion of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.

Frequently Asked Questions: Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for Afghans

Effective Nov. 21, 2022, USCIS is also exempting the fee to file Form I-765 for Ukrainian parolees filing for an EAD by mail. Afghan parolees under OAW are already exempt from the fee for an initial paper-filed Form I-765 (and a replacement EAD) through Sept. 30, 2023.

Effective Dec. 5, 2022, USCIS will be able to process fee exemptions for online filings of Form I-765 for eligible Ukrainian and Afghan parolees. We encourage use of online filing for more efficient processing.

See the Information for Afghan Nationals page for more information about submitting Form I-765. See the File Online page for more information about creating an account and filing online.

Other informational videos from Catholic Charities’ Refugee and Immigration Services. Available in Pashto and Dari.

  • Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans – In the fall of 2021, the U.S. State Department announced it had partnered with the Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH), a private organization supporting community initiatives to help resettle refugees, to launch the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans. Under this initiative, private individuals and community organizations could sponsor recently-arrived Afghan evacuees for their first 90 days in the U.S. Afghan refugees must volunteer to be part of the program to be resettled privately, as refugee resettlement agencies were also assisting with resettlement.
  • USAHello Afghan Resource Center in Pashto and Dari – information on humanitarian parole benefits, family reunification, and help for people in Afghanistan.
  • I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal in Dari
  • Free Legal Clinic for Afghan Evacuees in Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota from the Advocates for Human Rights.
    • .د واټساپ له طریقه چټ یا مسیج کولو لپاره دا کوډ سکن کړئ تر څو وکولی شی د مهاجرت د اسنادو باره کی مو سوالونه یا پوښتني مطرح کړۍ
    • .برای اغاز ګفتګو واتس آپ در باره موضوعات مهاجرت با دفتر حقوقی کود ذېل را سکن نمایید