Iraqi or Afghan Special Immigrant Visa

Section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, authorizes the issuance of up to 50 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) annually to Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters working for the U.S. military and who meet certain requirements.

You must be a national of Iraq or Afghanistan; and

You must have worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces or under COM authority as a translator or interpreter for a period of at least 12 months; and

You must have obtained a favorable written recommendation from a General or Flag Officer in the chain of command of the U.S. Armed Forces unit that was supported by you, as a translator or interpreter, or from the Chief of Mission from the embassy where you worked.

This Special Immigrant Visa program is available to persons who worked with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority as a translator or interpreter in Iraq or Afghanistan. This program, which offers visas to up to fifty persons a year, remains active.

- You must be a national of Iraq or Afghanistan; and - You must have worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces or under COM authority as a translator or interpreter for a period of at least 12 months; and - You must have obtained a favorable written recommendation from a General or Flag Officer in the chain of command of the U.S. Armed Forces unit that was supported by you, as a translator or interpreter, or from the Chief of Mission from the embassy where you worked.

In FY 2009, the number of visas available for this category reverted to 50 annually.

The first step toward applying for SIV status is to file a petition with USCIS. You must submit the following package of documents directly to the USCIS Nebraska Service Center:

- A completed [Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant]. \[ **NOTE**: To be properly filed, the Form I-360 must include your original signature.\]

- A copy of your passport or nationality/birth certificate showing that you are a national of Iraq or Afghanistan, along with a certified English translation, if the document is not in English.

- Proof that you worked as a translator/interpreter with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission (COM) authority for at least 12 months.

- Proof of a background check and screening by the U.S. Armed Forces or the COM.

- A recommendation letter from a General or Flag Officer in the chain of command of the unit you supported as a translator/interpreter, or from the COM at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad or Kabul.

- Payment for filing the petition.

After USCIS approves your petition, they will transfer your case to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) for pre-processing.

The visa application is not formally made until the visa applicant(s) is interviewed by a U.S. consular officer.

The first step in this processing is the creation of your case in our system. Once this is complete, we will send you a Welcome Letter by e-mail.

After receiving your NVC Welcome Letter, you and each qualified family member immigrating with you must complete the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (Form DS-260).

After you complete your DS-260(s), you and each family member immigrating with you MUST collect the civil documents required to support your visa application.

- A completed Refugee Benefits Election Form (PDF - 364 KB).

- A completed DS-0234, Special Immigrant Visa Biodata Form (PDF - 312 KB) for each family member immigrating with you.

Please allow up to eight (8) weeks for your application to be reviewed by the National Visa Center (NVC).

If NVC determines you did not submit the correct forms and/or documents, you will receive a notification requesting additional information and/or corrections to your documents.

you will receive an email that your case is documentarily complete. NVC will work with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate to schedule an appointment for you once a visa is available.

NVC fills these appointments in a first-in, first-out manner.

if you do not respond to notices from NVC within one year you risk termination of your petition

This law initially made Afghan and Iraqi SIV holders eligible for the same resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits as refugees admitted under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for up to six (6) months from their date of admission or date of adjustment if applying domestically. The period of eligibility was later extended under subsequent legislation.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181 of January 28, 2008) | This law extended the period of eligibility of Iraqi SIV holders for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits to up to eight (8) months from their date of admission or date of adjustment if applying domestically.

The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111-8 of March 10, 2009) | This law extended the period of eligibility of Afghan SIV holders for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits to up to eight (8) months from their date of admission or date of adjustment if applying domestically.

After USCIS approves your petition, they will transfer your case to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) for pre-processing.

you can log in to our Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC)

In addition to the information on this website, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides information on Form I-360 petitions for this program.

If you believe that you have an approved petition, but you have not been contacted by NVC, or you have questions about your pending SIV case after the petition has been approved, please email NVC at [NVCSIV@state.gov] or call 1-603-334-0828 and provide your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) receipt number, full name, and date of birth. Customer Service Representatives at NVC are available from 7:30 a.m. to midnight (EST).

**Note: You should NOT make any travel arrangements, sell property, or give up employment until and unless you are issued a U.S. visa.**