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Original Date Announced
November 29, 2025Reuters reports that, based on a State Department cable it reviewed, the Trump administration ordered consulates and embassies to stop processing visas for Afghan nationals, including immigrant, non-immigrant, and Special Immigrant visas. This comes after an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members. The new policy "effectively suspend[s] the special immigration program for Afghans who helped the United States during its 20-year long occupation."
The cable specified that already-scheduled appointments should not be canceled; however, during those meetings, consular officers should refuse visas. Any authorized but not yet printed visas should be canceled, and any already-printed visas should be destroyed. The cable follows a statement by Secretary of State Rubio on X that the "State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports."
Trump 2.0 [ID #2100]
2025.11.29 Reported: US State Department stops processing visas for Afghan allies - ReutersEffective Date
November 29, 2025Subsequent Trump and Court Action
February 5, 20262026.02.05 Reported: Congress Nixes Visas for Afghan Partners, Closing Off a Key Path - New York Times
The New York Times reports that appropriations legislation Congress passed on February 3, 2026, authorizes no new Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghans who were wartime supporters of the U.S. The State Department told Congress in summer 2025 that there were still around 9,000 SIVs available for Afghans, but the administration has given Congress "no indication" that it will allocate those visas to any of the tens of thousands of applicants now stranded in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
View DocumentCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: ReportedTrump Administration Action: Agency DirectiveSubject Matter: Immigrant Visas Immigrant Visas: Special Immigrant Non-Immigrant VisasAgencies Affected: DOSAssociated or Derivative Policies
- April 11, 2025 DHS terminates TPS for Afghanistan
- June 4, 2025 Proclamation 10949: Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the U.S. from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats
- December 2, 2025 Reported: ICE targets Afghans for deportation
- December 26, 2025 USCIS pauses processing of immigration requests from Afghans
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