Urgent Updates and Resources

Urgent Travel Advisory (Dari and Pashto) (March 3, 2025)


Travel Advisory (March 3, 2025)

Iowa MMJ strongly advises citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Palestine/Gaza, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen who currently have legal status in the United States to NOT travel outside the U.S.  If you are currently outside the U.S., we advise you to return immediately.  There has been no formal announcement by the U.S. government yet, but there are many sources that advise us that a travel ban against people from these countries (even if they have legal status is the United States) may go into effect as early as next week.  

 

Pashto

په آیوا کې د کډوالو د عدالت اداره (ایوا. ایم. ایم. جی) د افغانستان، عراق، ایران، لیبیا، فلسطین/غزې، پاکستان، سومالیا، سوډان، سوریا او یمن وګړو ته چې په آمریکا متحده ایالاتو کې د اقامې قانوني اسناد لري، په کلکه سپارښتنه کوي چې له دې هیواده بهر سفر ونکړي. که چیرې تاسو اوسمهال له آمریکا متحده ایالاتو څخه بهر یاست، زمونږ مشوره تاسو ته دا ده چې سمدلاسه بیرته راستانه شئ. که څه هم د آمریکا متحده ایالاتو حکومت تراوسه په دی اړه کوم رسمي اعلان نه دی کړی، خو ګڼ شمېر سرچینو مونږ ته ويلي دي چې کېدای شي د پورتنیو هیوادونو د وګړو(حتی که چیرې یاد وګړي د آمریکا متحده ایالاتو قانوني اسناد هم ولري) پر وړاندې د راتلونکې اونئ وروسته د سفر بندیز ولګیږي. 

 

Dari

آیوا ام ام جی (اداره عدالت برای مهاجرین ایالت آیوا)  به شهروندان افغانستان، عراق، ایران، لیبیا، فلسطین/غزه، پاکستان، سومالیه، سودان، سوریه و یمن که در حال حاضر در ایالات متحده وضعیت قانونی دارند، به شدت توصیه می کند که به خارج از ایالات متحده سفر نکنند. اگر شما در حال حاضر خارج از ایالات متحده هستید ما به شما مشوره میدهیم که هر چه زودتر به کشور برگردید. اگر چه تا حال کدام اعلامیه رسمی توسط حکومت صادر نشده است، اما منابع متعدد به ما مشوره داده است که ممنوعیت سفر بالای اتباع کشورهای یادشده ممکن است هفته آینده نافذ گردد.

Know Your Rights December 2024 -Urgent TPS and Asylum filing; Return to US if Abroad before January 20 (Dari and Pashto)

In anticipation of the new presidential administration in early 2025, we are providing the following advisories:


If you need help applying for TPS or asylum, you should contact an immigration attorney or accredited representative as soon as possible to help you file one or both of these applications. 


ALL Iowa partner Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice has video recorded this information in Dari and Pashto, provided below. ALL Iowa partner Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Dubuque has videorecorded Know Your Rights information in Dari and Pashto explaining the legal rights of non-US citizens when interacting with immigration officials or the police. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Dubuque also provides links to guide safety planning, including documents to assist with obtaining power of attorney and durable power of attorney for minor children, as well as a Know Your Rights printable handout.

Know Your Rights Janury 2025


Resources

General Information for Afghan Nationals

There may be several immigration options available to Afghan nationals to obtain temporary or permanent legal immigration status in the United States, which you can read more about below.


General information about immigration options for Afghan nationals is also available from:


Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)

What is a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for Afghans?


SIV is a special immigration program that provides permanent immigration status to eligible Afghans who were employed by or on behalf of the US government, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or a successor mission in Afghanistan, between October 7, 2001 and December 31, 2023. This employment must have been for a minimum of one year, and eligible Afghans must have: 1) provided faithful and valuable service to the US government, ISAF, or successor mission as documented in a positive letter of recommendation, and; 2) experienced or are experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a consequence of that employment.


Additional information about SIV for Afghan nationals is available from:

Asylum

What is Asylum?

Asylum is a type of protected immigration status for people in the United States who fear to return to their country of origin.  If you are approved for asylum, you will be protected from deportation and you will be given permission to live and work in the United States.  To be approved for asylum, you must show that you meet the following criteria:

It is generally required to apply for asylum within 1 year of your arrival in the United States, though there are some exceptions.  There is no fee to apply for asylum.  


Additional information about asylum for Afghan nationals is available from:


Find answers to some frequently asked questions about asylum here


Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans?

TPS is a type of legal status allowing Afghans to remain temporary in the United States, and to have employment authorization even beyond the expiration of their current parole status.  TPS will be especially important for Afghans whose applications for some kind of permanent status take longer than one year to process, and for Afghans who may not qualify for any of the current forms of immigration permanent status.  TPS is currently available only to Afghans who arrived in the U.S. before March 15, 2022.  


You can learn more about TPS on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's website, and on this USCIS webpage for Afghan Nationals.


Find answers to some frequently asked questions about TPS here. 

Family Reunification

There are several different immigration options for Afghans to reunite with their family.  Your options are based on your immigration status and how you entered the United States.

Additional information about family reunification is available from:

Social Service Resources for Afghans