State Department waives processing fees for certain Afghan nationals

The U.S. State Department has published a temporary final rule exempting certain Afghan nationals from paying some immigrant visa processing fees.

Key Points:

• Afghan nationals applying for an immigrant visa as an immediate relative or in a family preference immigrant visa category are now exempt from paying:
  • Immigrant visa application processing fees.
  • Domestic Affidavit of Support review fees.
• The Department stated these exemptions are part of its “ongoing commitment to resettle Afghan nationals at risk due to the fall of the Afghan government, as they will facilitate the reunification of Afghans with their qualifying family members in the United States.”
• The fee exemptions will take effect on June 1 until Dec. 31, 2024, and will not be applied retrospectively.

Additional Information: The full Federal Register notice is available here.

BAL Analysis: This temporary final rule will provide fee exemptions to qualified applicants through Dec. 31, 2024, and is designed to help Afghan nationals resettle and reunite with family members in the United States. BAL will continue to follow developments specifically affecting Afghan nationals and will provide updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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