Afghan Legal Services
| Overview
Are you an Afghan national who has been granted humanitarian parole? If so, you can temporarily live and work in the US until your parolee status expires two years from when you entered. You will need to file additional legal paperwork to get permanent legal status in the US. If you’d like to get a legal consultation with an immigration attorney, you can contact the CWS Orange County office.
| You may be eligible for the following immigration services:
- Asylum - If you were forced to leave Afghanistan to escape persecution and you do not have SIV or refugee status, you may be eligible for asylum. Applying for asylum is a long process. You must file your application within one year of arrival in the U.S. You may be eligible for an exemption to the one-year deadline if you apply before your parolee status expires.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) - Temporary Protected Status allows you to stay in the U.S. temporarily. If you’ve resided in the US since March 15, 2022, you may be eligible to apply. The deadline to apply is November 20, 2023. You can have TPS along with another status. If you only have TPS, you are not eligible to apply for a green card.
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD) – An employment authorization document, commonly referred to as a “work permit,” is based on your immigration status and allows you to work in the US. If you wish to file an initial EAD application or renew your current EAD, a CWS immigration attorney can assess your eligibility and help you apply.
- Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) – Afghan nationals who were employed by the US Government, a US contactor, or ISAF in Afghanistan for at least one year may be eligible for SIV. A CWS immigration attorney will assess whether you’re eligible to apply or not.
- Adjustment of Status – If you’ve had asylee or refugee status for one year, you need to apply for a green card. Also, you may apply for a green card with an approved SIV application or through your immediate family members. A CWS immigration attorney will assess whether you’re eligible to apply for a green card or not.
| Immigration Legal Services for Afghan Nationals
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