Afghan Humanitarian Parole Checklist and Pointers

This resource is intended for informational purposes only. Project ANAR’s materials are not intended to be taken as legal advice, and we strongly encourage consulting with an attorney.

For general information about HP and other pathways, and resources for Afghans in the U.S., see section 9 below.

-Last updated 07/2022, please keep in mind that this situation is constantly evolving.

  1. Introduction

Humanitarian parole is a type of temporary legal permission that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can grant to people outside of the United States who have urgent humanitarian reasons to come to the United States. This document contains information that may guide community members and attorneys in preparing humanitarian parole applications. 

This document is about how to prepare an application in general and is not a form of legal advice. Because the situation in Afghanistan is changing rapidly, some of the information in this document may become old and anyone relying on this document should also double-check with the official USCIS guidelines before filing an application. We strongly urge anyone who is able to to consult with an attorney.

2. Summary of Process 

Each person’s application for humanitarian parole will usually take around 10-20 hours to prepare, in addition to any time it may take to obtain the necessary documents that must be filed with the application. The completed application needs to be printed, and sent in the mail to USCIS. USCIS typically confirms receipt within 2-3 weeks, and oftentimes sooner. The person who filed the Notice of Receipt will receive a text message if a phone number was provided, and will generally receive receipts by mail that include a receipt number for each applicant, which should be kept for your records. If there is an issue with the fee included or the fee waiver, USCIS will reject the application and send it back to you with some sort of explanation, and you can try correcting the error and filing again. In general, the U.S. government has received over 40,000 humanitarian parole applications from Afghans since August 2021, and granted around 150. Most of the rest of the applications are still undergoing consideration. Statistically, it is unlikely that any new applications that are filed will be granted quickly. The U.S. government has said that certain factors, such as specific family relationships in the U.S., will be considered “strong positive factors” when deciding an application. You should always check the USCIS Afghan parole website “eligibility” dropdown to see how USCIS is prioritizing Afghan applications.

Typically, the HP process allows for someone to either receive a “conditional approval” or a “denial,” and if denied, they can either appeal or file a new application if they believe their circumstances warrant it. Because the U.S. embassy is not currently operating in Afghanistan, Afghans within Afghanistan have been receiving either denials or “administrative closures,” and the process remains difficult for Afghans in third countries as well. 

For more recent updates on Humanitarian Parole approval rates, please click here.

09/2022 UPDATE: USCIS has received more than 68,000 Afghan HP applications. More than 48,000 remain pending. 8540 have been processed, 132 approved, 632 have been closed or suspended, 8045 denials. Of those processed, 94% denied, however, the majority remain pending. Only .1 % have been approved.

Processing times remain very slow, some applications have now been pending for more than a year.

3. Application Checklist

A Humanitarian Parole application should include, but is not limited to the following items below. 

  • Two passport-style photos of each beneficiary. Passport photo printing guide here. Tip: If necessary, have the beneficiary take a photo with their smartphone (close up photograph of their face, with a neutral expression, against a white/neutral background). The photo can be cropped or printed at home, or through an online service, such as Walgreens Photo. Photos are also required for youth beneficiaries. 

  • Cover sheet on brightly colored paper, stating “AFGHANISTAN HUMANITARIAN PAROLE, EXPEDITE REQUESTED.” Sample cover sheet here.

  • Cover letter, describing contents of application packet and signed by the U.S. based family member/petitioner. Sample cover letter here. Again, please reference the “Eligibility” dropdown of the USCIS Afghan Humanitarian Parole website and focus on any details that align with the eligibility criteria and “strong positive factors.”

  • Form G-1145, e-notification of application/petition acceptance. Form available here.

  • Payment (Choose one of the following methods):

    • Fee Waiver, use Form I-912. Form available here. For additional information on how to complete this form, please refer to this document. Tip: A Form I-912 is required for each I-131 petition that you are filing, and should be filled in using the information of the petitioner on the I-131. If the I-131s all use the same petitioner, then the I-912s will all be the same, but one is still needed for each application.

    • Filing Fee, $575 Per Applicant. 

      • To pay by check or money order: payable to “US Department of Homeland Security”; or

      • Credit card, use Form G-1450. Form available here. Tip: Make sure the form is filled out accurately, the billing address is accurate, and the account associated with the card has sufficient funds, otherwise the application will be mailed back. A scanned wet signature is sufficient. No electronic signatures.

  • Form I-131, Application For Travel Document. Form available here. USCIS instructions here.

    • Included for each beneficiary. Tip: A Form I-131 is required for each beneficiary/family member. The Form I-131 may be filled out by the beneficiary (Afghan person seeking humanitarian parole into the United States), or by someone already in the United States. You will most likely be filling out the form with loved ones / sponsors in the United States.

    • Part 1 is completed for Petitioner with U.S. Address 

    • Part 2 is completed for each Beneficiary

    • Part 2 for our purposes, applications will either select 1.e. (if a person in Afghanistan is submitting the application), or 1.f. (if a person in the U.S. is submitting the application on behalf of someone in Afghanistan)

    • Part 3 length of stay should be “365” or “1 year”

    • Part 3 date of departure should be “ASAP” or “Immediately”

    • Part 8 signed and dated within 6 months by petitioner (either scan of wet signature or copy of wet signature - no electronic signature). Tip: No electronically-produced signatures allowed. However, you can take a photo of a hand-prepared signature and digitally place it on the form using these instructions:

  1. Take a picture of the hand-prepared signature and upload it to your computer.

  2. Crop the picture if needed.

  3. Create a PDF version of the final, unsigned forms. (Open the unsigned PDF form with the Preview application. Select all the pages and go to File > Export as PDF.)

  4. After saving as a new PDF (not fillable), add the image of the signature to the form. (Open in Adobe Pro and go to Content Editing > Add Image, to add the image of the signature to the file.)

  • Parts 5, 6, and 9: leave blank.

  • Supporting documents for Form I-131

    • Copy of photo ID (and proof of U.S. immigration status) for petitioner such as U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Permanent Resident Card

    • Copy of photo ID (and proof of nationality) for beneficiary/beneficiaries such as Afghan passport or tazkera or other government-issued proof of citizenship. Tip: If the identity document is not in English, include a word-for-word English translation with a translation certificate. The translation can be done by the sponsor/petitioner; it does not need to be from a government source (e.g. notarized), but must be signed. Sample translation certificate here.

    • A statement or declaration describing the urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reason. It is always best to have the most direct evidence as possible, so ideally the petitioner/beneficiary will sign the statement and it will be from their perspective. However, this can be difficult depending on the Afghan applicant’s circumstances. If it is not possible to complete a statement with them, the statement can come from the U.S. petitioner or someone else, depending on each case.

      • Tip: Keep in mind that if someone comes to the United States and later pursues asylum here, the information included in this application will be in their records. It is important to think about how one is presenting their story, making sure that they don’t include things that they are uncertain about or that are internally inconsistent, without an explanation. It is best to keep things straightforward, simple, and as comprehensive as possible.

      •  Tip: The statement should include:

  1. Description of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan (e.g. Taliban have taken over the entire country, have made death threats against those who aided the Americans).

  2. Reference the “eligibility” dropdown and strong positive factors on the USCIS Afghan HP website, and include any facts that align with these factors.

  3. Length of time for which beneficiary needs parole. State that the beneficiary intends to regularize status in the United States, and describe how they will regularize status (e.g. beneficiary will apply for asylum, or family member will petition for them).

  4. Reason why visa cannot be obtained (e.g. US Embassy in Kabul is closed).

  5. For Afghans in third countries, the statement should include facts about why they cannot remain in the third country, why the harm they fear in Afghanistan is still relevant, and why they still need to come to the United States. 

  6. If you utilize an interpreter to complete the statement, please include a translation certificate. Sample translation certificate here.

  7. Attach documentation of the above (e.g. country conditions reports, news articles). Some examples of articles you may want to include: 

  • Any case-specific evidence supporting the basis for request such as documentation showing that a family member works for the United States, has received recent threats, or has been harmed since August 2021. Tip: Consider including details in the declaration described above, or in a separate declaration if someone other than the petitioner is best positioned to describe the case-specific evidence. 

  • If applicable, copies of any documents related to nonimmigrant or immigrant visa petitions or other applications such as filing receipts or approval notices for I-130 petition, SIV applications, etc. Tip: Immigrant Visa applicants who are documentarily qualified should qualify for evacuation without the need for humanitarian parole, but humanitarian parole may help applicants who are stranded in a third country or who are not yet documentarily qualified.

  • Form I-134, Affidavit Of Support From Petitioner Or Other Sponsor. Form I-134 and instructions available here.

  • As of June 27, 2022, USCIS will only accept the updated Form I-134 (Declaration of Financial Support). If you are filing an I-134 form with a Humanitarian Parole application, please refer to the following updated guidance for the Form I-134 (Edition 4/25/2022). 

    • Included for each beneficiary. Tip:  A Form I-134 is required for each beneficiary/family member. The person who signs the Affidavit of Support may be different from the person who signs the I-131 form, but the sponsor should be a U.S. citizen/green card holder.

  • Part 2 should be completed with the beneficiary’s information

  • Part 3 is completed with the information about the individual agreeing to financially sponsor the beneficiary

  • Supporting documents for Form I-134

    • Submit in duplicate for each beneficiary

  • Photo ID / proof of immigration status for the sponsor such as U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, LPR card).

  • Proof of ability to support beneficiary:

    • 2020 tax return or transcript with W-2 and/or 1099;

    • Recent pay statements and/or letter from employer on business letterhead that states the date and nature of employment, salary paid, and whether the position is temporary or permanent; or

    • Bank account statement covering the past 3 months and/or a signed statement from an officer of the bank or other financial institution that states when the account was opened, the total amount deposited for the past year, and the present balance of such account.

  • CLINIC has compiled a comprehensive FAQ guide for the updated I-134 here. Tip: No electronically-produced signatures allowed. However, you can take a photo of a hand-prepared signature and digitally place it on the form using these instructions:

4. Compiling Completed Applications

When compiling the applications, please ensure each beneficiary has their own application package (including all of the items listed in the Checklist). You can find a sample application linked here. The order of the documents should be the cover sheet, an envelope with the passport photos stapled to a blank piece of paper, and the rest of the documents in order according to the cover letter. You would binder clip the individual’s application and place it in a FedEx/UPS/USPS box to be mailed. We recommend that the individual applications are bonded together via a rubber band before placed in a box.

5. Filing Completed Applications

Once the final application packet is compiled, the sponsor / person submitting the application should mail the final application packet (priority mail, with tracking) to

  • For U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliveries:

USCIS

Attn: HP

P.O. Box 660865

Dallas, TX 75266-0865

  • For FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries (USPS Express Mail may be sent here too):

USCIS

Attn: HP (Box 660865)

2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business

Suite 400

Lewisville, TX 75067-8003

6. After You File

After the humanitarian parole application is mailed to USCIS, we encourage you to take the following steps:

  • Immediately contact relevant U.S. elected officials, sending them the completed humanitarian parole application and asking the officials to urge the Department of Homeland Security to take immediate action. For an Afghan applicant with community members in the U.S., such as the sponsor, this webpage can be used to identify the local and state elected officials who are responsible to the U.S.-based community members.

    • If someone is an SIV with COM approval, or the close immediate family member of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, it is essential to indicate that to a member of congress, as it is more likely that they can advocate for such cases. It is also important to elevate individuals who might be in the P1/P2 process, and anyone who falls into one of these categories and receives a denial. 

  • As soon as the case number is received from the USCIS lockbox (ex: by e-mail in response to the G-1145 or from the back of the check), call the USCIS Customer Service line to justify the expedite request. (USCIS Tel. No.: 1-800-375-5283)

  • Visit our toolkit, which we update periodically, for some useful talking points and information.

  • If your circumstances change, you may need to supplement an application. It is difficult to be sure that USCIS will consider supplemental information when it makes an adjudication, but they are confirming receipt of information that is sent to them, when you mail and email the information per the instructions on the USCIS Afghan parole website, and the instructions in the receipt notice that you receive for the applications.

7. Decisions

If the humanitarian parole request is approved:

  • Call on Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act

  • If a person is still in Afghanistan, and found potentially eligible for parole, then they will need to travel (at their own expense) to a third country to undergo U.S. processing. We understand that is a very difficult and risky decision to navigate, and cannot advise anyone as to whether or not they should make that journey. 

  • Currently, any ongoing U.S. government affiliated flights out of Afghanistan are prioritizing SIV holders and permanent residents. We do not know whether this will change at any point. Members of Congress may be able to assist with getting further information about this. Please note that all flights currently require Afghans to hold passports, as this is a requirement in most third countries where Afghans are processed.

  •  Please check the USCIS and Department of State websites for the most up to date information.

  • You should only trust messages from verified sources, as it has been known that over the last several months there have been unofficial groups reaching out to vulnerable Afghans and asking for personal information. 

  • If a person is in a third country and receives an approval, they can likely complete the parole process from there. After humanitarian parole request is approved, file the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application form with the Department of State

    • Application 

    • Exemplar

    • The DS-160 filing fee is waived for humanitarian parole applicants.

    • Tip: It is okay to list Kabul as the designated consular post. DOS can pull up the application at any consulate. It is also okay to switch parole requests to a different consulate later by emailing the USCIS humanitarian parole office. Please be aware that this process is also challenging and backlogged presently.

  • Tip: Advise beneficiaries to scrub their phones and digital accounts of potentially dangerous info to protect their identity from the Taliban.

If the humanitarian parole request is denied, below are a few steps we strongly recommend you consider: 

  1. Reach out to U.S. Congress people. Most congress people have an online form that constituents can complete requesting assistance. We recommend that a constituent with ties to the applicant’s case submit a request for assistance as soon as possible. That constituent can be you, it can be the applicant’s sponsor - anyone with ties to the applicant. When reaching out, make sure to emphasize any urgency in the case or reasons why you were especially surprised the case was denied.  You can use this website to find the names and contact information for the appropriate congress people: https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/. Call on Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act

  2. Consider appealing the decision to USCIS. An applicant has the right to appeal a denial for reconsideration. In order to assess whether there is a strong case for appeal, please consult the USCIS guidance on what evidence makes a request for humanitarian parole strong, such as:

    1. You are named in writing by the U.S. government, human rights organization or the media, as facing or vulnerable to facing a specific harm in Afghanistan; 

    2. You are documented to be especially vulnerable to that harm, due to your age or a medical condition, and have tried protecting yourself from the harm to the best of your ability; 

    3. You are trying to reunite with family members who are already in the US. 

  3. Consider other immigration pathways to the US. If an applicant already left Afghanistan because their life was in danger, and they are in another country now where they cannot stay, they can apply to come to the US as a refugee. Another option, if the applicant or their family member worked for the U.S. government or a U.S. government funded program, they may qualify for SIV or P2. Alternatively, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may petition for certain relatives to obtain green cards to join them in the US. USCIS is expediting family-based petitions for Afghan beneficiaries.

  4. Consider immigration pathways to other countries, such as Canada or the UK. 

  5. If you submit anything new to USCIS, we strongly encourage utilizing fee waivers. See our guidance here.

8. Other resources about Afghan HP:

For pro se applicants:

For attorneys:

Legal information: 

Protecting your online identity from the Taliban: 

Guidelines for going into hiding: 

9. General Information for Afghans trying to come to the U.S.

Because the U.S. Government is not granting Humanitarian Parole to most people, we strongly encourage any Afghan to pursue all available pathways they may be eligible for. Below are other immigration pathways: 

10. Legal Resources for Afghans already in the U.S.:

11. Family-based pathways to the U.S.:

Follow-to-join visas (Form I-730/P-3 Program): Individuals who have been granted asylum or refugee status in the U.S. may petition for certain relatives to obtain visas to join them in the U.S. The forms required will depend on the petitioner’s status in the U.S. and the relative’s family relationship to the petitioner. More information on each of these options here: https://justiceforimmigrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/U.S.-Pathways-for-Afghan-Nationals.pdf. 

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Sample Translation Certificate