The U.S. government will streamline immigration procedures for recent Afghan arrivals to speed up their resettlement in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on November 8.
Some 70,000 Afghans have arrived in the United States since the U.S. military’s evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan as the Taliban seized control the in country.
Afghans who arrived in the United States on or after July 30 this year will be able to take advantage of simplified procedures to get permanent resident status, as well as various work permits, the DHS said in a statement.
They also will not have to pay filing fees, which can run up to thousands of dollars.
"By providing these evacuees with access to streamlined processing and fee exemptions, we will open doors of opportunity for our Afghan allies and help them begin to rebuild their lives in communities across our country more quickly," said DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas, according to the statement.
"These actions demonstrate our ongoing commitment to Afghan nationals who provided valuable assistance to the United States over the past two decades, as well as other Afghans at risk," he added.
More than 120,000 people were evacuated from Kabul in August, including diplomats, foreign nationals, and tens of thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban. Some were desperate to leave, fearing their lives were in danger because they had collaborated with the U.S. and other forces in the international coalition.