As U.S. Withdraws from Afghanistan, Pingree Pushes Biden Admin to Protect Afghan Partners, Expedite Visa Process

HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act Would Temporarily Waive Medical Examination Requirements for SIV Applicants

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) tonight voted for the Honoring Our Promises through Expedition (HOPE) for Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) Act of 2021. Pingree is a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation, which would waive the requirement for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants to undergo a medical examination in Afghanistan before receiving their visa and coming to the United States. You can find bill text here. 

“Local Afghan interpreters, advisers, and

aides were indispensable to American troops stationed there. But as we near the complete withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan by September 11, their lives are in danger due to their work with the US. There must be a clear plan to keep them safe after withdrawal,” said Pingree, who is a cosponsor of the bill. “That’s why I voted for the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act, and it’s why I’ve joined several bipartisan, bicameral efforts to act quickly and address the backlog of SIV applications. We must bring Afghan partners to safety—there is no time to wait.”

The Afghan SIV Program was created in 2009 to provide safety for Afghan interpreters, contractors, and security personnel who worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The application process has been plagued by delays since the program was established and faces severe backlogs, with wait times routinely stretching for years. 

Among the bureaucratic hurdles facing SIV applicants, many have cited the medical examination requirement, which can cost thousands of dollars, as a serious delay in the process. There is currently only one facility in Kabul that conducts all immigrant visa examinations for the entire country, forcing applicants from the outer provinces to travel to Kabul in often dangerous circumstances. 

In addition to the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act, Pingree recently joined a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling for an immediate review of the SIV program and urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately process all pending applications. She has also signed on to the ALLIES Act, bipartisan legislation designed to protect Afghan partners and expedite the SIV process as the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan.