There are approximately 18,000 Afghan translators, drivers and others who assisted the US during the war along with 53,000 of their family members. There are also tens of thousands of Afghan activists who worked to advance democracy & human rights, often in collaboration with US nonprofits.

Because they helped the US and supported human rights, these Afghans and their family members are in danger in their home country. Many have reported having colleagues and family members killed by the Taliban, and others say they are constantly on the run.

The Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) are only available to people who helped the US military and their direct family members (spouse & minor children). Adult children, siblings, and countless others are not able to get SIVs, but are still in grave danger in Afghanistan.

The US has stated that Afghans with SIVs in the US who can establish the danger of other relatives stuck in Afghanistan can file applications for humanitarian parole as a stop-gap measure to get them to safety. But the $575 fee for humanitarian parole applications is a major barrier for many Afghans.  

Afghans who came to the US with SIVs are starting over and settling in. They do not have the means to quickly gather thousands of dollars (for multiple family members), and their family members face potential death each day that they stay in Afghanistan.

This is not the time to maintain barriers in the form of fees. We are demanding that the US Citizenship & Immigration Services immediately waive the fee for all Afghans applying for humanitarian parole to escape threats from the Taliban.