Re-Parole Process for Certain Afghans Nationals
ALERT: We will automatically consider you for re-parole (an additional period of parole) on a case-by-case basis if you are an Afghan national and you:
- Were under age 14 years on Sept. 26, 2023;
- Were paroled into the United States between July 30, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022; and
- Were paroled with an OAR or PAR class of admission.
We also will automatically consider you for re-parole on a case-by-case basis if you are an Afghan national and you:
- Are age 14 years or older on Sept. 26, 2023;
- Were paroled into the United States with an OAR or PAR class of admission;
- Have a pending Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, or Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status; and
- Filed Form I-589 or Form I-485 before your initial parole expired.
If you are an Afghan national and you want re-parole, but you do not meet these conditions, we will not consider you for re-parole automatically. You must file Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, to apply for re-parole before your parole period expires. We encourage you to file Form I-131 using an online account. Please see the Re-Parole Process for Certain Afghans webpage for more information about filing online.
ALERT: The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has issued updated guidance clarifying that ORR benefits and services will be available to eligible Afghan parolees who have a pending re-parole application, a pending asylum application, or a pending adjustment of status application with USCIS. This guidance applies to eligible Afghan parolees whose initial period of parole expires while their applications are pending with USCIS.
We will accept and consider, on a case-by-case basis, re-parole requests under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) from certain alien Afghan nationals. Eligible Afghan nationals either:
- Were initially paroled into the United States with an “OAR” or “PAR” class of admission on their Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record (even if they subsequently traveled with advance parole and received a different class of admission when they were paroled back into the United States); or
- Their Form I-94 class of admission has been updated to “OAR” or “PAR.”*
For information regarding fees and fee exemptions, please see Form G-1055.
Through Jan. 31, 2025, these re-parole requests (from self-petitioners only) are exempt from:
- The Form I-131 filing fee to apply for re-parole;
- The filing fee for the associated Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; and
- The requirement to file Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, with Form I-131.
For information regarding fees and fee exemptions, please see Form G-1055.
*Individuals who received their Form I-94 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when they were paroled into the United States should visit the CBP Form I-94 website to view and print a copy of their current Form I-94, which will be updated if their request for re-parole is approved. CBP has instructions in English (PDF), Dari (PDF), and Pashto (PDF) on how to look up your Form I-94.
Before you file a request for re-parole, you may need to contact CBP to update your class of admission, if you did not receive an “OAR” or “PAR” class of admission on your Form I-94 and you:
- Are an Afghan national who was paroled into the United States between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023;
- Were paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023, and are the spouse or child of an individual paroled into the United States between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023; or
- Are the parent or legal guardian of an individual who was paroled into the United States between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023, as an unaccompanied child.
To contact CBP, go to CBP’s I-94 OAW Questions webpage. At the top of the question form there is a “Topic” drop-down menu; select “I-94/Traveler Compliance.” Next, for the “Applicable Issue” drop-down menu, select “Operation Allies Refuge (OAR/OAW).”
If you are an Afghan parolee and you apply for asylum or for adjustment of status (for a Green Card) before your initial parole period expires, and that application is still pending, you do not need to apply for re-parole under this streamlined process.
DHS recognizes that, in many cases, the urgent humanitarian reasons and significant public benefit that led to the original grant of parole for Afghan nationals due to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continue. Considering the time necessary for Afghan parolees seeking permanent status in the United States to accomplish the purpose of their parole and regularize their immigration status, DHS plans to consider them on a case-by-case basis for an extension of their initial parole period.
If DHS approves an extension of your initial parole period, we will also extend your original employment authorization validity dates. We will send a Form I-797C, Notice of Additional Action, to your last address of record with USCIS. This Form I-797C, together with your original Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), will serve as proof of your extended employment authorization dates. If you receive notice that your initial parole period has been extended, and you would like an updated EAD that reflects your new employment authorization dates, you may file a new Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, using category c(11). We will process your Form I-765 without a filing fee.
Resources for mental health and emotional support are available to Afghan nationals at the Office of Refugee Resettlement's Afghan Behavioral Health Support webpage.
This video provides an overview of the 1-year filing deadline to apply for asylum. Videos in Dari and Pashto are now available.
To request re-parole under the streamlined application process for Afghan parolees, you must submit the following:
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, (completed and signed). We will apply an automatic fee exemption for the Form I-131 for eligible individuals.
- You must be an Afghan national paroled initially or currently under an “OAR” or “PAR” class of admission. (Find your class of admission on your I-94 arrival/departure card or by going to cbp.gov.)
- Select 10.B. in Part 1 to indicate you are seeking re-parole under the streamlined re-parole and employment authorization process for certain Afghan nationals.
- If you are also requesting an EAD if we approve a new period of parole, please check the box for Part 9, Item 1 “Employment Authorization for New Period of Parole (Re-parole).” If you check the box for this question and we approve your re-parole request, we will automatically generate your EAD without an additional fee. Do not submit a separate Form I-765. If you submit Form I-765, we may reject your application or take longer to process it.
- If you are helping a minor file for re-parole, select Part 1, Item 10.B. and list the minor as the applicant. If you are also requesting an EAD for the minor if we approve their new period of parole, please check the box for Part 9, Item 1 “Employment Authorization for New Period of Parole (Re-parole).” If you check the box for this question and we approve the re-parole request, we will automatically generate the EAD without an additional fee. Do not submit a separate Form I-765. If you submit Form I-765, we may reject the application or take longer to process it.
- A copy of an official government-issued identity document (ID) to confirm your identity that shows your photo, name, and date of birth. (See below for examples of acceptable ID.)
ALERT: If you (or your minor child) are an Afghan parolee seeking re-parole and requesting an EAD under this streamlined process, you must select 10.B. in Part 1 on the paper Form I-131. Please see below for examples demonstrating how to file online or on paper:
To request fee-exempt re-parole, you must submit the following:
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records (completed and signed). We will only accept valid editions of the form. Visit the Form I-131 webpage and check under the heading “Edition Date” to confirm that you are submitting the correct edition. You can confirm the form’s edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions. We will apply an automatic fee exemption for Form I-131 for eligible self-filing individuals.
- You must be an Afghan national initially or currently paroled under an “OAR” or “PAR” class of admission.
- Select 10.B. in Part 1.
- If you are also requesting an EAD with a new period of parole, please select “I am requesting an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) upon approval of my new period of parole (re-parole) selected under Part 1., Item Number 10. or 11.” in Part 9.1. Do not submit a separate Form I-765. If we approve your Form I-131 and you requested an EAD as part of your re-parole request, we will automatically generate your EAD without an additional fee.
- A copy of an official government-issued ID to confirm your identity that shows your photo, name, and date of birth. (See below for examples of acceptable ID.)
Whether you are applying for re-parole online or on paper, you will need to provide a copy of an official government-issued ID that shows your photo, name, and date of birth to confirm your identity. Examples include:
- Your current USCIS-issued EAD. Include copies of the front and back. It may be helpful to refer to your EAD when you are creating an online account to ensure consistency in your application;
- A government-issued driver’s license;
- A copy of the identity (biographical) page of your passport, with English translation; or
- A copy of your National Identification Card/Tazkira, with English translation.
If you submit any document containing foreign language to USCIS, you also must include a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, as well as the translator’s certification that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
There is no filing fee or biometric services fee for eligible Afghan parolees to request a new period of parole. If you request an EAD at the same time you request re-parole, there is no filing fee to request the EAD.
You will need a Social Security number for employment, to collect Social Security benefits, and to receive other government services. If you completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, at a safe haven, such as while at a U.S. military base, and allowed USCIS to disclose your personal information, we have given information to the Social Security Administration so they can assign you a Social Security number and mail a Social Security card to your address on record. If you did not complete Form I-765 at a safe haven or did not answer “Yes” to both Item Number 14 and Item Number 15 allowing USCIS to disclose your personal information on the Form I-765 filed separately, you will need to apply for a Social Security number and card using the instructions at the Social Security Administration’s Request Social Security number for the first time webpage.
| If you are | Then |
|---|---|
| An eligible Afghan national who has not yet filed Form I-131 to request re-parole and wants to file through the streamlined process online | Submit Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records (completed and signed) without fee.
|
| An eligible Afghan national who has not yet filed Form I-131 to request re-parole and wants to file through the streamlined process on paper | Submit Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records (completed and signed) without fee.
|
| If you are | Then |
|---|---|
| An eligible Afghan national who previously filed a Form I-131 online or by paper to request re-parole before June 8, 2023 |
|
| An eligible Afghan national who did not receive an OAR or PAR class of admission when paroled by CBP, but you believe you should have |
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- Afghan Re-Parole FAQs
- CBP’s How to Access and Print Your Lawful Record of Admission (I-94 Form) (PDF)
- Employment Information for Afghans in the United States Updated Aug. 2023 (PDF)
- Employment Information for Afghans in the United States Updated Aug. 2023 (PDF) (Dari)
- Employment Information for Afghans in the United States Updated Aug. 2023 (PDF) (Pashto)