According to Blumenauer, the act will allow Afghans to apply for permanent legal residency.
Afghans who have entered on a temporary humanitarian basis can only get permanent legal status through the asylum system or Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) procedure, both of which have lengthy waiting lists and processing timeframes.
The statement added that as they establish their lives in the United States, allowing our Afghan allies to seek permanent legal residency would make them feel more secure.
"Tens of thousands of Afghan allies jeopardized their lives and the lives of their families to help our country. They served as interpreters and guides that were vital to our mission, and in return, we promised to protect them. To be a friend should not be fatal," Blumenauer stated.
"The Taliban
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is back in control of Afghanistan, and they have long memories. The Afghan Adjustment Act is more critical than ever to provide a pathway to legal permanent status to protect our allies and our country—these are people with real talents who can continue to help us, the statement read.
The statement also said, "The Afghan Adjustment Act would also improve and expand the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process, including by broadening SIV eligibility to include groups that worked alongside American forces such as the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command and the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan."
The Afghan Adjustment Act passed in the wake of the humanitarian crisis would include the following:
- Allow Afghans on humanitarian status who submit to additional vetting–including an in-person interview–to apply for permanent legal status. For these Afghans, the primary options under current law to gain permanent status are through our asylum system or the burdensome SIV process;
- Expand the SIV program to include previously omitted groups, including the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan;
- Establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy for supporting Afghans outside of the United States who are eligible for SIV status and require the Department of State to respond to congressional inquiries about SIV applications.