Trump Orders Halt to Visa Issuance for Afghan Applicants Despite Continued Interviews
In a recent directive issued by U.S. President Donald Trump to American consulates worldwide, previously scheduled visa interview appointments for Afghan applicants will not be canceled. Despite a general suspension of the visa issuance process, interviews for Afghan citizens will still be conducted.
However, consular officials have been barred from issuing any type of visa to these applicants. According to the directive, no immigration or non-immigration visas—including those under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program—should be granted to Afghan citizens, regardless of whether an interview takes place.
The U.S. State Department had earlier emphasized that all approved visas that have not yet been printed must be voided. Any printed visas must be destroyed and updated in immigration systems to reflect a rejection status.
President Trump’s telegram, sent to American diplomatic missions on Friday, cited the reason for the decision as “further review to confirm the identity and legal status of applicants under U.S. laws.”
The U.S. suspensions have intensified following the indictment of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who allegedly collaborated with a CIA-affiliated unit in Afghanistan, for shooting two members of the U.S. National Guard in Washington, D.C. One of the victims died from the incident.
Subsequently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services indefinitely suspended the processing of Afghan immigration applications. This move has effectively frozen the special immigration pathways designed for Afghan allies who have risked their lives working alongside American forces over the past 20 years.
The latest action by the U.S. government has stirred widespread concern among thousands of Afghan citizens awaiting U.S. visas and has further deepened mistrust in America’s commitment to its former partners.
