Afghan Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Resident Status and Non-SI Parolees

SAVE is publishing this announcement to supplement its August 2021 announcement regarding Afghan special immigrant (SI) lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and parolees. While some Afghans will continue to be admitted as SI LPRs or provided SI parole, DHS recently started admitting a third category: SI conditional permanent residents (CPRs). In addition, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is allowing certain Afghans to enter the United States in a fourth category: non-SI parolee. 

Afghan SI CPRs

Immigration Status - A CPR becomes an LPR after DHS removes the conditions on their LPR admission. When these SI CPRs complete a medical examination and USCIS determines they are not medically inadmissible, DHS removes their conditions and they become an SI LPR.

Refugee Resettlement Assistance - These SI CPRs meet the immigration status requirement for public benefits under section 602(b)(8) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note). This provision states that Afghans granted SI status “shall be eligible for resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits available to refugees admitted under [section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157)] to the same extent, and for the same period of time, as such refugees.”

Documentation - These SI CPRs will generally have foreign-issued passports with a DHS, CBP admission stamp admitting them with a CQ1, CQ2, or CQ3 class of admission. However, some of these Afghan SI CPR arrivals may not have a physical immigrant visa or temporary Form I-551 stamp in their passport. USCIS is also issuing a Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) to these SI CPRs. 

SAVE Verification of SI CPR Status - Based on information from the Green Card or other documentation noted above, SAVE can provide an initial verification response of CPR and the class of admission for these SI CPRs. Some cases may require additional verification. Additional verification responses will state “CPR” and provide the class of admission in the Comments to Agency field.

Afghan Non-SI Parolees

As with other parolees, these Afghan parolees:

• Are paroled into the United States under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
• May have a Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), with a C11 category or a CBP “PAROLED” stamp in their passport; and
• Are verified by SAVE with a “parolee” response when a SAVE user agency requests verification of their parole.

USCIS is issuing an EAD with a C11 category to all Afghan non-SI parolees, regardless of age. In addition, please note that some Afghan non-SI parolees may have an “OAR” notation in the parole stamp in their passport. DHS recently began using this code to help distinguish these Afghans from other parolees. However, as noted above, these Afghan parolees are not special immigrant visa holders.

Please send any questions or concerns to your SAVE Agency Relationship Manager or SAVE.help@uscis.dhs.gov.