Afghan - SIV - Guidelines - and - DS157 - Instructions - Dec 2018
Afghan - SIV - Guidelines - and - DS157 - Instructions - Dec 2018
Afghan - SIV - Guidelines - and - DS157 - Instructions - Dec 2018
GENERAL GUIDELINES
To apply for Chief of Mission (COM) approval for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, you
must have access to email; have the ability to scan and save all of the required documents from the list
as PDF files; and be able to submit these documents via email.
After you have gathered all of the required documents listed below, attach them to an email and send it
to AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov. The email’s subject line must contain the principal applicant’s
name as it is written in the passport or tazkera, plus the applicant’s date of birth using the following
format: DAY-MONTH-YEAR.
Do not include family member information in the subject line of your email.
We will send all communication and instructions related to this application to you via email. We
recommend that you use the same email address to correspond with us throughout the process.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Applicants must submit the below six (6) items in their document package. Please do not submit
anything other than what is listed below unless we ask you to do so. Specifically, do not submit
photographs, certificates of appreciation, training certificates, resumes, or academic transcripts. These
documents have no bearing on your COM approval application and will not be considered.
Failure to submit all of the required documentation exactly as requested below may significantly delay
review of your application for COM approval. While this list specifies the documents required of all
applicants, we may request additional information and documentation should questions arise during
processing.
You must submit a letter from your employer’s Human Resources (HR) department confirming that you
were employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Afghanistan between October 7, 2001, and
December 31, 2020, for at least two years.
You must submit a letter from your employer confirming that you were employed by ISAF, or a
successor mission, between October 7, 2001, and December 31, 2020, for at least two years. If you were
directly hired by ISAF, or a successor mission, this letter must be from ISAF Headquarters HR, or the
successor mission HR, regardless of where you were stationed in Afghanistan. If you were hired by an
ISAF member nation, or a successor mission member nation, this letter must come from the department
or agency that hired you. Note: Private contractors and subcontractors with ISAF or a successor
mission or member nations other than the United States do NOT qualify.
2. Letter of Recommendation
You must submit a letter from a direct U.S. citizen supervisor who knew you personally. The
supervisory period should overlap with the period of employment noted in your employment letter.
The letter should be dated and signed by your supervisor. It must contain all of the information
below:
If the above recommendation is not possible to obtain from a U.S. citizen supervisor who knows you
personally, you should provide a letter of recommendation signed by your non-U.S. citizen supervisor
and co-signed by the U.S. citizen who is responsible for the contract. The U.S. citizen who co-signs
must indicate that, based on his or her relationship with your contract or sub-contract supervisor, he or
she is confident that the information provided is correct. The U.S. citizen co-signer must also certify
that, to the best of his or her knowledge, you present no threat to the national security or safety of the
United States. The recommendation must contain the U.S. citizen co-signer’s work and personal email
address so he or she may be contacted if additional information is needed.
You must submit a letter from a member of the U.S. military who personally supervised you. The letter
should be dated and signed. It must contain all of the information below:
You must submit a scanned photocopy of your tazkera with an English translation. Alternatively, the
biographic data page of your Afghan passport is acceptable evidence of Afghan nationality.
You must write, sign, and date a brief statement describing the threat you face or have faced as a result
of your employment by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan or by ISAF or a successor
mission. Although statements provided by other parties may be included, you must provide your own
statement. Please provide as many details as possible.
Section 1219 of Public Law 113-66 provides that a credible sworn statement depicting dangerous
country conditions, together with official evidence of such country conditions from the U.S.
government, should be considered as a factor in a determination of whether an applicant has experienced
or is experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a consequence of employment by the U.S. government.
6. Employee Badge(s)
If available, submit a scanned copy of any identification badges you have held during any periods of
employment by or on behalf of the U.S. government, or by ISAF or a successor mission.
Once you have submitted your complete COM approval application packet via email to
AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov, please allow up to eight (8) weeks for a response confirming that
the National Visa Center (NVC) has received your documents. Once NVC reviews your COM approval
application packet, we will let you know if anything is missing or incomplete.
If you have further questions about the Afghan SIV program, please first review the information online
at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/special-immg-visa-afghans-employed-
us-gov.html. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please email
AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov.
Ensure that the scanned copies of documents you provide are clear. Print your documents in black
ink on white paper before scanning them.
Use the same spelling of your name on all documents and email correspondence. The spelling
should match how your name is written in your passport or tazkera. You should list aliases after
your correct name.
Letters of recommendation are very important in the SIV application process. Please ask your
supervisor to be as detailed and complete as possible in describing your work and to write a letter that is
specific to your accomplishments and responsibilities.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING FORM DS-157
Form DS-157 is the Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application. The form is available online
at https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds157.pdf. Please read and follow the below instructions
carefully when completing Form DS-157.
If the form does not provide sufficient space for your response, you may use additional sheets of
paper. Do not leave any boxes blank. All questions must contain an appropriate response or
your application will be delayed.
1. Enter your family name or surname as it appears in your passport or tazkera. Do not enter
names that appear after d/o or s/o. If you have only one name, please enter that name here.
2. Enter your first name as it appears in your tazkera or passport (if any). If there is only one name in
your passport, enter “FNU” (First Name Unknown) here.
3. Write your full name in Dari exactly as it appears in your tazkera or passport.
4. Enter your clan or tribal name. If you do not have a clan or tribal name, write “none.”
11. Enter your spouse’s full name. If you are unmarried, write “N/A.”
12. Enter your father’s full name as it appears in his tazkera or passport.
13. Enter your mother’s full name as it appears in her tazkera or passport.
15. List the full names and dates of birth of all your children under the age of 21 as it appears in their
tazkera. If you do not have children, under the age of 21 write “N/A.”
16. List all the countries you have visited during the past 10 years and the year of the visit (for
example, China 2004, Italy 2007). If you have never traveled outside of Afghanistan, write
“none.”
17. List all the countries that have issued you a passport, including your current one. If you have
never been issued a passport and do not hold a current passport, write “none.”
18. Check the appropriate box to note whether you have ever lost a passport or had one stolen.
19. List the requested information for your last five employers, including your current employer. If
you have had only one employer or no employer before your current job, you should explain that
in the box. List your previous employers regardless of whether they have a connection to the
United States. Please explain your job if you were self-employed. Please state specifically your
employer’s name, the job location, and your job title. If you do not have your previous
supervisor’s email address, enter ‘N/A.”
20. Check the appropriate box to note whether you have ever applied for Chief of Mission approval.
If so, enter the case number(s) associated with your previous application(s).