The United States has implemented an Afghan visa ban after a directive from President Donald Trump’s administration ordered US diplomats worldwide to stop processing all visa applications from Afghan nationals, according to a State Department.
The move effectively suspends Special Immigrant Visas and refugee pathways that tens of thousands of Afghan partners have relied on since the 2021 US withdrawal.
The cable, sent Friday to every US diplomatic mission, instructed consular officers to reject all immigrant and non immigrant visa applications from individuals holding Afghan passports.
This includes applicants for Special Immigrant Visas, or SIVs, designed for interpreters, contractors and support staff who helped US military and intelligence operations.
The decision follows an incident on Wednesday in Washington, DC, where a former Afghan member of a CIA backed strike unit was accused of shooting two US National Guard soldiers.
One later died from his injuries. US officials said the attack had prompted an immediate reassessment of Afghan vetting protocols.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that visa issuance for “all individuals traveling on Afghan passports” would be paused. The State Department said the Afghan visa ban aims to ensure identity verification and compliance with US immigration law.
Appointments already scheduled will not be canceled, but cases must be formally refused. Approved visas that are not yet printed must be reversed, while printed visas are to be destroyed and reclassified as rejected.
Earlier this week, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services also halted all immigration requests filed by Afghan nationals.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, called the order the culmination of a months long effort to restrict Afghan entry. “There is no doubt this is the outcome they have been driving toward for months,” he said.
Immigration analysts said the freeze marks one of the most sweeping nationality-based visa suspensions since the post-9/11 security overhaul.
Dr. Helen Carter, who researches displacement and conflict migration at Georgetown University, said the Afghan visa ban represents a sharp break from two decades of US commitments to wartime partners.
“This is more than a policy shift,” Carter said. “It interrupts a promise made to people who risked their lives for American missions. The long term diplomatic cost could be substantial.”
Former State Department official Andrew Miller said the move appears reactive. “The Washington incident raised legitimate security concerns,” he said.
But crafting a blanket policy for an entire nationality especially one that served alongside US forces could weaken international confidence in future partnerships.” Legal experts noted that canceling approved visas may invite litigation.
“If someone passed all phases of vetting, retroactive cancellation could be challenged in court,” immigration attorney Laura Singh said. “The instruction to destroy printed visas is particularly unusual.”
Humanitarian groups estimate that roughly two hundred thousand Afghans have been admitted into the United States since the fall of Kabul in 2021.
More than 265,000 others remain in processing pipelines abroad, including nearly 180,000 SIV applicants who previously worked for the US government or military. Processing times for SIVs have historically been lengthy.
A 2023 Office of Inspector General report described the system as “backlogged, understaffed and vulnerable to delays,” with some applicants waiting more than five years. The current Afghan visa ban resembles earlier nationality based travel restrictions implemented in the late 2010s.
However, experts note a crucial distinction past restrictions targeted countries deemed security risks, whereas this ban affects a group that directly supported the United States during wartime. “This population is unique,” Carter said. “They are not strangers. They are partners.”
For Afghans stuck in third countries without legal status, the halt has triggered fresh panic. Many fled to Pakistan, the UAE or Qatar after facing threats from the Taliban, who consider former US partners enemies.
“I finished my interview six months ago. I have every document they asked for,” said Jamil, a former interpreter now residing in Islamabad. “Now they say everything is stopped. I don’t know what will happen to us.”
Others fear deportation or retaliation. A former US Army captain who served in Helmand Province said he still receives daily messages from Afghan colleagues seeking updates. “These were the first people to stand with us in danger,” he said. “Now they feel abandoned.”
Aid organizations assisting evacuees reported an immediate rise in distress calls. “Families are in tears,” said Maria Torres, who manages a shelter for Afghan refugees in Abu Dhabi. “They don’t know if the suspension is temporary or permanent.”
Officials have not offered a timeline for reviewing the Afghan visa ban or for potentially restoring processing. State Department spokespeople emphasized that security assessments are ongoing and that the department is “working to ensure strict compliance with US law.”
Policy experts say the future depends on whether the security review leads to new vetting standards or becomes a broader policy reversal.
“If this becomes a long term ban, it will send a message very different from what US officials communicated during the Afghanistan withdrawal,” Miller said.
Diplomats warn that the halt could erode trust among partners in conflict zones. “Local allies pay close attention to how we treat those who previously helped us,” Carter said. “This decision may influence cooperation in future military or intelligence operations.”
The Afghan visa ban has placed tens of thousands of Afghan allies in uncertainty and reopened questions about America’s commitments following its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As legal and security reviews continue, applicants, advocates and officials are left waiting for clarity on the future of the program.
