Late on November 30 the U.S. Department of State instructed every consular post worldwide to deny immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications submitted by Afghan passport holders, effectively freezing the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) pipeline and all other categories. The directive, conveyed by classified cable and confirmed publicly by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X, follows a deadly shooting near the White House in which an Afghan asylum recipient allegedly killed a National Guard soldier.
Under the order, interviews already scheduled will proceed but culminate in a formal refusal; printed visas not yet delivered are to be canceled and destroyed. Customs and Border Protection has been told to revoke un-used visas electronically and flag Afghan-document holders for secondary inspection. The move interrupts processing for roughly 180,000 Afghans in the SIV backlog—many of whom worked for U.S. forces or contractors—and an estimated 85,000 family-based or employment-based applicants.
![State Department Suspends All Visa Issuance to Afghan Nationals]()
For U.S. multinationals the implications are immediate. Contractors supporting USAID, State or Defense reconstruction projects must suspend relocation plans for Afghan talent, while firms employing Afghan nationals on H-1B or L-1 visas abroad will need contingency staffing. Afghan executives traveling for board meetings or training will see ESTA and B-1/B-2 options closed. Mobility teams should monitor refund options for canceled medical checks and redirect cases to third-country hubs if waivers emerge.
Legal analysts note that a blanket nationality-based bar could face court challenges similar to earlier travel-ban litigation. Unlike the SIV suspension announced by USCIS last week, the State Department halt affects even diversity-lottery winners and exchange scholars. Human-rights groups argue the order violates promises made during the 2021 Kabul evacuation, while the administration cites “grave national-security deficiencies in Afghan identity-management systems.”
Companies with global Afghan workforces should brief employees on potential secondary screening when transiting U.S. hubs and evaluate remote-work or third-country assignments to retain key skills. Insurance providers may need to adjust duty-of-care coverage for Afghan nationals stranded abroad.
Under the order, interviews already scheduled will proceed but culminate in a formal refusal; printed visas not yet delivered are to be canceled and destroyed. Customs and Border Protection has been told to revoke un-used visas electronically and flag Afghan-document holders for secondary inspection. The move interrupts processing for roughly 180,000 Afghans in the SIV backlog—many of whom worked for U.S. forces or contractors—and an estimated 85,000 family-based or employment-based applicants.
For U.S. multinationals the implications are immediate. Contractors supporting USAID, State or Defense reconstruction projects must suspend relocation plans for Afghan talent, while firms employing Afghan nationals on H-1B or L-1 visas abroad will need contingency staffing. Afghan executives traveling for board meetings or training will see ESTA and B-1/B-2 options closed. Mobility teams should monitor refund options for canceled medical checks and redirect cases to third-country hubs if waivers emerge.
Legal analysts note that a blanket nationality-based bar could face court challenges similar to earlier travel-ban litigation. Unlike the SIV suspension announced by USCIS last week, the State Department halt affects even diversity-lottery winners and exchange scholars. Human-rights groups argue the order violates promises made during the 2021 Kabul evacuation, while the administration cites “grave national-security deficiencies in Afghan identity-management systems.”
Companies with global Afghan workforces should brief employees on potential secondary screening when transiting U.S. hubs and evaluate remote-work or third-country assignments to retain key skills. Insurance providers may need to adjust duty-of-care coverage for Afghan nationals stranded abroad.
