HOW TO APPLY FOR CHIEF OF MISSION APPROVAL

Special Immigrant Visa Program for Afghan Nationals

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.

NOTE: Please review this information very carefully. Failure to complete these steps will delay the processing of your case.

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 application for COM approval and will not be considered.

Failure to submit all 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.

Important Notice on Missing Documents: If a required document is unavailable, you must submit a detailed written explanation when you submit your application. The COM designee will review your case.

1. Verification of Employment in Afghanistan

A)  If you were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government:

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, 2023, for at least one year.

The letter must contain all of the information below:

• Your full name.
• Your job title.
• Your job location.
• The date you started working for the employer (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The date you stopped working for the employer (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The reason for separation if you are no longer employed.
• The name of the author completing the letter, his or her signature, and his or her contact information including corporate email (or alternate email if no longer with the organization).
• A thorough description of your work duties and the location where you performed those duties. If applicable, this should include an explanation of how your position required you to:
  • Serve as an interpreter or translator for personnel of the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development in Afghanistan, particularly if it included duties that required traveling away from the embassy with such personnel;
  • o      Serve as an interpreter or translator for U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan, particularly if this work required traveling off-base; or    

B) If you were employed by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or a successor mission:

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, 2023, for at least one year. 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.

The letter must contain all the information below: Your

• full name.
• Your date of birth.
• An English language copy (or English translation) of the contract between you and your employer. If you were hired on a personal services agreement (PSA) or a personal services contract (PSC), you must submit an English language copy of the agreement or contract.
• Your job title. Your job location.
• The date you started working for ISAF, or a successor mission (DD-MM-YYYY). 
• The date you stopped working for ISAF, or a successor mission (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The reason for separation if you are no longer employed.
• The name of the HR representative completing the HR letter, his or her signature, and his or her contact information including corporate email (or alternate email if no longer with the organization).
• A description of your work duties. If applicable, this should include how your position required you to:
  • Serve as an interpreter or translator for U.S. military personnel while traveling off- base with U.S. military personnel stationed at ISAF or a successor mission, or
  • Perform activities for U.S. military personnel stationed at ISAF, or a successor mission

2. Letter of Recommendation

A)  If you were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government:

You must submit a letter from your senior direct supervisor, or the person who supervises or supervised the company for which you are or were employed. The supervisory period should overlap with the period of employment noted in your employment letter. The letter should be dated and must be signed by your supervisor. It must contain all the information below:

• Your full name.
• Your date of birth.
• Your badge number (if available). 
• Your job title.
• Your job location.
• Confirmation that the recommender was/is your supervisor and knew you personally, 
• if applicable. The date the author of the letter began supervising you (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The date the author of the letter stopped supervising you (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The supervisor’s name, title, corporate or U.S. government/military email address and personal email address.
• Justification for recommending you for COM approval, i.e., that you provided faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government.
• The supervisor’s description of your work duties. This statement should be personalized to the specific duties you performed, including a description of where you performed those duties. If applicable, your supervisor should also address how your position required you to:
  • Serve as an interpreter or translator for personnel of the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development in Afghanistan, particularly if those duties required traveling away from the embassy with such personnel;
  • Serve as an interpreter or translator for U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan, particularly if those duties required traveling off-base; or

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, if possible, 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.

B) If you were employed by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or a successor mission:

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:

• Your full name. 
• Your date of birth.
• Your badge number (if available). 
• Your job title.
• Your job location.
• The date the author of the letter began supervising you (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The date the author of the letter stopped supervising you (DD-MM-YYYY).
• The supervisor’s name, title, rank, U.S. government/military email address, and personal email address.
• Justification for recommending you for COM approval, i.e., that you provided faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government.
• The supervisor’s description of your work duties, including, if applicable, how your position required you to:
  • Serve as an interpreter or translator for U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan while traveling off-base; or

3. Form DS-157, Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application

The form is available online at https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds157.pdf. You must complete the entire form. It is important that you follow the instructions at the bottom of this page when completing the DS-157.

4. Evidence of Afghan Nationality.

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, or a photocopy of your National Identity Card front and back.

5. 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.

6. Biographic Data

Provide the following biographic data for yourself:

• First name
• Last name
• All other names/aliases
• Mother’s name
• Nationality
• Passport number
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Gender
• Marital status
• Email address and phone number
• Work location (base or city and province)
• Residence location (base or city and province)

Next Steps and Questions

Once you have submitted your complete COM approval application packet via email to AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov, you will receive 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/afghan . If you cannot find the answer to your question, please email AfghanSIVApplication@state.gov.

Tips to Prevent Delays in Processing Your Application.

Ensure that the scanned copies of documents you provide are clear. Print your documents in black ink on white paper before scanning them.

Ensure scans are oriented so it can be read across the screen without the need to rotate the document.

Ensure document types are separated and attached individually as PDFs to your email.

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 SIV Chief of Mission 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.

Below are instructions for each numbered question:

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, enter “FNU” (First Name Unknown) here and use the single name as a last name.

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.”

5.  Enter any names/aliases you have used.

6.  Enter your date of birth as it appears in your tazkera or passport.

7.  Enter your place of birth as it appears in your tazkera or passport.

8.  Enter your passport number (if any).

9.  Enter all tazkera numbers you have ever used If applicable, enter your National Identity Card also in the Tazkera field.

10.  Check the appropriate box.

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.

14.  Enter your email address and phone number.

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 which have issued you a passport, including your current one (even if expired). If you have never been issued a passport and do not hold a current passport, write

18.  “None.”

19.  Check the appropriate box to note whether you have ever lost a passport or had one stolen.

20.  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, job title, supervisor name, supervisor email address, dates of employment, and the reason for separation. If you do not have your previous supervisor’s email address, enter ‘N/A.”

21.  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). If you have never applied before, write 'N/A.'

22.  Sign and date the form.