US halts all visa issuance to Afghan citizens

United States has suspended all categories of visas for Afghan nationals, issuing a directive to every American embassy and consulate worldwide to stop processing new Afghan applications and immediately cancel all pending ones.

According to the directive, the suspension applies to immigrant, non-immigrant and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) categories. Visas held by Afghans already residing in the US have also been revoked.

US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, confirmed the move in a post on X on Saturday ( November 29). “No Afghan passport holder will be issued a US visa anymore. Ensuring the safety of American citizens is now the highest priority,” he stated.

The decision follows a recent violent incident in Washington, DC, where Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire on National Guard members on Wednesday. One of the two injured guards later died.

Investigators revealed Lakanwal had worked with the CIA in Afghanistan and entered the US in 2021 under a special humanitarian programme after the Taliban regained power.

Hours after the attack, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced all citizenship and permanent residency applications submitted by Afghan nationals had been cancelled. The new embassy directive has reinforced the suspension.

Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, nearly 200,000 Afghans who had assisted US forces were evacuated to the US for safety. Under the new decision, their visas also fall under review and cancellation.

Shawn VanDiver, president of the nonprofit Afghan Evac, said, “There is no doubt the Trump administration had long intended to take such action.”