Afghan Arrivals
Through Operations Allies Welcome, the U.S. government is assisting Afghans and their families in resettling in the United States. In an effort to support resettlement agencies and other organizations serving Afghan families, NCB has created a resource page with links to training materials and a map of organizations serving survivors of torture and other vulnerable groups.
Original Publication Date:
January 12, 2022
Last Updated:
March 1, 2023
Estimated Read Time:
3 minutes
Afghan Assistance Resources
Below are additional resources and trainings available for working with this population. You can also review the links in the left-hand column of the page for more resources, trainings, and forms available. Please see the policies and resources below from ORR, DOS, and DHS. The Office of Refugee Resettlement also has an Afghan Assistance Resources page for many helpful resources and contacts to support Afghans.
Policies and Resources from the Office of Refugee Resettlement:
- Dear Colleague Letter 23-04 Refugee School Impact Refugee Support Services Set-Aside: FY 2023 Funding
- Dear Colleague Letter 23-03 Youth Mentoring Refugee Support Services Set-Aside: FY 2023 Funding
- Dear Colleague Letter 23-02 Services to Older Refugees Refugee Support Services Set-Aside: FY 2023 Funding
- Dear Colleague Letter 23-01 Refugee Health Promotion Refugee Support Services Set-Aside: FY 2023 Funding
- Policy Letter 22-16 Continued Flexibilities through December 31, 2022
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-24 ORR-5 Individuals with No Alien Number: Data Submission Guidance
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-23 Afghan Refugee Support Services Supplement: FY 2022 Fourth Allocation
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-22 Immigration Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children Enrolled in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program
- Policy Letter 22-14 Serving LGBTQI+ ORR-Eligible Populations
- Policy Letter 22-13 Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees Eligible for ORR Benefits and Services
- Policy Letter 22-12 Afghan Refugee School Impact: Support to Schools Initiative
- Policy Letter (03/02/22; revised 05/06/22) 22-11 Immigration-Related Legal Assistance Allowable Under ORR ASA Funding
- Dear Colleague Letter 21-04 (01/22/21, revised 4/19/2022) Inquiries for the Refugee Policy Unit
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-17: Transition of the Alabama Refugee Resettlement Program
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-16: Afghan Services to Older Refugees Supplemental: FY 2022
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-15: Afghan Youth Mentoring Supplemental: FY 2022
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-14: Afghan Refugee Health Promotion: FY 2022 Second Supplement
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-13: Afghan Refugee School Impact: FY 2022 Second Supplement
- Federal Register Notice, Extending Refugee Cash Assistance and Refugee Medical Assistance From 8 Months to 12 Months
- Policy Letter 22-10 – Afghan Populations Eligible for ASA-Funded ORR Services
- Policy Letter 22-09 – Youth Mentoring Program
- Policy Letter 22-08 – Services to Older Refugees
- Policy Letter 22-07 – Refugee School Impact Program;
- Policy Letter 22-06 – Refugee Mental Health Initiative within the Refugee Health Promotion Program
- Policy Letter 22-04 – Virtual Refugee Service Delivery and Elements of Program Administration
- Policy Letter 22-03 – Refugee Support Services Funded by the Afghan Supplemental Appropriation
- Revised Policy Letter 22-02 – Additional ORR-Eligible Statuses and Categories and Acceptable Documentation Requirements for Afghan Nationals
- Policy Letter 22-01 and PL 22-02 PowerPoint Slides
- Policy Letter 21-07 Amendment to PL 16-01
- Policy Letter 16-01 for SI/SQ Parole
- Updated guidance: federal documentation for Afghan arrivals
- Various Resources From ORR – Afghan Evacuees
- Dear Colleague Letter 22-05: Afghan Health Promotion Supplement: FY 2022 Quarter 1
- Dear Colleague Letter 21-18: Eligibility Status of Certain Afghan Parolees
- Dear Colleague Letter 21-16_Clarification Related to Afghan SQ/SI Parolees Eligibility for RCA/RMA
- Dear Colleague Letter 21-15-SQ SI Parole- 8.3.2021
- Afghan SI/SQ Parolee communication from ORR partners
- Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022
- Afghan SIV Information
Other policies and resources:
- SAVE Fact Sheet – Information for SAVE Users: Afghan Arrival Categories, Documentation, and SAVE Responses | USCIS
- The DHS REAL ID office has posted an FAQ regarding Eligibility of Afghanistan nationals paroled into the United States for REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards. It is the last of the five FAQ groups on their FAQ webpage: REAL ID FAQs | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)
- USCIS information for Afghan Nationals
- General Services for Immigrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees
- SAVE – Afghan Special Immigrant Parolee and LPR Status
Resources on Trauma-Informed Care and for Supporting Afghan Clients
General Trauma-Informed Related Resources:
- Switchboard, Trauma-Informed Care: Movement Towards Practice
- Switchboard, A Trauma-Informed Understanding of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
- Switchboard, Trauma-Informed Care: Preventing Crises and De-escalating Difficult Situations
- Switchboard, Fundamentals of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) for Refugee Service Providers: The What, Why, and How of Safety Planning
- The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), How to Provide Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care for Older Refugees
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), Culture and Trauma Brief: Promoting Culturally Competent Trauma-Informed Practices
- NCTSN, Trauma-Informed Care: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Unaccompanied Children
Afghan Clients Related Resources:
- Switchboard, Who are the Afghan Newcomers? Understanding the Background and Socio-Cultural Strengths and Needs of Afghan Evacuees to the U.S.
- Switchboard, Psychological First Aid (PFA) to Support Clients Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan
- Switchboard, Supporting Afghan Students in Schools & Youth Programs in the U.S.
- Switchboard, A Round of Resources for Serving Afghan Evacuees
- Switchboard, Supporting Clients and Staff Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan
- National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM), COVID-19 Resources for Afghan New Arrivals
- Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE), Cultural Backgrounder: Afghanistan
- CORE, Responding to Increased Arrivals from Afghanistan
- USAHello, Afghan Resource Center
- Sign up for Switchboard’s newsletter for future trainings and resource sharing opportunities.
- Reach out to [email protected] with any comments or questions.