Congressman Crow Leads Bipartisan Effort to Honor Promises to America’s Afghan Allies

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, called for 20,000 additional visas to be included for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program in the FY26 appropriations bill. 

SIVs provide a life-saving path to safety for Afghan nationals who face deadly retribution as a result of their work alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and contractors during the war in Afghanistan.

“As a veteran who served in Afghanistan, I might not be here today were it not for our Afghan partners,” said Congressman Crow. “Our Afghan partners helped America in our time of need and we cannot turn our backs on them now. Congress must ensure that our Afghan allies receive SIVs so they can start a life here in the U.S.”

Congressman Zach Nunn (R-IA-03), along with over 100 other members, joined Congressman Crow in signing this letter.

To qualify for an SIV, Afghan allies must complete rigorous vetting processes including multiple rounds of background checks, biometric screening, interviews, and security vetting conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and across intelligence agencies, often taking years to complete. In Fiscal Years 2019-2024, Congress recognized the importance of the SIV program and demonstrated our shared commitment to honoring our allies by including additional visas through the Appropriations process. 

Congressman Crow has been a long-standing champion of the Afghan SIV program. During previous congressional hearings, Crow highlighted the importance of the SIV program and previously worked to ensure the authorization of 12,000 additional Afghan SIVs in the State Department's foreign operations funding bill. He also introduced the Afghan Allies Protection Act to expand and extend the SIV program, helped introduce the Afghan Adjustment Act to provide a legal adjustment process for Afghan allies already in the US, and started the Honoring Our Promises Working Group following the announcement of the withdrawal to help expedite SIVs and U.S. Refugee Admissions Programs.

A PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:  

Dear Chair Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Frankel: 

As you craft the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill, we urge you to provide an additional 20,000 visas for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Afghan SIV holders served U.S.-led democratization and military efforts during our nation’s years in Afghanistan, providing significant faithful service to our security and strength. Ensuring there are sufficient visas for the Afghan SIV program is critical to keeping the program operational in order to secure these wartime allies. 

The Afghan SIV program was first enacted through the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to provide a life-saving path to safety for Afghan nationals who face deadly retribution as a result of their work alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and contractors. Since that time, the program has been improved multiple times, each time with significant bipartisan and bicameral support. 

To qualify for an SIV, Afghan allies must complete rigorous vetting processes including multiple rounds of background checks, biometric screening, interviews, and security vetting conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and across intelligence agencies, often taking years to complete. These allies have passed the gold standard of vetting conducted by the United States. In Fiscal Years 2019-2024, Congress recognized the importance of the SIV program and demonstrated our shared commitment to honoring our allies by including additional visas through the appropriations process. Congress must build on this support so that the executive branch is able to issue visas to Afghans who face imminent threats from the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other hostile groups because of their service to the United States. 

The U.S. Government committed to honoring our promises and made great strides in recent years to strengthen and expedite processing and resettlement. Similarly, the American people have never faltered in their support for our closest Afghan allies – from evacuating our partners in 2021, to welcoming Afghan allies as neighbors across the country, to bringing eligible SIV holders to safety in 2025. Through private flights and reception for our Afghan allies, veterans organizations, faith leaders, and everyday Americans continue to mobilize to bring our closest allies to safety. They need our sustained partnership to finish the mission. 

That is why we respectfully urge you to continue your support for our Afghan allies and include an additional 20,000 Afghan Special Immigrant Visas in the FY 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill. Thank you for your consideration and support.