Embassy in Baghdad Announces Visa Program for Iraqis Who Helped the U.S.
We were surprised and pleased to see on Thursday that the U.S. embassy in Baghdad announced the launch of a program that will provide 5,000 special immigrant visas each year for the next five years to Iraqis who worked for the U.S. military or private contractors for at least a year since 2003 and are experiencing or have experienced an ongoing serious threat in Iraq as a result of their employment.
This program, of course, is mandated by the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act, which President Bush signed into law in January 2008. (The Embassy press release references legislation in June, but that was simply an amendment that clarified that the new SIV program would be open for business in FY 08 and not FY 09.) Implementation of the law has been incremental - often but not always for legitimate logistical reasons - and so the public commitment of the State Department and Embassy Baghdad are welcome steps.
Notable media coverage last week:
An important distinction, sometimes missed by reporters, is the difference between the U.S. refugee resettlement program and the SIV program. Both programs provide paths for Iraqis to come to the U.S. and eventually establish permanent residence here - though it takes months and even years for the relevant applications to pass through all stages of adjudication and security clearance - but the routes are distinct. The U.S. set a goal of bringing 12,000 Iraqi refugees here in FY 08 (10/1/07 - 9/30/08) through the refugee resettlement program. The 12K is out of a total of 28,000 for the Near East/South Asia region, and a global cap of 80,000. Separately, the U.S. will make available 5,000 SIVs each year for five years to Iraqis who worked with the U.S. government or contractors (and additional visas for their immediate family). An earlier SIV program, under a different law, provided visas for Iraqi and Afghan translators. (State Department FAQs on that program can be found here.)
And like all immigration applications, these are rigorously reviewed by U.S. government agencies - an application is by no means a guarantee of admission to the U.S.
Other helpful resources on the SIV program that was mandated by the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act:
This program, of course, is mandated by the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act, which President Bush signed into law in January 2008. (The Embassy press release references legislation in June, but that was simply an amendment that clarified that the new SIV program would be open for business in FY 08 and not FY 09.) Implementation of the law has been incremental - often but not always for legitimate logistical reasons - and so the public commitment of the State Department and Embassy Baghdad are welcome steps.
Notable media coverage last week:
An important distinction, sometimes missed by reporters, is the difference between the U.S. refugee resettlement program and the SIV program. Both programs provide paths for Iraqis to come to the U.S. and eventually establish permanent residence here - though it takes months and even years for the relevant applications to pass through all stages of adjudication and security clearance - but the routes are distinct. The U.S. set a goal of bringing 12,000 Iraqi refugees here in FY 08 (10/1/07 - 9/30/08) through the refugee resettlement program. The 12K is out of a total of 28,000 for the Near East/South Asia region, and a global cap of 80,000. Separately, the U.S. will make available 5,000 SIVs each year for five years to Iraqis who worked with the U.S. government or contractors (and additional visas for their immediate family). An earlier SIV program, under a different law, provided visas for Iraqi and Afghan translators. (State Department FAQs on that program can be found here.)
And like all immigration applications, these are rigorously reviewed by U.S. government agencies - an application is by no means a guarantee of admission to the U.S.
Other helpful resources on the SIV program that was mandated by the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act:
- State Department FAQs on the SIV program
- USCIS fact sheet on the SIV program (July 9)
- USCIS fact sheet on immigration options for Iraqis (July 15)
- I-360 instructions (updated May 27)
- DHS guidance on SIV program adjudication (July 7)
- State Department guidance on SIV adjudication (June 18)
Labels: Embassy Baghdad, Iraqi refugees, Special Immigrant Visas
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posted by Ruthie Epstein at
11:14 PM
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