The U.S. Department of Stats on Thursday launched the DS 4317 Form for Afghan parolees to reunify with their eligible family members in the United States.
This form allows Afghan parolees to apply for U.S. government-facilitated relocation support to eligible family members, including lawful spouses and unmarried children under 21. Also, parolees may apply for their children who are unmarried and under the age of 21 on August 14, 2021.
Since the withdrawal of the American forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States has supported the reunification and resettlement of Afghan families through different programs. Besides the U.S. putting tremendous efforts to reunify Afghan families, some still remain separated, and witness challenges of different kinds under Afghanistan’s de facto regime. The New Parolee Form (DS 4317) is aimed at helping those families who are still separated.
The U.S. Department of States Spokesperson Ned Price Tweeted on Thursday that supporting Afghan family reunification is a priority for the United States.
The United States is committed to providing Afghan nationals seeking to reunite with their family members with the required tools and pathways they need. So far, the U.S. Department of State has introduced different avenues to pursue reunification depending on their immigration status or method of entry to the United States.
Parolees will need the following documents to complete this form:
Employment Authorization Document (EAD); or If an EAD is not available, other U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) documents such as your I-94.
They will need the following documents available on behalf of their lawful spouse and unmarried children under 21 who are outside of the United States:
- Marriage Certificate – for your lawful spouse
- Birth Certificate – for your children under the age of 21
- Tazkera – for each family member
- Passport (if available) – for each family member
This comes following the much-debated “Omnibus Bill” 2023 approved by the majority of the Democrats and Republicans with zero allocation of budget for Afghan SIV applicants in the current year. However, the introduction of the New Parolee Form (DS 4317) is a promising pathway for the reunification of eligible Afghan family members in the United States.
