Afghan Special Visa Program Continues to Face Challenges and Backlogs

Two years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the State Department's watchdog agency has found numerous challenges to the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. Efforts to streamline processing have not been enough to address the backlog created by the surge in demand. The lack of US presence on the ground in Afghanistan has also posed challenges, as the program relies on Taliban cooperation for applicants to exit the country. The State Department has not developed a strategic performance management approach to resolve the backlog, and the OIG recommends enacting such an approach. As of August 1, nearly 34,000 SIVs have been issued, but tens of thousands of applicants are still in the review process. The Biden administration has faced criticism for its handling of the SIV program and the evacuation of vulnerable Afghans.