The Biden administration has brokered a compromise with House Republicans to boost the number of resettlement visas available for Afghan allies who assisted the United States, lawmakers revealed on Tuesday.
The authorized limit of 38,500 Special Immigration Visas (SIVs), providing a pathway to US citizenship, was rapidly depleting, projected to exhaust around the August anniversary of the 2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Representative Michael McCaul, a key Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the compromise, which would add 12,000 visas, though falling short of the initially sought 20,000.
Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat and Army veteran, confirmed the 12,000 figure. However, with over 80,000 Afghans in the visa process as of March 1, and the program set to expire in 2026, demand far exceeds the allotted number.
The announcement came alongside a hearing featuring testimony from former top US generals, underscoring Taliban reprisals against Afghan allies. Despite challenges, the agreement reflects bipartisan efforts to fulfill commitments to Afghan allies in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The authorized limit of 38,500 Special Immigration Visas (SIVs), providing a pathway to US citizenship, was rapidly depleting, projected to exhaust around the August anniversary of the 2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Representative Michael McCaul, a key Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the compromise, which would add 12,000 visas, though falling short of the initially sought 20,000.
Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat and Army veteran, confirmed the 12,000 figure. However, with over 80,000 Afghans in the visa process as of March 1, and the program set to expire in 2026, demand far exceeds the allotted number.
The announcement came alongside a hearing featuring testimony from former top US generals, underscoring Taliban reprisals against Afghan allies. Despite challenges, the agreement reflects bipartisan efforts to fulfill commitments to Afghan allies in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
