State Department expands eligibility for visa program for Afghans amid rise of Taliban violence

Washington — The State Department is expanding opportunities for Afghans who are at-risk and their families to resettle in the United States, it announced Monday, amid a rise in violence by the Taliban as the U.S. troop withdrawal nears its conclusion at the end of the month.

The State Department said it is widening eligibility for Afghans who can be evacuated from Afghanistan to include those who work or worked for a U.S. government-funded program, as well as current and former employees of U.S.-based media organizations and nongovernmental organizations. Afghans who didn't work long enough to qualify for a Special Immigrant Visa but were contractors, local staff, interpreters or translators for the government or military are also now eligible for resettlement. "The U.S. objective remains a peaceful, secure Afghanistan," the State Department said. "However, in light of increased levels of Taliban violence, the U.S. government is working to provide certain Afghans, including those who worked with the United States, the opportunity for refugee resettlement to the United States."