U.S. waives work permit and green card application fees for Afghan evacuees

The Biden administration will waive application fees for tens of thousands of Afghans evacuees who are filing requests for U.S. work permits and permanent residency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday.

Afghans brought to the U.S. after July 30 under a humanitarian immigration process known as parole will qualify for a fee exemption on their applications for work authorization. The U.S. will also waive permanent residency petition fees for Afghans who are requesting Special Immigrant Visas due to their work with U.S. military forces.

Advocates had urged the Biden administration to waive these charges for weeks, saying that most of the new arrivals from Afghanistan don't have the resources to pay the fees.