— Domani Spero

We have previously blogged about the special immigrant visa programs in Iraq and Afghanistan in this blog. (See Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program for Iraqi Nationals to End Sept 30, Or How to Save One Interpreter At a Time; Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa Program: Potential Termination on September 30, 2013, Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program To End on December 31, 2013). On December 26, 2013, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2014.  The NDAA authorizes the issuance of 2,500 special immigrant visas after January 1, 2014 to qualified Iraqi applicants.  The new authorization does not have an end date and will conclude when 2500 visa numbers have been exhausted.

Below is the announcement from US Embassy Iraq:

The Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program benefiting individuals who have been employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government has been extended through passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2014.  The NDAA authorizes the issuance of 2,500 immigrant visas after January 1, 2014 to qualified principal applicants.  The NDAA does not include a date by which these visas must be issued, so consular officers have the authority to issue visas under this program until all 2,500 numbers have been used worldwide.  The Iraqi SIV program will end after all visas have been issued.

Under this legislation, the one-year period during which principal applicants must have been employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government in Iraq begins on or after March 20, 2003, and ends on or before September 30, 2013.  The legislation includes a requirement that the principal applicant must apply for Chief of Mission approval no later than September 30, 2014.

Those applicants with cases pending do not need to re-file.  If your petition has been approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), we encourage you to provide all requested documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) immediately so that your visa interview can be scheduled promptly.

We recognize that many who have been employed or worked on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq, and their families, face real threats as a result of their U.S. government affiliation. We take these threats, and the concerns of those who work with us, very seriously and we are committed to providing them with the benefits for which they are legally eligible.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for U.S. affiliated Iraqis remains an option, as the eligibility criteria are very similar to those of the SIV program.  For more information on USRAP, please visit http://iraq.usembassy.gov/refugeesidpaffairs.html.

Read more here: http://iraq.usembassy.gov/siv-special.html

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