Name changed for safety, Farid's youngest daughters pictured above
In August 2021, as Kabul fell to the Taliban, Farid stood at the airport gate with his wife and five young children—four daughters and one son—desperately trying to reach safety. Due to intense crowds, his family made it through. Farid did not. Despite years of dedicated service to the U.S. Embassy and risking his life alongside American troops, Farid was left behind. Since that day, he has lived in hiding, separated from his loved ones, and waiting—now nearly four years—for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) interview that never comes.
Farid’s wife now works night shifts alone in the U.S., trying to support their children without him. He’s missed birthdays, first days of school, and every precious moment in between. Though he has been approved for evacuation by the U.S. government, flights were halted, and the program is being abandoned. The SAFA Network is urgently raising $15,000 to cover Farid’s visa fees, temporary lodging, and travel to a safe third country where he can complete the process and reunite with his family, along with others like him. Your support can help bring a father home.
Your support and contributions are urgently needed - enabling Afghan allies to reunite with their family members in the U.S. Click below to donate via PayPal, or click our donations tab for other payment options.
The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was created to provide a pathway to safety for Afghan nationals who worked with the U.S. government or military—often as interpreters, contractors, or support staff—putting their lives at risk to assist American missions.
Even years after the U.S. withdrawal, thousands of qualified SIV applicants remain in Afghanistan, living in hiding under daily threat. Many were approved or in process for an SIV during the fall of Kabul in 2021 but were left behind when evacuations stopped. In order to receive an SIV they must interview at a US embassy, of which there are none in Afghanistan. They must travel to a third country for their interview. They cannot leave safely without help.
There is no active U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. Every SIV applicant must travel to a U.S. Embassy in a third country (such as Pakistan, Qatar, or Albania) to complete the interview and visa process. This travel is extremely expensive, dangerous, and often logistically impossible without assistance.
Costs include:
Yes. SIV applicants undergo rigorous multi-agency U.S. background checks that include security screening, biometric data, and documentation proving their work with the U.S. government. Most applicants have already been pre-screened and are simply waiting for final interviews.
Evacuating Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients is a matter of life and death. Many of these individuals and their families are still in hiding or on the run from the Taliban, who continue to target those who worked with the U.S. military and government. Every day they remain in Afghanistan, they face the threat of violence, imprisonment, or worse.
Adding to this crisis, many SIV holders have been separated from their families, creating devastating emotional and psychological stress for both parents and children. Reuniting these families is not just a humanitarian imperative—it’s a moral obligation.
Time is also running out: the SIV program, which provides a legal pathway to safety for these allies, is limited in number and is currently set to expire in December 2025. If action isn't taken swiftly, many deserving individuals could be left behind with no way out. There might not be enough visas or a program extension for those applying, which makes it even more urgent for those hoping to reunify with family to get out now.
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