Afghan Adjustment (AA)
In mid-July 2023, a bipartisan group of legislators in both the House and Senate of the 118th Congress reintroduced the Afghan Adjustment (AA), which would provide a pathway to permanent legal status for Afghans resettled in the United States, expand eligibility for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, and create an inter-agency task force to better facilitate the relocation of at-risk Afghans abroad.
The Evacuate Our Allies Coalition thanks the following Members of Congress for leading the effort to reintroduce the Afghan Adjustment (AA) in both the House and the Senate: Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6), Jason Crow (D-CO-6), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Maria E. Salazar (R-FL-27), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), David Schweikert (R-AZ-1), Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4), Michael Lawler (R-NY-17), Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50), Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23), Seth Moulton (D-MA-6), John R. Curtis (R-UT-3), Abigail D. Spanberger (D-VA-7), Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1), Ami Bera (D-CA-6), Resident Commisioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), and Jeff Jackson (D-NC-14); and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Thomas Tillis (R-NC), Richard Durbin (D-IL).
The Afghan Adjustment was previously introduced in early August 2022 by a bipartisan group of legislators in both the House and Senate of the 117th Congress.
What is the Afghan Adjustment (AA)?
The Afghan Adjustment would:
Provide a pathway to permanent legal status for Afghan parolees and Afghans who were lawfully present in the United States prior to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Establish an Interagency Task Force responsible for creating and implementing a strategy to continue the relocation and resettlement of eligible Afghan partners from Afghanistan over the next ten years, and providing much-needed intra-governmental coordination.
Require the U.S. Department of State to respond to congressional inquiries related to SIV applications or U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) referrals.
Expand SIV eligibility for Afghans who worked and served alongside U.S. forces, including members of the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan, as well as certain Afghan family members of U.S. service people and veterans.
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What’s in the Afghan Adjustment?
The language in the bill is the same in the House and the Senate.
Representative Blumenauer has provided a one-pager on the AA to help explain what the bill would do.
Read about the public support for the Afghan Adjustment in this September 2022 report by More in Common.
Evacuate Our Allies has a Fact Sheet on the Afghan Adjustment.
See this letter from 30 veteran service organizations (VSO) endorsement of the AA’s passage in the NDAA and opposition to Senator Cotton’s S.2324.
Read the flag letter from American commanders of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan have called for the passage of the Afghan Adjustment and opposition to S. 2324.
In this letter, leading Afghan American organizations have called on Congress to pass the AA.
Faith leaders across America have called for the passage of the AA: here, here, here, and here.
A number of organizations addressing gender-based violence sent a letter to Congress asking for the immediate passage of the AA as it would benefit Afghan survivors and those at risk of gender-based persecution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Have a question that you can't answer on this page? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) here.
From December 04-07, 2023, the EOA coalition will host another Advocacy Days to meet with legislative offices and advocate for the AA since the Senate passed a Motion to Instruct to move the Afghan Adjustment forward for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Previously, from June 12-16, 2023, the EOA coalition mobilized over 400 advocates to participate in Virtual Congressional Advocacy Days for the AA, resulting in hundreds of meetings with Senators and other key leaders in Congress.
Then again, from September 6-8, 2022, the EOA coalition mobilized hundreds of advocates to participate in Virtual Congressional Advocacy Days for the AA, resulting in critical meetings with Senators and other key leaders in Congress.
View a list of all Organizational Endorsements of the AA here.