FAQ about the Priority 2 (P-2) Referrals

ABOUT THE P-2 PROCESS:

Who qualifies for the P-2 Referral?

• Afghans who do not meet the minimum time-in-service for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) but who work or worked at any time as employees of contractors, Locally Employed (LE) Staff, interpreters/translators for the U.S. government, United States Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), or Resolute Support
• Afghans who work or worked at any time for a U.S. government-funded program or project in Afghanistan supported through a U.S. government grant or cooperative agreement
• Afghans who are or were employed in Afghanistan by a U.S.-based non-governmental or U.S.-based media organization. (U.S.-based media organizations may also refer Afghan nationals who worked for them under stringer, freelance, and comparable arrangements.)
• Afghans who work/worked for sub-contractors and sub-grantees do not qualify for P-2.

• Contact your current or former employer to find out if they are participating in the P-2 Referral program.

• Here are additional resources to learn about programs to support people in Afghanistan:
  • UNHCR Afghanistan: https://help.unhcr.org/afghanistan/
  • Awaaz Help Line: https://awaazaf.org/

• Currently, there are no known plans to cancel the P-2 program. Review information on this site (Dari; Pashto) to check on the most up-to-date information.

• If you have an active SIV application and you are eligible for SIV, you can expect that your P-2 referral will be denied and your SIV process may move forward.

• If the USRAP has received a complete and eligible referral from a U.S. government agency, U.S.-based NGO, or U.S.-based media organization, the USRAP will send you an email directly from noreply@wrapsnet.org or usrapprod@servicenowservices.com. Please whitelist that address and check your spam folders for this email.
• Please continue to check your primary email address (including spam/junk folders).
• The order in which the U.S. Department of State reviews referrals and sends ARR numbers is unclear. Some applicants will receive their ARR number sooner than others.

• Currently, there is no expiration on Afghan P-2 referral ARRs.

• You can check the information available here to remain up to date on details related to the P-2 Referral program.

• If you have more than one active P-2 referral, you can expect that duplicate referrals will be denied. Provided you are eligible for a P-2 referral and your referral package has been accepted by the U.S. Department of State, one referral will move forward in the process.

• Click here to view the fact sheet from the U.S. Government about the P-2 process.

• The U.S. Government has received a tremendous number of Afghan P-2 referrals and it takes time to review referral requests and prepare resettlement support centers to process the significant number of referral cases. Applicants should expect it could be many months or years before arriving in the United States.

UPDATES TO YOUR P-2 APPLICATION:

• Fiancé(e)s are not eligible family members. However, if you and your fiancé(e) get married, you may be able to add them to your case. Be sure to have your marriage certificate and any other legal proof of marriage with you.

• Once your case is assigned to a resettlement support center and a caseworker, you will be able to speak with your caseworker about adding your spouse to your case.

• Once your case is assigned to a resettlement support center and assigned a caseworker, you will be able to speak with your caseworker about removing family members from your P-2 case.

• If you have already been assigned a case number, please update your information with your assigned refugee processing center.

• Email your P-2 referral organization from your new email address and explain your situation.

• If the spelling difference is limited to just one or two characters, you may correct this issue once your case is assigned a caseworker and moves to the prescreening stage of the process.
• If your names are different between the P-2 materials and your passport, discuss this issue with your caseworker when your case moves to the prescreening stage of the process.

• Once your case is assigned to a resettlement support center and assigned a caseworker, you will be able to speak with your caseworker about adding your baby to your case.

• Once your case is assigned to a resettlement support center and assigned a caseworker, you will be able to speak with your caseworker about adding your baby to your case.

• After you receive your Afghan Referral Record (ARR) number from the U.S. Department of State, you must be in a country outside Afghanistan in order to pursue next steps in your Afghan P-2 process, which may require a passport and visa. Please note countries where processing is not available here.

• When your P-2 case progresses, you will be asked to provide evidence of marriage, such as a marriage certificate, for your spouse(s). If you have an official marriage with one spouse but not the other, the spouse with whom you are legally wed will be allowed on your P-2 case. The other will not be kept on the case.

• Unfortunately, the only family members allowed on your Afghan P-2 referral are your spouse, your children, and your children’s spouse and children, if applicable. All other family members are ineligible for inclusion. Even if you travel to a third country with ineligible family members, they will not be included on your P-2 case. They may contact UNHCR to learn about programs available to help people in/from Afghanistan. https://help.unhcr.org/

• You will receive a P-2 case number after you have relocated to a third country and submitted the Google Form that was shared with you in your Afghan Referral Record (ARR) number email from the U.S. Department of State. Please note due to high number of requests received, it may be many months from the time you submit your Google Form before you receive an email from the U.S. Department of State with your case number.

• The United States government has recognized Afghanistan citizens as persons of concern as part of the Priority Two (P-2) designation. This means there is general acknowledgement that due to your current circumstances and the conditions in Afghanistan, applicants meet the general definition of concern. However, you will still need to be interviewed first by the Resettlement Support Center (RSC) and later with a US government representative. This will give you an opportunity to discuss specific issues you’ve experienced and any hardships you may have faced during your time in Afghanistan.

• If possible, you should bring with you the following documents:
  • Documents to establish identity: passport; national ID (Tazkira); birth certificates
  • Documents to establish relationships: marriage, divorce, death, and/or birth certificates
  • Documents to establish employment history:employment badges, employment contracts, HR letters

• The IRC advocacy team in Washington, DC has taken a number of steps to press the US government to expediate processing for P-2 applicants. This includes participating on inter-agency advocacy committees, speaking directly to members of the US Congress, and meeting with staff at the Department of State. We have been assured that the US government is doing everything they can to address the need to process P-2 cases.

• You applied for the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), Priority Two (P-2) designation, which follows the US Department of State’s guidelines on processing refugees overseas. For all other immigration pathways, you can read additional information here.

• If you received a case number from the National Visa Center (NVC) they will notify you about next steps and any documentation they might still need from you. Please note that only you can coordinate your case progress with the NVC, as they will not respond to external inquiries from anyone who is not the direct applicant. For more information about what to expect during the SIV process, click here.

RELOCATE TO A THIRD COUNTRY:

• Currently, there is no deadline for when you must relocate to a third country. Review information on this site (Dari; Pashto) to check on the most up-to-date information.

• The P-2 referral program does not provide direct support to applicants who leave Afghanistan to pursue the P-2 process.

• You will need to determine whether or not to leave Afghanistan, when to leave Afghanistan, and what country you might go to. If you choose to leave Afghanistan, it is important you go to a country where case processing is available. Review the guidance available here regarding countries where case processing is not possible: https://www.wrapsnet.org/siv-iraqi-syrian-afghan-referrals/.
• Note the guidance states that processing is not feasible in Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Yemen.
• Please note at this time the U.S. Government has not issued a deadline regarding when you might need to leave Afghanistan to pursue next steps in your P-2 process. 
• As you consider a decision about leaving Afghanistan, it is important to note that the U.S. Government is unable to provide financial, legal, visa, or other support to applicants who leave Afghanistan to continue their P-2 process. If you have questions about the P-2 process are encouraged to first check the information here (Pashto; Dari).
• The P-2 process is lengthy and it can be many months after leaving Afghanistan before case processing commences. The full process can take up to 18 months or much longer. In addition, there is no guarantee that cases will be approved for the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). We understand this is difficult and presents limited options. 
• We also recommend contacting and registering with UNHCR if you choose to relocate to a third country for USRAP processing.   

• When you complete the Google Form and submit it to the US government, you are acknowledging you are in a third country per their instructions. If you are later called for RSC prescreening and are not yet in a third country, you are risking having your appointment cancelled if you are not there at the scheduled time. Be truthful about your location if asked. We advise all applicants to be truthful on all communications with the US government, so as not to risk case denial later.

• Once you complete the US government form confirming you have left Afghanistan, your case will eventually be transitioned to a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) nearest your location to commence case processing. At such time you will be emailed a RSC case number (different from the ARR number), based on your new location.
• P-2 applicants who have questions about the P-2 process are encouraged to first check the information here: 
  • English:https://www.wrapsnet.org/documents/Information%20for%20U.S.-Affiliated%20Afghan%20Nationals.pdf 
  • Pashto:https://www.wrapsnet.org/documents/PASHTO%20Translation-%20Information%20for%20U.S.%20-Affiliated%20Afghan%20Nationals.pdf
  • Dari:https://www.wrapsnet.org/documents/DARI%20Translation-%20Information%20for%20U.S.%20-Affiliated%20Afghan%20Nationals.pdf
• The P-2 process is lengthy and it can be several months after leaving Afghanistan before case processing commences. The full process can take up to 18 months or much longer. In addition, there is no guarantee that cases will be approved for the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
• Should you require assistance you might consider contacting UNHCR: https://help.unhcr.org/.

• Once your P-2 case progresses, you may be asked to share information about your travel, including dates of travel to/from a third country to pursue your P-2 process. Please be truthful in your responses to these questions as failure to disclose travel details may negatively impact your P-2 case.

• Once you leave Afghanistan to pursue next steps in your P-2 process, you will typically be expected to remain in the third country throughout case processing. Once your case advances to the stage where you will relocate to the United States, you will travel from a third country and not from Afghanistan.

• There is no exact timeline available. However, the process can take many months or several years.

• Case processing is not available in Afghanistan. For a list of countries where processing is not available, please click here.

• Processing is not feasible in Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Yemen. For a list of countries where processing is not available, please click here.

• When you arrive in the third country, be sure to register with UNHCR. https://help.unhcr.org/

• Yes, you can submit your Google Form if you are outside Afghanistan, and you plan to remain in that location for P-2 processing.

• When you arrive in the third country, be sure to register with UNHCR. UNHCR may be able to provide information about resources, protection, and programs that may be available to support you and your family. https://help.unhcr.org/

• Unfortunately, the only family members allowed on your Afghan P-2 referral are your spouse, your children, and your children’s spouse and children, if applicable. If you travel with your father, brother, or other male relative, please note they will not be able to be included on your P-2 case. If you travel with them to a third country, they may contact UNHCR to learn about programs available to help people in/from Afghanistan. https://help.unhcr.org/

• To pursue the Afghan P-2 process, you must be outside of Afghanistan. To learn about other immigration avenues, click here.

• Once you arrive in a third country, first register with UNHCR: https://help.unhcr.org/.
• Then, complete the Google Form included in the email you received from the U.S. Department of State containing your Afghan Referral Record (ARR) number. Be sure to complete the Google Form carefully, completely, and truthfully.
• Once your Google Form is submitted, your case will eventually be reviewed and assigned to a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) at which point you will receive another email from the U.S. Department of State providing a case number and further instructions.
• Please note it may be many months between when you submit the Google Form and when you receive a case number.

• You may initially travel to a third country without your family. However, all eligible family members on your P-2 case must be present in person when your case advances to pre-screening.

• All eligible family members on your P-2 case must be present in person when your case advances to pre-screening.

• The Afghan P-2 referral process requires you to be located in a third country (not Afghanistan and not the United States) for processing, even if you have relatives in the United States.

• You may initially travel to a third country without your family. However, all eligible family members on your P-2 case must be present in person when your case advances to pre-screening. If you wish to remove family members from your P-2 case, you may do so once your case is assigned a caseworker and moves to the prescreening stage of the process.

ARRIVAL IN THE U.S.

• The United States provides refugees with a basic package of services upon arrival. Depending on which state you are resettled in, the amount and duration of assistance will vary. Once your case progresses through the Resettlement Support Center (RSC), they will provide more specific information through their cultural orientation program that explains what to expect after arrival in the US. Here is some basic information about US-based assistance for refugees.

• Prior to arrival in the US, your case will be assigned to a resettlement agency. The agency staff will provide assistance with basic support, initial accommodation, health check-up, and school enrollment for children.

• The assigned resettlement agency will advise on employment preparation, job counseling, and placement services after you arrive in the US. A primary goal if for new arrivals to become economically self-supportive via full time employment as soon as possible.