Afghan Allies Would Get More Visas, More Time to Apply Under Proposal by Senators – By Rebecca Kheel (Military.com) / June 5, 2023
A new bill introduced in the Senate seeks to bring stability to the visa program for Afghans who helped U.S. troops by nearly doubling the number of visas available and extending the program for five years.
The bill, introduced Thursday by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., would also try to reduce the backlog of visa applications with several provisions aimed at streamlining the process.
“Afghanistan might not be on the front pages anymore, but the United States cannot forget about the promise we made to our Afghan allies who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans throughout 20 years of war,” Shaheen said in a statement last week. “Our nation promised to stand by them as they stood by us. They held up their end of the deal — the U.S. must do the same.”
