This guide explains how to request to transfer your U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application from one U.S. Embassy to another.
The content of this guide is written by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and is also available on IRAP's legal information website here. This website provides general information about legal processes available to some refugees. It is not meant as legal advice for individual applications. This information was revised in August 2023. Requirements may change. Always check for current requirements from the government or agency deciding your request.
"Beporsed" is privileged to publish this information with the explicit permission of IRAP, ensuring that Afghans seeking accurate and reliable guidance can access it conveniently.
Summary
This guide explains how to request to transfer your SIV application if you:
- Started your SIV application;
- Are not in the United States; and
- Your case is still with the U.S. Embassy Kabul, or
- Your case is with an embassy or consulate in a country where you do not live.
If you are at the COM stage
The COM application stage takes place over email and is the same for people in all locations in the world. If you are at the COM stage, you do not need to change where your application is processed. This applies to you:
- If you submitted a new application for COM approval and you are waiting for a response from COM.
- If you submitted an appeal for COM and you are waiting for a response for COM
If you have COM approval and do not need to file an I-360, or if you have an approved I-360
The process to continue an SIV application after the I-360 approval is different for people in the United States and people outside the United States. This section describes the process for people outside the United States. See this IRAP guide for information about the process for people inside the United States.
If you have COM approval and do not need to file an I-360, or if you have an I-360 approval, you can contact NVC to request that NVC transfer your SIV case to a U.S. embassy in the country you are now in or a country to which you will be able to travel.
When filling out the DS-260, you should designate an embassy that you can travel to or the embassy in the country that you are currently living in.
How to request a transfer
The State Department can only transfer your case to U.S. embassies and consulates that do immigrant visa processing. Some embassies and consulates only process non-immigrant visas, and those posts will not be able to help you.
The State Department cannot help you to travel to another country or to get a visa to another country for interviews.
To request a transfer, send an email to NVCSIV@state.gov. This email should include:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your case number
- The embassy you want to transfer your case to.
If you had an interview scheduled at Kabul
If you had an interview scheduled at Embassy Kabul that you were unable to complete, email an immigrant visa processing U.S. embassy or consulate that you can travel to. Ask the embassy or consulate to transfer your interview.
You should include:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your case number
- Documents from the embassy showing that you had a scheduled interview
The embassy or consulate may be delayed in its response time. The time to schedule your interview may also be delayed by weeks or months.
If you are not sure if an embassy or consulate has immigrant visa processing, or you are not sure of the correct email address to use, then you can use the State Department’s official list of embassies. Find the website for the embassy or consulate in the country where you are located. Each local embassy or consulate website should have a section for visa services. That section should explain if it provides immigrant visa services and list contact information.
Contact Information for Islamabad Embassy Transfers: IslamabadAfghanSIV@state.gov
Contact Information for Ankara Embassy Transfers: AnkaraIV@state.gov
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For more information
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