*** PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ***
*** PLEASE READ ***
SIV PROGRAM: As announced at the inception of the program, the Iraqi
Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program is scheduled to end on September
30, 2013. The Department of State has been working with its interagency
partners and interested members of Congress to extend our authority
beyond September 30 to allow for the issuance of SIVs after that date.
However, under current legislation, our authority to issue SIVs to
eligible individuals who have been employed by or on behalf of the U.S.
government in Iraq ends on September 30, 2013.
If your case is currently pending administrative processing you may wish
to update expired documents. Please check your email regularly for
correspondence regarding expired documents, and to ensure that your case
can be completed if the administrative processing is complete before the
program end date. If your email address or phone has changed, please
inform the Consular Section via our online inquiry form:
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/ivform.html.
While we will continue processing cases as quickly as possible in
accordance with U.S. law and regulations, there is no guarantee that
cases will be completed by September 30. The U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program (USRAP) for U.S. affiliated Iraqis remains in place and will
continue to be available after September 30, 2013 regardless of whether
the Iraqi SIV program ends at that time. The Embassy encourages SIV
applicants to seek out information about the USRAP as the eligibility
criteria are very similar to those of the SIV program. For more
information on the USRAP for U.S. affiliated Iraqis, please visit
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/refugeesidpaffairs.html.
STATUS CHECKS: Immigrant and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants
can now verify the status of their application by visiting the
Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC)
website:
https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/, and clicking the link for "Check
My Visa Application Status" located under the "IMMIGRANT" category. You
will be required to enter your case number. For more information please
visit
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/administrative-processing.html. The
Consular Section will no longer respond to status update requests via
email.
All other inquiries not related to a status check must be submitted
through our online inquiry form, which is available at:
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/ivform.html. The Immigrant Visa Unit will not
respond to emails sent directly to this address, unless you have been
specifically requested to do so in order to provide additional
information or documentation.
If you have questions regarding the IV/SIV application process, please
visit our frequently asked questions website at:
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/faq6.html.
Additional information on the IV/SIV application process can be found on
our website
http://iraq.usembassy.gov and on
http://travel.state.gov.
Sincerely,
Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq
*** Useful links:
- Would you like to learn more about the different types of visas
available to immigrate to the United States? Please visit:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1326.html.
- Do you need to download a form required for your application
process? Please visit:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_1342.html.
- Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who have
remained outside of the United States for longer than one year, or
beyond the validity period of a re-entry permit, will require a new
immigrant visa to enter the U.S. and resume permanent residence. For
more information, please visit:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1333.html.
- Would you like to receive more information regarding the U.S.
Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) in Iraq? Please contact the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), which coordinates the
USRAP. They may be reached by email at:
ic@iom.int.
وبالتوفيق للجميع يا الله.
