Moscow, Nov 19 (Agency) More than 28,000 Afghans have applied for US temporary visas for humanitarian reasons since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August, but only about a hundred have so far been approved, media reports said on Friday. Afghans must travel abroad to another country to find an US embassy or consulate since the approval process requires an in-person interview.
Flight restrictions in Afghanistan have made traveling abroad much harder. Even after the in-person interview, approval cannot be guaranteed, Khaama News agency said. Each application comes with a $575 filing charge that has amounted to an estimated $11.5 million paid by the Afghans since August, according to the agency. Afghan families settled in the US said they were waiting for their relatives to manage the visa so they could travel to safety to the US. They were apprehensive about the slow approval pace as it threatened their relatives’ safety, the report said.