- Iranian visas in western Afghanistan hit black market prices of nine hundred fifty dollars as official services remain closed.
- The United States has halted immigrant visa processing for seventy-five countries, including Afghanistan and Iran, citing national security concerns.
- Over twenty-three thousand Afghans received mission approval but zero Special Immigrant Visas have been issued since January first, twenty twenty-six.
Regional reporting on July 14 said a black market has driven Iranian visas in western Afghanistan to about 70,000 AFN, or roughly $950. The asking price sits far above official rates. The surge hit Herat and Nimroz after normal consular services stopped. Unauthorized intermediaries stepped into the gap, and Taliban border surveillance made the journey harder still.
Pakistan's mass deportation of Afghan refugees added pressure on the other side of the frontier. That push left more people looking toward Iran as an alternative. The route has become harder to use and easier to exploit. Cash now decides who can try.
Washington has tightened the path for Afghans too. Kristi Noem terminated Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan effective July 14, 2025. In a May 12, 2025 statement, she said:
Free toolDS-160 Form Filling Online Helper Tool"This administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent. . Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them [nationals] from returning to their home country."
The State Department added another pause on January 14, 2026. Rubio said immigrant visa processing from 75 countries would stop while the department reassessed procedures. Afghanistan and Iran were on the list. He said:
"The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people. Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits."
The department later tied those countries to a public-charge reassessment starting on January 21, 2026. Another order came on January 1, 2026. Presidential Proclamation 10998 restricts entry by nationals from Afghanistan and Iran on national security and public safety grounds.
Rights groups say thousands of Afghans who served the U.S. government are being sent to interviews in third countries, then facing what they call "blanket denials" under current bans. The interviews can happen in Iran or Pakistan. The paper trail keeps moving. The result does not.
Paper routes have narrowed
DHS has also pushed a campaign offering $1,000 for voluntary "self-deportation." It threatens $1,000-per-day fines for those remaining illegally. The campaign lands as legal routes shrink. It raises the cost of staying.
USCIS is fighting over its own vetting rules. On June 13, 2026, the agency said it would comply with a court ruling in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS after vacating certain extreme vetting policies. The agency said:
"The agency strongly disagrees with the court's decision but will comply with its terms pending further judicial review."
Special visas remain stuck
The clearest bottleneck is the special-immigrant pipeline. The State Department reported that no Special Immigrant Visas have been issued to Afghan applicants since January 1, 2026, even as over 23,000 Chief of Mission approvals were granted in the same period. One end keeps moving. The other stays shut. The paper route remains jammed.
