Bilateral Security Agreement Between the United States and Afghanistan Forthcoming

A revised Bilateral Security Agreement between the United States and Afghanistan should bring stricter immigration requirements in Afghanistan starting January 1, 2015. The agreement will require U.S. contractors and their employees to present a valid passport and visa to enter and exit Afghanistan, and to obtain work permits in certain cases. 

The visa is expected to be multiple-entry and valid for up to one year, with an anticipated expedited process available.  U.S. armed forces will still be exempt from this requirement.

It is expected that there will be certain concessions for U.S. contractors already in Afghanistan who must comply with the agreement, such as deadline extensions or grace periods until June 2015. However, no such announcement by the Afghani government has formally been made. 

The immigration process in Afghanistan is currently undergoing significant changes, and it is likely that new regulations will be published shortly. 

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Corporate entities operating in Afghanistan or those intending to initiate operations and sponsor foreign national employees in the future should note that the immigration process for Afghanistan is undergoing significant changes that could make entry into the country more administratively burdensome. 

There may be delays in processing times for immigration-related applications given the number of work permit/visa applications being submitted to the relevant authorities in Afghanistan. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]. 

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