26.06.2023

Update on the resumption of the German Federal Admission Program

On 26th June 2023, the German Government resumed interviewing Afghans with acceptance for Germany (persons with file numbers) at its Embassy in Islamabad only.

As we published previously, since 29 March 2023, the visa processing for Afghans at risk with a German approval was temporarily suspended. All German embassies stopped processing and issuing German visas for Afghans with acceptance for Germany (persons with file numbers).

As planned, the German Government has introduced new security interview procedures for Afghans with acceptance to Germany required before a German visa may be issued. These procedures are only available in Islamabad and it is not possible to process a humanitarian visa application in any German Embassy except in Islamabad.

Around 14, 000 people in total hold an admission approval and are waiting for the visa to be issued. The immediate suspension of the processing of visas in March created a backlog of approximately 1,500 people in Pakistan and Iran. The German Government is prioritising these cases, after which others with admission to Germany may process their case at the Embassy in Islamabad. Logistical support for those with admission to Germany will only begin after the backlog of interviewees is cleared by the German Government. We don’t know the exact start date for this yet, but we don’t expect the process to start before the end of August.

Independent from the temporary suspension of new visa issues, the selection of cases has been ongoing under the new German Federal Admission Program. The program should have resulted in 1000 admission approvals per month. However only a few approvals have been issued by now. It is not known when the German Government will grant admission to 1,000 Afghans selected under the German Federal Admission Program on a monthly basis. Kabul Luftbruecke can neither check the status of applications, nor can we speed up, influence, or decide over outcomes of applications.


I have acceptance to Germany and am in GIZ accommodation in Pakistan or Iran
If you are in GIZ accommodation and are in Pakistan or Iran, your case is being prioritised by the German Government. You will be subject to the new security interview procedures as part of the process for a German visa. If you were interviewed before the suspension, you will be interviewed again according to the new procedures. After German visas are issued you will be flown to Germany

I have acceptance to Germany but am not in GIZ accommodation
After the German Government has completed interviews with the backlog of cases currently in GIZ accommodation in Pakistan and Iran, the German Embassy in Islamabad will begin processing additional cases. This may take several weeks or months.

Once the German Embassy in Islamabad has cleared the backlog, you will have to obtain Pakistan visas for you and your family members at your own expense. At the German Embassy in Islamabad, you will be subject to security interview procedures and your case will be processed for German visas. After German visas are issued you will be flown to Germany.


I was granted acceptance to Germany but now my case is under review
If you were granted admission to Germany (given a file number) but have since been informed your case is under review, you will not be able to request an interview at the Embassy until your case is resolved. Once your case is no longer under review, you will be subject to the procedure under “I have acceptance to Germany but am not in GIZ accommodation” above.

I have applied to the German Federal Admission Program
If you have applied to the German Federal Admission Program, regardless of whether you have been contacted by the Government, you will need to wait until you are issued with a file number. Currently file numbers are beginning to be issued to Afghans under this program. Once you are issued with a file number, you will be subject to the procedure under “I have acceptance to Germany but am not in GIZ accommodation” above.


29.03.2023
Update on the suspension of the German Federal Admission Program

Since 29.03.2023 the German federal admission programme for Afghans at risk is temporarily on hold due to suspected cases of abuse. Please note that the federal admission programme is not cancelled. It means that until further notice all German Embassies are not processing or issuing German visas for Afghans with acceptance to Germany (individuals issued with a file number). For this reason, all logistical support by GIZ and Kabul Luftbruecke for Afghans with acceptance to Germany is temporarily suspended, including the allocation of new visa appointments, GIZ transports and flights to Germany provided by GIZ. It does not affect your approval of admission to Germany but it is not possible for you to travel to Germany at the moment.

According to the concerned authorities in Germany, the federal admission programme will resume as soon as security procedures are established in the visa process within the admission programme. As of now, we do not know how long the suspension will last, nor do we know when the process will resume, but most likely it will take several weeks.

As soon as we have detailed information about the further procedure, we will update you here.

Please also check the websites of the foreign ministry/ ministry of interior as well as the respective embassies regularly for updates.

*This information applies only to the visa process under the German Government’s admission programme for Afghan citizens at risk and does not affect other cases, such as family reunification cases.

Why is the visa issuing process on hold?

The reason for the suspension of the programme is suspected abuse. The German Government has therefore decided to establish a new security procedure in the visa process. It is currently not clear what this exactly means. However, please note that this does not mean that the program is cancelled and does not affect your approval of admission.

AFGHANISTAN

If you have acceptance to Germany and are in Afghanistan, the normal procedure would be travelling to a third country and attending an interview at the German Embassy. Currently, that is not possible.

No, currently the suspension applies to all embassies world wide and you cannot process your visa for Germany anywhere. The visa procedure for Afghans with an approval to Germany will only resume in Pakistan.

Arrangements to travel to Pakistan: Until further notice ALL transports by GIZ and Kabul Luftbruecke have been suspended due to the Embassies suspension of the programme. It is not possible to arrange a visa appointment at the German Embassy for the federal admission programme and accommodation will not be provided to those who arrive in Islamabad.*

If you decide to travel to Pakistan and wait there for the resumption of the program, you must organise and finance your travel and stay in Pakistan. Further, you have to enter Pakistan legally with a valid passport and PAK visa.

We will update you as soon as details on the resumption of the process are officially announced. In the meantime, please also check the governmental websites for further updates.

*We will update this information as soon as GIZ is supporting families in Islamabad again.

Arrangements to travel to Iran:

The visa procedure of the federal admission program for Afghanistan will not resume in Iran. All applications will be transferred to Islamabad, where applicants go through an additional step. For that reason, we do not recommend travelling to Iran since your case will not be processed there and you will not receive any support like accommodation anymore.

We will update you as soon as details on the resumption of the process are officially announced. In the meantime, please also check the governmental websites for further updates.

 

 

IRAN

The visa procedure of the federal admission program for Afghanistan will, regardless of the status, not resume in the German Embassy in Tehran, but ONLY in Islamabad. All pending families with approval to Germany will have to go through an additional security mechanism in Islamabad.
This measure has different implications for the applicants:

If your visa appointment has not been cancelled yet, please ask the German embassy in Tehran for the status of the visa appointment.

The visa procedure of the federal admission program for Afghanistan will, regardless of the status, not resume in the German Embassy in Tehran, but ONLY in Islamabad. Therefore no visa appointments will take place in Iran anymore. In case you have not arrived in Iran yet, we do not recommend travelling to Iran since your visa for Germany will not be processed there.
You have to arrange your onward travel to Islamabad for the further visa process yourself. Be aware, that until further notice, your stay in Pakistan would have to be financed and organised by yourself until the programme resumes.

Please get in touch with GIZ for further instructions.

We will update you as soon as details on the resumption of the process are officially announced. In the meantime, please also check the governmental websites for further updates.

The visa procedure of the federal admission program for Afghanistan will not resume in Iran.

If your visa appointment in Tehran has been cancelled, your appointment will be rescheduled to the German embassy in Islamabad. For further information, please get in touch with GIZ.

If you are already residing in Iran and are accommodated with GIZ, GIZ will inform you about the next steps accordingly.

If you are currently in Iran residing outside of GIZ accommodation and your visa appointment has been cancelled, please get in touch with GIZ and report them your case.

In case you have not arrived in Iran yet, we do not recommend travelling to Iran since your visa for Germany will not be processed there.

You have to arrange your onward travel to Islamabad for the further visa process yourself. Be aware, that until further notice, your stay in Pakistan would have to be financed and organised by yourself until the programme resumes.

Please get in touch with GIZ for further instructions.

We will update you as soon as details on the resumption of the process are officially announced. In the meantime, please also check the governmental websites for further updates.

You need to have a legal stay in Iran in order to leave the country at a later point. Therefore, please make sure that your Iran visa is valid. According to information received, Iran visas can be extended 3 times at low costs. If you don’t extend your visa, you will need to pay exit fees which are calculated per day of overstay and can be costly.

If your visa appointment has been cancelled and you’re in accommodation funded by GIZ, you will be informed accordingly about the further process. You will be able to stay in GIZ funded accommodation until the process resumes.

If you are currently in Iran residing outside of GIZ accommodation, but have a confirmed or cancelled visa appointment in Iran, please get in touch with GIZ and inform them that you are in Iran without accommodation. Include your passport, Iran visa scans, entry stamps and a screenshot of your previously scheduled visa appointment.

Until further notice the issuance of German visas is currently suspended and will only resume in Islamabad. You will be informed by the German embassy in Tehran and GIZ about the further process.

If you have a German visa and have been issued with a flight ticket from Iran to Germany, please take your flight.

If you have a German visa and have not yet been issued with a flight ticket from Iran to Germany, you will have to go through another step in the German embassy in Islamabad. GIZ will inform you about the further process.

PAKISTAN

If you have acceptance to Germany and are in Pakistan, normally you would be required to attend an interview at the German Embassy. Currently, that is not possible.

Until further notice ALL transports by GIZ and Kabul Luftbruecke have been suspended due to the Embassies suspension of the programme. It is not possible to arrange a visa appointment at the German Embassy for the federal admission programme and accommodation will not be provided to those who arrive in Islamabad.*

If you decide to travel to Pakistan and wait there for the resumption of the program, you must organise and finance your travel and stay in Pakistan. Further, you have to enter Pakistan legally with a valid passport and PAK visa.

*We will update this information as soon as GIZ is supporting families in Islamabad again.

It is not possible to arrange a visa appointment at the German Embassy for the federal admission programme. If you are currently accommodated by GIZ, you will be able to stay in GIZ accommodation until the process resumes.

Until further notice the issuance of German Visas are currently suspended. Once the program resumes, you will be informed accordingly.

Until further notice, organised flights to Germany by GIZ are currently suspended. This means that the German Government is currently not providing any support for flights from Pakistan to Germany. Once the program resumes, you will be informed accordingly.

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