US immigration to naturalise troops in Afghanistan

May 20 2009 by Ranjan Chakraborty

Afghan soldiers eligble for US visa

US citizenship applications from 125 members of the US military are to be processed in Afghanistan by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials.

The officials are to travel to the country to carry out interviews and process the troops’ applications for permanent immigration to USA.

US immigration hopes that all the applicants will be able to participate in a special naturalisation ceremony which will take place on Memorial Day at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

“It is a privilege to support our nation’s service members in their pursuit of citizenship, and we are humbled by their selfless service to the United States,” says the USCIS deputy director, Mike Aytes.

Since the Immigration and Nationalisation Act allowed immigrants who have worked in the US military since 11 September 2001 to apply for citizenship, 47,500 service people have been made citizens under the programme.

USCIS says it continues to carry out outreach programmes which ensure that people serving abroad in the US military are aware of their rights to apply for an American visa, which allows them and their families to move to the US and become citizens.

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