UNHCR has received reports of fraudsters charging Afghan refugees money for Australian visa application forms in different cities in Iran.

Please be informed that visa application forms for Australia are available online and they can be downloaded free of cost. Availability of forms online is standard practice and is NOT linked to any special scheme for Afghan refugees in Iran.

Australia is NOT processing applications for resettlement received directly from Afghan refugees.

Please also beware of any false promises for resettlement on behalf of UNHCR. UNHCR does not outsource its programmes to individuals, private companies or commercial contractors.

Do not trust anyone asking you to pay for services from UNHCR or its partners as all services provided by UNHCR are FREE OF CHARGE.

Help us stop the cycle of misinformation.

What to do if you are approached by someone promising resettlement or help to submit you for resettlement to an embassy or UNHCR?

• Do NOT transfer or pay money to anyone
• Report anyone suspected of having committed fraud to UNHCR Iran at: [email protected] or please refer to UNHCR Help Page at: https://help.unhcr.org/iran/en/contact/

ALL UNHCR SERVICES ARE FREE OF CHARGE!

Notifying all foreign nationals who have participated in the new headcount and identification plans, the validity of the LPs issued in line with the “conditional protection preparation process”, in order to prepare and finalize the necessary actions, are extended for three more months, until 20 April 2023.

Link to BAFIA website: click here

According to the information and public relations of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs of the Ministry of Interior:

For the attention of those included in the family passport plan for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants who have one of the following conditions:

• Family passport holders with visa extension valid until 21.12. 2022
• Family passport holders who missed previous extensions from 20.06.2016 to 21.12. 2022
• Issuance of Family Passport visa for:
  • Household members of Afghan nationals where either of the parents have changed legal status from Amayesh to passport and visa, or;
  • Household members of Afghan nationals with Iranian mother.

  It should be noted that the visas will be valid until 21.12.2023.

Sadegh Reza Doust, Director General of BAFIA announced that Afghan nationals who entered the Islamic Republic of Iran after the events of July 1400 and participated in the Headcount scheme and  have not yet succeeded in enrolling their children in schools, can refer to Kefalat offices, from Saturday 14 January to 20 January for issuing and renewing the education support slip.”

to the notice of all those eligible to participate in the Amayesh 17^th registration exercise:

Afghan nationals who for any reason failed to participate in the Amayesh 17th registration, in order to avoid being undocumented and also to benefit from the relevant services, should approach the nearest Kefalat centers of the governorates across the country to renew their cards, from Saturday 10 December 2022 to 17 December 2022.

It should be noted that this time will not be extended at all.

Notifying all foreign nationals who have participated in the new headcount and identification plans, the validity of the LPs issued in line with the “conditional protection preparation process” are extended from 22 October for three months until 20 January 2023.

It should be noted that the following foreign nationals are not subject to the extension and are not eligible to stay in the country based on the rules and regulations:

1) Foreign nationals identified in the prohibited areas (NGAs) who have not registered the request to relocate to the non-prohibited areas within the prescribed deadline (17 October 2022).

2) Foreign nationals who have been identified in non-prohibited areas but are present in areas other than the place of identification (non-prohibited or prohibited).

3) Foreign nationals who have been identified in several places (prohibited and non-prohibited) but are currently present in prohibited areas; even though they have an LP for NGAs.

Students who have not succeeded in obtaining an educational support slip for the following reasons should refer to nearby Kefalat center to obtain educational support slip

Those students, who does not hold a valid document and/or headcount and recount slips, can still approach the nearby kefalat center to receive education support slip, upon a condition that either both or one of the parents holds a valid residency document issued by the Government of Iran.

1. School-aged children whose both or one of their parents have identification slip issued in 1395 and 1396 and participated in the Recount plan of 1401 but their school-aged children (Under 12 years old) have not been identified and did not participate in any plan, shall refer to the Kefalat offices
2. Those who live in State Welfare Organization residential care centers and juvenile detention centers should refer to BAFIA provincials, submitting a letter from the relevant organization to receive the educational support slip.
3. The children of Iranian mothers who have filed a case but have not yet succeeded in obtaining an Iranian birth certificate and their case is under review, should refer to the BAFIA provincials.
4.  School-aged children of Iranian mothers who have not yet filed a case should refer to the Kefalat centers and receive an educational support slip, by presenting the necessary documents (marriage or divorce certificate).
5. Children whose one of their parents (father or mother) has a family passport, but the child does not have an identification card, should refer to Kefalat offices or BAFIA provincials to obtain an educational support slip.

Note: Please note that refugee cannot access to these services from in no go areas.

1. First grader students participating in the recount plan; and holders of the previous year’s educational support slip whose educational level or educational unit (school) has changed, should refer to kanoonnobat.ir to receive the educational support slip for the new year of 1402-1401. Holders of the previous year’s educational support slip, whose educational unit (school) has not changed, will be asked to refer to kanoonnobat.ir to receive the educational support slip for the year of 1402-1401 from the 23 October 2022.

2. Students registered in the Headcount plan with slips valid until 22 October 2022 issued by Kefalat offices:

The students (between 6 and 18 years old) of this group after receiving the sample health assessment form from the websites of the BAFIA Offices and referring to the comprehensive health service centers of their place of residence, take the results of the medical examinations with their headcount slip (valid until 22 October 2022) to the educational unit (school) of their place of residence for temporary registration. After the temporary registration in the schools, this group will be called to receive the educational support slip for the year of 1402-1401 from the above-mentioned web address from the 22 November 2022.

3. Students registered in the Headcount plan with slips valid until 22 October 2022 issued by Pishkhan offices:

Students (between 6 and 18 years old) of this group who have a white slip shall get an appointment to visit Khadamat offices by referring to kanoonnobat.ir. (Registrants with white slips in each province will only be assigned to the offices of the same province. No appointment will not be granted for the no-go provinces) On the day of the appointment, the Khadamat offices will issue the students and his/her guardian a slip valid until 22 October 2022 and also the sample health assessment form after completing the administrative process.

This group shall refer to the comprehensive health service centers of their place of residence, and after it, to take the results of the medical examinations with their headcount slip (valid until 22 October 2022), to the educational unit (school) of their place of residence for temporary registration. After the temporary registration in the schools, this group will be called to receive the educational support slip for the year of 1402-1401 from the above-mentioned web address from the 22 November 2022.

This is to inform that the holders of Amayesh 10 to 16 (Afghan nationals) and Hoviat cards 9-15 (Iraqi nationals), who have not renewed their cards in previous card renewal programs can renew their cards this year.

Furthermore, to renew the Amayesh and Hoviat cards as mentioned above, you also need to show that you have not left Iran and do not have any judicial records booked against you.

You are requested to reach to the nearest BAFIA/Kefalat centres for additional information on Amayesh/ Hoviat card renewal process.

Please note that, this practice might not apply to all applicants and will be assessed case by case.

According to BAFIA, this will be the last call for the given opportunity.

UNHCR Iran, strongly encourages holders of expired Amayesh/ Hoviat cards to participate in this exercise.

This is to inform all foreign nationals and immigrants without documents that the following measures should be taken to enroll their school-aged children in schools:

1. According to the educational circular issued by the Ministry of Education, students holding educational support slip (blue card) issued year (1400-1401) can enroll in school with the same blue card. After enrollment, they need to renew the blue card and receive a new one for the current year (1401-1402), starting from 23 October 2022. In order to get an appointment, they should visit “kanoonnobat.ir“website and get an appointment to receive the current year’s blue card.
2. According to the before-mentioned circular, students holding educational support slip (blue card) issued year (1400-1401) whose education level has changed, should receive the blue card of the current year (1401-1402). To make an appointment, they should visit “kanoonnobat.ir“website starting from 11 August 2022 and get an appointment to receive the current year’s blue card.
3. First grader applicants aged 6 to 8 years who have participated in the “Recount Plan”, should visit “kanoonnobat.ir“website starting from 11 August 2022 and get an appointment to renew the slip.
4. Afghan nationals registered in the “headcount Plan” who have children of school age should not go to the Kefalat offices and should wait for the announcement issued by the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs of the Ministry of Interior.