Special Immigrant Visa

is awarded to Afghan and Iraqi citizens who assisted U.S. Forces fighting in their home countries at great risk to themselves and their families. The SIV allows them to immigrate to safety to eventually become citizens. It is our duty as veterans and as Americans to welcome them, honor their service, and empower them to succeed.

The SIV & Allies Program at Combined Arms Leverages the Volunteer leadership of US military Veterans, Special Immigrant Visa recipients, and inspired community members to provide direct programming to the SIV community. Our current programming includes:

Referrals to connect the SIV & Allies community to a variety of essential resources available
Quarterly Social Events to foster camaraderie and a sense of community between SIV, Veterans, community members and community resources
Airport Greetings and Home Visits for the New SIV arrivals to provide a warm welcome that acknowledges their service and sacrifice
Solicit, Store, and Distribute Donations of Household Goods to provide essentials for SIV families in need
Outreach by representing Combined Arms at events relevant to SIV's and providing volunteers for relevant organizations and causes.

Supporting Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) & Allies: Combined Arms' Commitment

Before August 2021, few knew who Special Immigrant Visas were and how they stood side-by-side with the U.S. military. With 10,000+ Afghan Allies arriving since 2021, we have scaled our efforts to meet their needs, but we need your support.

Donate Here

Who We are & How We Serve

Combined Arms SIV& Allies program engages Veterans and volunteers to work closely with the local, state, and national organizations to fill the resource gaps for those who stood shoulder to shoulder with the US Forces during wartime. Combined Arms SIV & Allies Program has served SIVs and Wartime Allies in Houston, Austin and the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Combined Arms is dedicated to empowering SIVs, Allies, and their families. Our unique system of resources helps connect them to vital resources, serving as a trusted connected advocate for this vulnerable population. For example, in response to food insecurity challenges, we’ve partnered with the Houston Food Bank and Central Texas Food Bank, distributing nutritious food packages through emergency mobile food pantries to Allies in Houston and Austin during 2022 and 2023.

2006

Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program was first established

Through the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006 which provided the basis for 50 Visas per fiscal year to Iraqi and Afghan Interpreters
2009

The Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 expanded the SIV Program

Section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, as amended, is a special immigrant program, which authorizes the issuance of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to Afghan nationals who meet certain requirements.
2013

Number of SIV application grew

In 2013 the number of SIV applications grew exponentially and the US government raised the minimum service requirement from 12 months to 24 months
2019

Combined Arms Established the SIV & Allies Group

In October 2019 Combined Arms established the SIVs & Allies Group. The group was the first of its kind in the country launched by a Veteran Service Organization (VSO). A Marine Veteran established the group and was operating out of Houston, Texas by an all-volunteer team.
2021

Kabul Fell following the withdrawal of US troops

A massive evacuation operation ensued and in 2 weeks over 75,000 at-risk Afghans were evacuated.

With the arrival of over 13,000 Afghan Allies in Texas, the SIVs & Allies Group couldn’t meet the demand, and Combined Arms turned the group into a Program and hired the current SIVs & Allies Program Manager Khalil Yarzada to manage the Program.
2022

SIV & Allies Program Launch in Austin

With this launch in Austin services were provided to the SIVs & Allies in the Austin Community
2023

SIV & Allies Program Launch in Dallas Fort Worth

In November Combined Arms Launched the SIVs & Allies Program in North Texas namely in Dallas and Fort Worth area.

All Time Metrics and Impact:

Impact since 2019

11,000+ SIVs & Allies and their families impacted
6 Emergency food distribution events serving 4,700 people
Organized multiple employment fairs linking 800 Afghan Allies with 50 employers
Laptop Distribution events with 290+ laptops provided to SIV and Allies Families
1,160 SIVs enrolled in the Combined Arms system
1,1785 SIV & Allies connected to resources through our portal
3,000+ SIVs & Allies Assisted
1,090+ brought together through our social events
Basic household goods provided to 200 SIVs and Families
Provided gifts to 310+ children and 95 SIVs and Allies Families during Operation Santa and our Toy drive.

SIVs in The News

Almost two years since Kabul fell, a frayed refugee system creates obstacles for Afghans in Texas. Read more on the Texas Tribune
With the Second anniversary of the Fall of Kabul approaching, thousands of Afghan refugees remain stuck in legal limbo. Read more from Houston Public Media
Escaping Afghanistan is just the beginning for our Afghan allies. Read more about the harrowing journey to freedom for SIVs and their families and how Combined Arms supports them in the Houston Chronicle on August 24, 2021.
Before the Afghanistan's fall, SIVs were trickling into the Houston to begin lives together with the support of Combined Arms and our partners. Read more in the Houston Chronicle from this story on June 21, 2021.
"During our SIV town hall, an SIV stated "right now I can finally breathe, knowing that this community is here for me." While we cannot control what is happening in Afghanistan, we can and must continue to show up for one another. - Read more at our blog post here.

See how quickly Afghans contribute the local economy in this Houston Chronicle article from August 29th, 2021.
Combined Arms is amongst the best-in-class organizations in Texas that serve our Afghan Allies. "It’s our time to be of service, Houston, to these heroes building new lives here. They fought for a country that, they were told, stood for democracy, opportunity and compassion. Let’s show them it’s true." - read more at this Houston Chronicle Editorial from September 2, 2021.