KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – An Afghan citizen has been sentenced to six months in prison in the United States after pleading guilty to visa fraud involving two applications for a U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Dilbar Gul Dilbar, also known as Dilbar Gul Taj Ali Khan, pleaded guilty to visa fraud before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. and was sentenced to six months in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said.
According to court records and prosecutors, in November 2017, Dilbar paid someone to compile and submit an SIV application on his behalf. Prosecutors said he knew the application contained a false approval letter purportedly issued by the Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
Despite knowing about the false document, Dilbar affirmed that the information and supporting evidence submitted with the application were accurate, prosecutors said.
In October 2021, Dilbar paid another individual to prepare and submit a second SIV application. Prosecutors said he again certified that the information in the application was accurate, despite knowing there was a high probability that at least one representation was false.
The fraudulent representations ultimately resulted in Dilbar receiving an SIV in April 2024, according to the Justice Department. He entered the United States and later obtained lawful permanent resident status, allowing him to reside in the Western District of New York.
Federal investigators later determined that the applications contained fraudulent immigration documents, leading to his arrest and the filing of a federal criminal case in 2025.
Prosecutors said the fraudulent documents included a recommendation letter purportedly issued by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and a fabricated employment-experience document involving a company based in the United States.
The SIV program was established to provide eligible Afghan nationals who worked with or assisted the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan with a pathway to permanent residence in the United States.
The program became a major pathway for the relocation of Afghans who had worked alongside U.S. forces, diplomatic missions and other U.S. government-supported programs. Thousands of Afghan nationals and their family members have been relocated to the United States through the SIV program, including a large number following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
Fraudulent documents or false statements in such applications can lead to criminal prosecution and loss of immigration status.
