US President Joe Biden's administration is halting - with a few exceptions - temporary relocation of Afghans to the US and is focusing on reuniting immediate family members with permanent residence options, according to a senior administration official, Reuters reported.

The policy revision comes after criticism from some lawmakers, refugee organizations and veteran groups who say the administration failed to properly plan the evacuation of Afghans facing Taliban retaliation when it withdrew the last US troops from Afghanistan a year ago.

Under the changes, the source noted, the US will stop - with a few exceptions - accepting Afghans on humanitarian parole, a special program that grants temporary entry but no route to legal permanent residence.

The revised policy, the official said, would seek to relocate to the U.S. immediate family members of U.S. citizens, green card holders, and Afghans with special immigrant visas (SIVs) issued to those at risk of Taliban retaliation because they worked for the U.S. government. .

The policy review is the result of months of negotiations between the administration and a coalition of AfghanEvac groups that help evacuate and resettle Afghans in the US.

The Biden administration says the US military evacuation, marred by chaos at the Kabul airport and a suicide bombing that killed 13 US troops and more than 170 Afghans, was a success, with nearly 90,000 Afghans resettled in the US in one of the largest operations of its kind. kind.