Moving to United States from Afghanistan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Afghanistan to United States, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Afghanistan to United States, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Afghanistan to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
51.142,504
Afghanistan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Afghanistan and United States stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Afghanistan generally does better on safety, though United States leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Afghanistan generally does better on environment, though United States leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
United States performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Afghanistan leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
United States performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.
Data: Afghanistan Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kabul | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kabul | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Afghanistan passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Afghanistan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from United States?
With 37.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United States can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and United States.
Is United States safe for expats?
Afghanistan generally does better on safety, though United States leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in United States is 6.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Afghanistan?
Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 2.5 in Afghanistan. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Afghanistan?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.
