Thousands are in the same position.

This family has applied for resettlement in the U.S. under a special program for Afghans who worked for U.S. organizations, known as P2.

18-year old Marwa's father used to work as a guard for an American aid organization.

But now money's running out and their worries are growing.

"We cook and eat twice a day, some days we eat even less to save money,"

Reuters is withholding the full names and identities of family members for security reasons.

The family sold their home in Afghanistan and left last year. They had been told by U.S. authorities to travel to a third country to get their application processed.

Marwa's husband, Khalilzad, says their savings are almost gone.

"My father-in-law sold all his belongings and house so that we could come to Pakistan. He used most of that money to pay for the visas to come to Pakistan. So far, we are living with that money here and the remaining money will last at most for one or two more months."

For thousands of Afghans applying for refugee status and visas in the West, neighboring Pakistan was their only option.

It's thought between 16,000 and 20,000 applicants for the P2 resettlement program are in the country, according to community members and advocates.

Most Afghans are not allowed to work and don't qualify for public education and healthcare.

Pakistani officials say the government, grappling with an economic crisis, is increasingly anxious about the number of Afghans arriving, at times at the request of Western government.

The children of the family have not been able to go to school for more than a year.

14-year-old Asra has been going through the alphabet with her younger siblings.

She was barred from school in Afghanistan where the Taliban closed girls' high-schools after returning to power two years ago.

"I want to go to school. I suffer a lot when I see my friends and other girls going to school. Our neighbor's girls go to school. It worries me a lot when I see them going to school and I can't."

In the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, Western countries vowed to help, including the P2 program.

Though the Taliban announced an amnesty for old foes, many Afghans fear reprisals.

And human rights advocates have criticized the slow progress in processing refugees by Western governments.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson acknowledged its processing capacity in Pakistan remains limited, but said they're actively working to try to expand it.

But many, like this family, have been disappointed and wonder how long they can go on in limbo.