Summary

This guide is for religious minorities who are citizens of former Soviet Union countries and seek to reunite with family in the United States through the Lautenberg Program.

About the Lautenberg Program

The Lautenberg Program allows certain religious minorities in the former Soviet Union to apply for refugee resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admission Program (USRAP). The application process must be initiated by a U.S.-based individual with eligible status. 

The U.S.-based individual must be:

• A U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident (or “green card” holder), asylee, refugee, or parolee

• At least 18 years old

The refugee applicant must be:

• The parent, child, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the U.S.-based family member

• A citizen of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan

• A member of a religious minority, including Jews, Evangelical Christians (Baptists, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, and others), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ukrainian Greek Catholics, and members of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

• At least 18 years old

How to File an Application

U.S. family members and overseas applicants cannot apply directly to the U.S. government to access this program; only designated resettlement agencies in the United States can submit the initial application.

The U.S. family member must request assistance from a local resettlement agency, which will help them file an “Affidavit of Relationship” (AOR) with all the relevant information regarding their eligible family member.

To find a resettlement agency near you in the United States, you can use this website and search by your state of residence.

Applicants over the age of 14 will need to complete a Preliminary Questionnaire (PQ) in English, Russian, or Ukrainian.

Required Documents

The U.S. family member will be required to provide:

• Birth certificate

• Proof of current status in the United States, such as a passport, green card, or certificate of naturalization

The refugee applicant will be required to provide:

• Birth certificate

• Passport

• National ID card

• Marriage certificate, name change decree, divorce decree, adoption order (if relevant)

• Passport photos

English translations of these documents are not required. 

You may be required to provide documents not listed above at the time of submission, or later in the process.

Next Steps in Processing

Applicants must remain in their country for their case to be processed, unless they are Ukrainians who have been displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Applicants who have left Ukraine for that reason should write to IOM, Resettlement Support Center (RSC) Eurasia at icc@iom.int with their new location and contact details.

Applicants will undergo official interviews, medical checks, and security checks before receiving a final decision on their application. 

If your application is approved, IOM will provide you with information and instructions related to your travel to the United States.

If your application is denied, you can request that the U.S. government review your case again. More information on how to submit such a request can be found here.