Lautenberg Program Reauthorized for 2024

Lautenberg Program Reauthorized

The IRC in Los Angeles is thrilled to share the good news that the Lautenberg family reunification program has been renewed for 2024! We are now accepting new applications until August 16th, 2024. Contact our team today to schedule an appointment and apply. 

What is the Lautenberg program?

• The Lautenberg Amendment was first enacted in 1990 to facilitate the resettlement of Jews from the former Soviet Union. The program was later expanded to include other persecuted religious minorities such as Christians, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians from Iran.
• Despite being a crucial part of U.S. refugee policy, the amendment expires and must be reauthorized each year by Congress. The program has been renewed for the remainder of the fiscal year 2024.
• Individuals must apply through their local resettlement agency, such as the IRC Los Angeles.

Who is eligible to apply?

• This program allows certain individuals legally residing in the United States to apply to bring eligible family members and friends to join them in the U.S.
• The "U.S. Tie" (UST) must be at least 18 years old, and be either a U.S. Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, Asylee, Refugee, Parolee, or TPS-holder.
• The Principal Applicant (PA) must be at least 18 years old, a citizen of a former Soviet Union country or Iran, related to the UST, and belong to a religious minority group such as Jews, Christians, Ukrainian Orthodox or Greek Catholics, Baha'is, or Zoroastrians.

Iranian applicants

• Applicants in Iran must have relatives or friends in the United States with permanent immigration status. The “U.S. Tie” will be able to initiate refugee applications on their behalf by submitting Refugee Information Forms (RIFs) through a local resettlement office.

Former Soviet Union applicants

• Applicants from the former Soviet Union must have a close family member in the United States with permanent immigration status to qualify. The “U.S. Tie” will be able to initiate their refugee applications by filing an Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) through a local resettlement office.

What about existing applications?

• Due to the Lautenberg program being suspended for six years, there are over 12,000 cases currently waiting to be processed. Please note that while IRC works diligently to submit applications, and resettle families once their cases have been approved, we do not have any control over how quickly cases are processed. Cases are approved and processed by the U.S. Dept of State, and can take several years.
• If you wish to inquire about a case status, please reach out to the IRC or your local resettlement office through which the original application was submitted. For Iranian cases, you can also contact RSC Austria at [email protected], making sure to include your case number (IR-00xxxxxx) in the subject line.

How can I apply?

The IRC in Los Angeles is happy to help submit your Lautenberg family reunification application. Please contact our team to schedule an appointment today!

• Deadline: August 16th, 2024
• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: 747-257-4638 | 747-228-4773 (Armenian/Farsi); +1 (818) 482-8919 (Ukrainian)