UPDATE:
Dear Applicant/US Tie,
Executive Order 14163, Realignment of the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), has halted refugee travel to the United States and all resettlement processing. RSC Austria managed by HIAS is awaiting further detailed instructions related to the suspension of the USRAP and does not have additional information to provide at this time.
In addition, due to Stop Work Orders received by HIAS from the U.S. government, RSC Austria cannot provide any case status updates or make any updates to your case information.
Therefore, do not believe anyone who claims to be able to move, fast track, or influence the processing of a case and report such instances of fraud to concerns@hias-vienna.at
RSC Austria
The Lautenberg Amendment, first enacted in 1990 to facilitate the resettlement of Jews from the former Soviet Union, has allowed HIAS to bring tens of thousands of refugees to safety. As the worldwide refugee situation changed, the Lautenberg Amendment, originally proposed by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, was later expanded to include persecuted religious minorities in other countries, such as Jews, Christians, Baha’is, Sabaean-Mandaeans, and Zoroastrians from Iran. Despite being a crucial part of U.S. refugee policy, the amendment expires each year and must be reauthorized.
This program allows certain individuals legally residing in the United States to apply to bring eligible family members and friends to the U.S. To access the program, qualifying individuals who legally reside in the U.S. must apply for family members and friends through a resettlement agency in their area; applications will only be considered if they come through a local resettlement office.
Because HIAS’ Silver Spring and New York offices are not resettlement offices, those offices cannot help individuals apply to the Lautenberg program or discuss any case information.
Lautenberg applications are not being accepted at this time, because the program has not yet been reauthorized by Congress for the 2025 fiscal year. We will provide updates here as soon as they are available. If you have questions about the application process or the Lautenberg program in general, please contact info@hias.org.
Former Soviet Union (FSU)
Applicants from the former Soviet Union must have a close family member in the United States with permanent immigration status to qualify. Close relatives of qualified applicants will be able to initiate their refugee applications by filing an Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) through a local resettlement office.
Iran
UPDATE:
If you are a US Tie for an Iranian Lautenberg case in Iran and you have a C&M deposit on file with HIAS Headquarters and you would like your deposit returned to you, please complete the form found at this link (RSC Austria_Request for Reimbursement of CM Deposit.v2 – Cases in Iran.pdf) and follow the instructions found on the form. You will have an opportunity to indicate if you would like your case closed or if you would like your case to remain open.
If you are a US Tie for an Iranian Lautenberg case that has arrived in the United States between July 2023 and January 2025, you should have received an email from RSC Austria describing the process for receiving the remaining funds from your C&M deposit. If you did not receive this email from RSC Austria, please complete the form found at this link (RSC Austria_CM Refund (Stateside Cases)_April 2024.pdf) and follow the instructions found on the form.
Applicants in Iran must have relatives or friends in the United States with permanent immigration status. Relatives or friends of eligible applicants will be able to initiate refugee applications on their behalf by submitting Refugee Information Forms (RIFs) through a local resettlement office.
If you are an Iranian applicant to the Lautenberg program, or a U.S.-based relative or a friend (also known as a U.S. Tie), and wish to inquire about a case status, please reach out to the local resettlement office through which the original application was submitted. You can also contact RSC Austria at caseinquires@hias-vienna.at, making sure to include your case number (IR-00xxxxxx) in the subject line. Do not include any personal information in emails to this inbox.
Please be aware that HIAS does not provide consultations on general immigration questions or on immigration options to the U.S. HIAS cannot assist in obtaining tourist or work visas. If you still have questions, please view our Frequently Asked Questions or contact info@hias.org.
