USCIS Announces that Lautenberg Category Members in Moscow Who Were Offered Parole but Did Not Travel by September 30, 2011, May Still be Eligible for Parole

Approximately 113 individuals who were authorized “Lautenberg” parole by the USCIS Field Office in Moscow who missed the original deadline to travel to the United States may now have another opportunity to travel.

The Lautenberg Amendment allows certain religious minorities from the former Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania who have been paroled into the United States after being denied refugee status to adjust status to lawful permanent residence.

Certain provisions of the Lautenberg Amendment expired Sept. 30, 2011. Individuals who were already authorized for parole had until that date to enter the United States; of the 640 people authorized, more than 500 traveled to the United States. Last July, USCIS stopped authorizing parole for new applicants to ensure that all individuals who were authorized parole under this program would be able to travel to the United States by the deadline.

Congress has since reinstated the Lautenberg Amendment and the remaining Lautenberg parolees may now be permitted to travel to the United States by the new deadline of Sept. 30, 2012, if they are still interested and eligible. If you were previously authorized parole and believe you qualify, please contact the USCIS Field Office in Moscow at Moscow.dhs@dhs.gov for additional information.

While USCIS will no longer offer parole to individuals denied refugee status under the Lautenberg Amendment, individuals may continue to seek parole on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons through the humanitarian parole process. Information on humanitarian parole may be found at www.uscis.gov.