Fact Sheet
Updated September 28, 2018
Certain categories of Iraqis with U.S. affiliations may apply directly for consideration under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) without the need for a referral by UNHCR. Persons described in the categories below who believe they are at risk or have experienced serious harm as a result of association with the U.S. government since March 20, 2003, and who wish to be considered for resettlement as refugees in the United States may initiate a case by contacting the relevant Department of State Resettlement Support Center (RSC) using contact information provided below. This program has been in effect since 2007.
The following individuals and their derivatives (spouse and unmarried children under age 21), with verifiable proof of U.S.-affiliated employment, may seek access through this program:
- Iraqis who work/worked on a full-time basis as interpreters/translators for the U.S. Government (USG) or Multi-National Forces (MNF-I) in Iraq;
- Iraqis who are/were employed by the USG in Iraq;
- Iraqis who are/were employees of an organization or entity closely associated with the U.S. mission in Iraq that has received USG funding through an official and documented contract, award, grant or cooperative agreement;
- Iraqis who are/were employed in Iraq by a U.S.-based media organization or nongovernmental organization;
- Spouses, sons, daughters, parents and siblings of individuals described in the four categories above, or of an individual eligible for a Special Immigrant Visa as a result of his/her employment by or on behalf of the USG in Iraq, including if the individual is no longer alive, provided that the relationship is verified;
- Iraqis who are beneficiaries of an approved I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. Please note that applicants who qualify for direct access under this 6th category will be automatically contacted by the Department of State about initiating an application, and should not contact an RSC directly.Please visit the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) website for additional information on the Iraqi and Syrian P-2 Program.
Derivatives (spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21) of the individuals listed above are also eligible for access to this program.
As of February 2016, processing is available in the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.
Individuals in categories 1-5 above who reside in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or United Arab Emirates may initiate a case by contacting RSC MENA, which is operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at IC@iom.int.
Individuals in categories 1-5 above who reside in Israel may initiate a case by contacting RSC Austria, which is operated by HIAS, at caseinquiries@hias-vienna.at.
Individuals in categories 1-5 above who reside in Lebanon may initiate a case by contacting RSC TuME, which is operated by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), at info.rsc@icmc.net.
Please note that while individuals in Lebanon do not need to be referred to the USRAP by UNHCR, Government of Lebanon exit permit procedures require that all refugees being resettled to the U.S. be registered with UNHCR.
Initiating this process does not guarantee access to the USRAP or an interview for resettlement to the United States. The first step in the process will be verification of the claimed U.S. association. Applicants will be notified by RSC MENA regarding any documentation they are required to submit to confirm their U.S. affiliated employment in Iraq. Once any required documentation has been submitted and verification has been completed, RSC MENA, RSC Austria, or RSC TuME will contact applicants directly regarding the next steps in the process.
Please note that this program is separate from the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program that was available to U.S.-affiliated Iraqis from 2007 to 2014.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is free of charge to applicants. There is no need to contact a third party, such as an attorney or advocacy organization, regarding access.
Important definitions:
Qualifying Family Members (QFM):
For the purpose of applying to the Iraqi P2 Direct Access program:
- Spouses, sons, daughters, parents and siblings of individuals described in the four categories above, and their derivatives (their spouses and their single children under 21 of age).
Step Children:
- A step child is eligible if the child was under 18 when the step relationship occurred, i.e. the natural parent and step-parent were married before the child turned 18 years of age.
- The step-relationship may continue after the death of the natural parent or even after the legal separation or divorce of the step-parent and the natural parent if there is an ongoing relationship between the step-parent and the step-child.
Adopted children:
- For an adopted child to be considered under Immigration Law, the adoption must occur before the child turns 16 years of age and have two years legal custody and residence with adopting parent.
Employment Verification holder:
- The Iraqi citizen who has verifiable proof of U.S. Government affiliated employment in Iraq after March 2003.
Beneficiaries of an Approved I-130 Petition:
- Iraqi or Syrian nationals on whose behalf a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (Petitioner), have filed an I-130 petition and upon initial approval, expressed interest to process the case through the USRAP.
Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)/ Chief of mission approval (CoM) holder:
- An individual who has obtained a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) or a Chief of Mission approval (CoM) for employment on behalf of the U.S. Government in Iraq after 20 March 2003.
- SIV stands for Special Immigrant Visa. SIVs for eligible Iraqi citizens who have worked directly with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission (COM) authority at U.S. Embassy Baghdad for one year or more between March 20, 2003 and September 30, 2013.
U.S. Refugee Resettlement Application Requirements
If you are applying for consideration under USRAP processing, you must upload the information listed below:
- Contact Information: Email address(es) and phone number(s) for each member in the application, if available.
- Identification Documents: A copy of Jensia (al Bitaqa al Shakhseya) for the Principal Applicant and each member included in the application and for the person with the employment affiliation (Proof of employment, SIV or CoM approval) if he/she is not a member on the case.
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Biographic Data: To be provided in English for each family member included in the case, such as:
- Name
- Father’s Name
- Grandfather’s Name
- Family Name (Tribe)
- All Other Names/Alias
- Nationality
- Passport Number
- Date of Birth
- Place of Birth
- Gender
- Marital status
- Relationship to Principal Applicant
- Proof of employment: The PA must send any available employment documents related to the affiliated employment with the U.S. Government mission in Iraq after 2003, whether the PA is him/herself the EV holder or the PA is submitting a proof of employment of an EV holder that is not included in the application.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are submitting a Proof of Employment on behalf of your family, but you are not an applicant (because, for example, you are already in the U.S. or have been approved for and SIV):
- Do not appoint yourself the principal applicant or include yourself as a case member.
- Make the principal applicant the head of the family group for which you are applying.
- Include your own contact information, jensia and biographical information for reference only.
- Remember to send telephone numbers for your family members.
If you are an SIV holder:
- Please submit a scanned copy of your SIV foil of Chief of Mission approval instead of proof of employment.
- Do not appoint yourself the principal applicant or include yourself as a case member
- Make the principal applicant the head of the family group for which you are applying
- Include your own contact information, jensia and biographical information for reference only.
- Remember to send telephone numbers for your family members.
If you have any questions about either of these scenarios, please write to RSC MENA Communications Office (IC@iom.int)
If the Proof of Employment provider is a U.S. Citizen, please provide us with their naturalization certificate or the date they became a citizen and the dates of their employment in Iraq as an Iraqi citizen.