Bhutanese refugee family in a camp in Nepal.  March08/UNHCR

If you have questions about family reunion, UNHCR asks that you first contact your local voluntary resettlement agency, your local legal service provider, or your Congressperson.  The resettlement agencies are well positioned to answer many of the common questions about resettlement and immigration. The agency should be able to assist in helping you to complete the appropriate applications or documents, such as the forms highlighted below. Please note that some of these may be filed simultaneously.

  • If you are a US citizen, or a Legal Permanent Resident, you may be eligible to file an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative on behalf of your family members. To determine eligibility, please go to http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1310.html.  A pending application for immigration does not preclude consideration of an individual for refugee admission. 
  • Persons who entered the U.S. as refugees or were granted asylum in the United States may also be eligible to file for spouses and minor children by filing a Visa 92/93 petition.  Note that both the I-130 and the Visa 92/93 forms are filed with USCIS and should not be sent to UNHCR.
  • Persons who entered the United States as a refugee or were granted asylum in the United States and have a spouse, minor child or parent, may be eligible for family reunion under the United States Resettlement Program. Beneficiaries must be refugees residing outside of their country of origin. The relative must file an “Affidavit of Relationship” (AOR) which is a document used by the U.S resettlement program (administered by the U.S. Department of State) for persons applying for family reunification. AORs must be filed through a resettlement agency. The United States has temporarily suspended this program due to fraud. For more information, see: http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/115891.htm
  • Persons who are interested in assisting with resettlement of refugees who have been identified for resettlement and approved by the U.S. Government can file an interest form. If your family member is submitted to the United States for resettlement, the interest form will show that you have agreed to assist them when they arrive in the U.S. Filing an interest form does not make an individual eligible for resettlement.  If you wish to file an interest form for one of your friends or relatives, please contact a resettlement agency.

Once your relative’s case has been submitted to the U.S. for resettlement, the resettlement agency may be able to keep you informed about the progress of their case.  

What if my family is not eligible for these programs?

In some cases, family members may not be eligible for any of the above mentioned programs. If your immediate family has not been identified for resettlement and you believe they have protection concerns, please have the resettlement agency (or your attorney or Congressperson) email UNHCR Washington at usawainq@unhcr.org. They should include the name and registration number of the refugee, as well as a brief description of their situation.  Click here for information on working with a Resettlement Agency. We will work with the resettlement agency to provide an answer for you.  Please note that UNHCR Washington does not make decisions on cases.  All decisions on refugee status determination and resettlement eligibility are made by UNHCR field offices.