United States: Information on entry categories specific to immigrants from the Soviet Union
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | USA9981 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, United States: Information on entry categories specific to immigrants from the Soviet Union, 1 January 1992, USA9981, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aadd2b.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided by a representative of the Washington Processing Centre for the United States' Soviet Refugee Programme in a telephone interview on 30 December 1991.
The categories of Soviet immigrants currently being admitted to the United States under the Soviet Refugee Programme are as follows: Jews, Pentecostal Evangelicals, Armenians, and Ukrainians. Immigrants under this programme may be admitted to the United States with either refugee or parolee status. An immigrant with parolee status is allowed entry to the United States but may not have access to the same social benefits as an immigrant with refugee status. There have been no recent changes to the Soviet Refugee Programme and no changes are expected in the near future.
All operations for the Soviet Refugee Programme are centred in Moscow. The United States is not contemplating the establishment of operations in each republic, even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union; people still must go to Moscow for interviews to enter the United States under this programme. Most interviews under this programme for people from the Baltic states are scheduled for January 1992. The question of how immigration under the programme will be handled in the future for people from the Baltics is currently under examination.
The representative of the Washington Processing Centre indicated further that it is possible for some Soviets, such as those with close relatives in the United States, to immigrate under programmes other than the Soviet Refugee Programme, however, the source did not have further information on such immigrants.
Please find attached two articles which provide additional information related to the Soviet Refugee Programme and an article on the United States' Immigration Act of 1990. There is no further information currently available to the IRBDC on this topic.
Bibliography
United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, Washington Processing Centre for the Soviet Refugee Programme. 30 December 1991. Telephone Interview with Representative.
Attachments
Migration World [New York]. 1991. Vol. XIX, No. 1. Vialet, Joyce C. and Larry M. Eig. "Immigration Act of 1990."
World Refugee Report [Washington, D.C]. September 1990. "Soviet Union."
World Refugee Survey [Washington, D.C.]. 1991. "Soviet Union."
