Am I Eligible for the USVSST Fund,
and How Do I Apply?

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The United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSST Fund) pays U.S. victims of state-sponsored terrorism who hold court judgments against those states. For 9/11 families, those are the judgments against Iran. Eligibility is decided by the Fund's own governing statute, not by any other program you did or did not take part in. These can be hard documents to sit with, so this page keeps to what the Fund's own materials actually say.

What the statute says

The Fund's governing law, 34 U.S.C. § 20144, defines who can be paid. The Fund's own plain summary of the eligibility test reads:

“An individual with a final judgment (i) issued by a United States district court under state or federal law against a foreign state that was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism… and (ii) arising from acts of international terrorism, for which the foreign state was determined not to be immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States under section 1605A.”

Source: USVSST Fund Frequently Asked Questions, FAQ 2.1, summarizing 34 U.S.C. § 20144. The Fund was created by Public Law 114-113, Division O, § 404 (2015) and amended by Public Law 116-69 (2019), Public Law 116-260 (2020), and the Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, Public Law 117-328 (2022).

Who qualifies for the USVSST Fund?

In plain terms, a 9/11 victim or family member qualifies only by holding a qualifying final judgment: a judgment from a U.S. district court awarding compensatory damages, arising from acts of international terrorism, against a foreign state that a court found was not immune under 28 U.S.C. § 1605A (an exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act). For 9/11 families, that is the litigation against Iran (the MDL 1570 cases). The Personal Representative of a deceased person in that category can also qualify. Holding the judgment is the key, and the Special Master then approves the claim.

Your VCF status does not decide it. Whether you filed with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund does not affect your USVSST eligibility. The two are separate federal programs with separate rules, and the Fund's FAQ states plainly that VCF claims no longer affect USVSST payments.

What counts as a “final judgment”? Does a default judgment count?

A final judgment is an enforceable final judgment, decree, or order on liability and damages, entered by a U.S. district court, awarding compensatory damages arising from acts of international terrorism, and not subject to further appellate review (all appeals must be finished).

A default judgment against a foreign state does count, but only once service of process is completed under 28 U.S.C. § 1608(e). You show that with proof of transmittal to the U.S. Department of State or other verified proof of service, such as a diplomatic note. Prospective claimants obtain their own judgments; the Fund and the Department of Justice are not parties to those cases and cannot give legal advice about getting one.

Can siblings or parents qualify?

Yes, if they hold qualifying judgments. The Act recognizes a “9/11 family member” category: immediate family who are not the victim, spouse, or dependent, such as non-dependent parents or siblings. Those claimants qualify if they hold qualifying judgments, but they are placed in a lower-capped family group.

• The victim, spouse, and dependent group shares a $35 million family cap.
• A group of 9/11 family members who are not the victim, spouse, or dependents (for example, non-dependent parents or siblings) shares a lower $20 million family cap.
• A $20 million individual cap is applied first, then the relevant family cap.

Differences in timing or amount among family members usually trace to when each person's judgment was entered and which capped group they fall into, not to any single person being left out by design.

Do I have to be a U.S. citizen?

No. Non-U.S. citizens who otherwise qualify may be eligible.

How and where do I apply?

You apply with the USVSST Fund Application Form, filed on the “Submit a Claim” tab at usvsst.com. The Fund encourages filing the form online; a paper form is also available. A complete application package must include a copy of your qualifying final judgment, and a document checklist is at the end of the Application Form. The Fund confirms receipt (by mail or electronically, and to your attorney if you have one) and generally gives you a chance to fix missing documents before denying anything.

Is it free to apply?

Yes. It costs nothing to file a claim. You are not required to hire an attorney to apply, though you have the right to be represented.

What are the deadlines?

There are two different kinds of deadlines, and they are easy to confuse.

1. The statutory filing deadline is generally 90 days after you obtain your final judgment (for a default judgment against a foreign state, the clock runs from the service document). A claimant who misses the 90-day window can ask the Special Master for a reasonable extension “upon good cause shown.”
2. Separately, for each upcoming distribution the Special Master sets a cut-off date by which a new claimant's application must be in to be considered for that particular round. That distribution cut-off is separate from the 90-day rule and is not subject to the good-cause extension.

Do I have to reapply for every round?

No. Each claimant has one claim before the Fund covering all compensation, and duplicate filings are not accepted. If you are already an eligible claimant, you do not resubmit an application when the Fund makes additional rounds. You do have a continuing obligation to keep your information current, for example new money received from other sources, significant changes to your judgment, or changes to your (or your Personal Representative's) authority or identity.

Sources

• 34 U.S.C. § 20144, the USVSST Fund's governing statute (enacted by Public Law 114-113, Division O, § 404 (2015); amended by Public Law 116-69 (2019), Public Law 116-260 (2020), and the Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, Public Law 117-328 (2022)).
• USVSST Fund, Frequently Asked Questions at usvsst.com (eligibility, final judgment, family members, citizenship, application, deadlines, and reapplication).
• USVSST Fund, Important Dates at usvsst.com (June 1, 2026 application cut-off; conditional January 1, 2027 authorization).
• USVSST Fund, Sixth-Round Payment Calculation for 9/11-Related Claims (December 2025), for the $20 million individual cap and the $35 million / $20 million family caps.