|
FAQs About These questions address basic information about refugees and the process by which they come to the United States. For FAQs on services provided to refugees after they have arrived in the United States, click here. Click on a question below to view the answer or scroll down to see all the questions and answers.
1. What is the definition of a refugee? According to the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, a refugee is a person who has fled his or her home country because of persecution or fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. 2. What
is the difference between a refugee and an asylee? 3. How many refugees are there in the world? There are nearly 14 million refugees in the world (per World Refugee Survey 2007, U.S. Committee for Refugees). 4.Where do refugees come from? Refugees are from all parts of the world, and all backgrounds. 5. Which countries resettle refugees? Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States have resettlement programs in place to assist refugees. 6. How many refugees does the United States resettle? Each year the president, in consultation with Congress, sets the number of refugees to be accepted for U.S. resettlement. Among industrialized countries, the United States has consistently accepted the largest number. Since 2002, the presidential determination has been set at 70,000 per year (less than half of 1 percent of refugees worldwide), with the total divided regionally—Africa, East Asia, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Near East and South Asia—plus an unallocated reserve. Unfortunately, the goal of 70,000 has not been met, as the U.S. government has admitted far fewer than that total:
7. How many refugees has LIRS resettled? A: From its inception in 1939 through 2007, LIRS has resettled over 342,000 refugees. Following are the totals from recent years:
8. What are the processing priorities for refugee admissions? The Department of State establishes refugee processing priorities each year. The typical priorities are as follows: Priority 1: Refugees referred for resettlement by UNHCR or an U.S. Embassy. This priority includes persons from any country who have been officially recognized as refugees and for whom resettlement appears to be the best option. Priority 2: Designated groups of special humanitarian concern to the United States. The Department of State, in consultation with other executive agencies, UNHCR, overseas posts, and nongovernmental organizations, identifies groups of special humanitarian concern for resettlement. Priority 3: Refugees who are spouses, unmarried children under 21, or
parents of individuals already lawfully admitted to the United States as refugees or asylees. The Department of State each year identifies qualifying countries from which Priority 3 applicants may be admitted. 9. How does a refugee begin the process to come to the United States? Access to the U.S. Resettlement Program for refugee applicants will vary among countries. Much refugee processing is conducted in locations where the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has established posts for this purpose or in locations where CIS does not have a presence but currently conducts circuit rides. In general, if a post is approached by a third country national seeking admission to the U.S. as a refugee, the post should advise the person, as appropriate, to present himself/herself to the host government and/or to the local UNHCR office (or to the local U.N. Development Program office if there is no UNHCR presence) for protection and determination of refugee status. 10. How do I bring a relative to the United States as a refugee? If you meet the criteria under current Priority 3 processing (see processing priorities above), you may file an Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) with one of LIRS's local resettlement partners. Filing an AOR does not guarantee admittance into the U.S. Resettlement Program; your family must still qualify for the resettlement program. If you have been admitted to the United States as a refugee or if you have been granted asylum status within the previous two years, you may be eligible to file an I-730. The petition will be forwarded to one of the two national visa centers (Nebraska or Texas depending on which state the petitioner lives in), and then sent on for processing by the embassy or consulate nearest to the location of your relative. The applicants are not required to demonstrate a persecution claim. Beneficiaries of I-730 petitions may be processed within their country of origin or in other locations. 11. What is an Affidavit of Relationship (AOR)? An affidavit of relationship is a form affirming the relationship between a former refugee or asylee now living in the United States (an anchor relative) and an individual or individuals still in a refugee situation who are seeking access to the U.S. refugee program. The form provides biographical information that the U.S. goverment checks for accuracy and completeness. Anyone who presents false documents or intentionally misleading information may face civil and criminal prosecution, which could result in penalties such as fines, imprisonment, or the revocation of immigration benefits. The AOR must be completed during a personal interview of the anchor and a representative of an agency authorized by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor refugee resettlement. Only the anchor may sign the AOR, and a notary must witness the signing. An AOR is filed at a local resettlement office and then sent to LIRS. At LIRS, the affidavit is reviewed to ensure that Priority 3 processing criteria are met. If additional information is needed, or a person is not eligible to file an AOR, the affidavit is returned to the local office for follow-up. Once all of the necessary information has been provided, the AOR is then forwarded on to the Refugee Processing Center in Arlington, Va. Anchor relatives who have questions regarding the status or processing of AORs must contact the local resettlement office where they filed. 13. What can I do if I want to help a refugee friend or relative, but I am not eligible to file an AOR on their behalf? Contact your nearest local resettlement office for help in determining if you are eligible to file any immigration petitions. Staff may be able to help you directly, or may refer you to local legal service providers in your area. If you did not file an AOR, but have friends or family members already accepted for resettlement in the United States, contact LIRS or another resettlement agency for more information on filing an interest form to ensure that your family members or friends will be resettled in the area where you live. An interest can be filed for anyone in any location. An interest form indicates that a particular person is interested in assisting with resettlement if the refugee is otherwise identified for resettlement and approved by the U.S. government. Filing an interest form does not make an individual eligible for resettlement. 14. When will USCIS be conducting circuit rides to interview cases? Due to unforeseen circumstances (in-country security, travel conditions, political strife), it is difficult for USCIS to maintain regularly scheduled circuit rides. Once a circuit ride has been scheduled, the overseas processing entity (OPE) or USCIS will notify refugees who have applied for an interview, but will not be able to add any new cases to their interview schedule. You may contact an LIRS resettlement partner for additional information concerning these circuit rides. 15. If my relative is denied after the USCIS interview, what can be done? The principal applicant of the case that has been denied by USCIS has the right to submit a Request for Reconsideration (RFR)—a 1- or 2-page signed and dated letter—to the agency that made the unfavorable decision. The RFR must provide new information that wasn’t included on the AOR or presented in the interview(s) and fully explain any and all discrepancies referred to on the “Notice of Ineligibility for Resettlement.” Supporting documents can include certificates, affidavits, photos and support letters. An RFR must be submitted within 90 days of date on denial notice, and before submitting the RFR, the principal applicant should discuss the testimonies given by all family members during the interview(s). Only one RFR may be submitted. 16. How long does it take a case to travel to the United States after being approved by USCIS? It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 years, or sometimes longer, for approved refugees to actually travel to the United States. Factors in the time include requirements such as medical exams and security clearances. 17. Who arranges for the refugee to travel to the United States? For most refugees, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) arranges travel to the United States. Refugees are given a three-year, interest-free travel loan which they are expected to begin repaying six months after their arrival. Loan repayments are made through the resettlement agency. 18. How do cases end up being resettled by LIRS? Responsibility for the refugees approved for admission to the United States is allocated among LIRS and its fellow resettlement agencies at weekly meetings. During these meetings, cases fall into one of three categories: predestined, geographical, or free pool. The predestined cases have a relative or a friend in the United States who filed an Interest or an Affidavit of Relationship with an affiliate office and wishes to join them in a particular city. Refugees in the geographical pool have relatives in the U.S., however the relatives were not assisted by any agency in filing on their behalf. Refugees who have no friends or family in the U.S. are considered free cases. Both geographical and free cases are apportioned for resettlement to LIRS and the other resettlement agencies according to percentages approved by the Department of State. LIRS assigns cases to its network of resettlement partners throughout the country. 19. What other agencies do this type of work? Besides LIRS there are nine other agencies that resettle refugees in the United States: |
|
