Introduction |
Every year millions of people around the world are
displaced by war, famine, and civil and political
unrest. United States considers persons for
resettlement to the U.S. as refugees. Each year, the
U.S. President consults with Congress and establishes
the proposed ceilings for refugee admissions for the
fiscal year. For the 1999 fiscal year, the total
ceiling was set at 78,000 admissions and was
allocated to five geographic regions:
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Refugee definition |
A refugee is defined as a person outside of his
or her country of nationality who is unable or
unwilling to return because of persecution or a
well-founded fear of persecution on account of race,
religion, nationality, membership in a particular
social group, or political opinions. |
Case Presentation to the INS |
The steps that refugee applicants follow before their eligibility interviews with INS officers vary.
Eligibility for refugee status is decided on an individual, or case-by-case, basis. A personal interview of the applicant is held by an INS officer. The interview is non-adversarial and is designed to elicit information about the applicant's claim for refugee status. |
Post INS Interview Processing |
After the INS interview, those applicants who are
found eligible for refugee status must satisfy
medical and security criteria and must be assigned a
sponsor assurance. A refugee admission number is
allocated to the applicant and is then subtracted
from the annual ceiling. Transportation arrangements
are made through the International Organization for
Migration (IOM). If the refugee is unable to finance
his or her transportation costs, the refugee may be
eligible for a travel loan, whereby he or she must
agree to repay the cost of airfare. |
Eligibility for resettlement in the United States |
Each year, the U.S. resettles a limited number of refugees. Refugees may be eligible for an INS interview for resettlement in the U.S. if:
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Nationality of special humanitarian concern |
The U.S. admits a few refugees from other countries each year under special circumstances. For further information contact United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the possibility of obtaining a referral to the U.S. refugee program. |
Processing |
Non-governmental processing agencies carry out most of the preparation case-work for INS interviews. These agencies
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Family members |
Spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 who are with the applicant at the refugee interview will be given refugee status. If the spouse or unmarried children under the age of 21 are not with the applicant at the time of INS interview, the applicant will have to file a Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, Form I-730, for each of these family members. Other relatives may qualify for resettlement in the U.S. if they meet the U.S. refugee criteria with their own claims. |