Refugee Assistance and Services help refugees find employment and get financial independence within a year of enrolling in the program. The services focus on employment assistance, job maintenance and acceptance, vocational training, and skill certification. They also deal with the barriers faced by refugees like citizenship, language, daycare for their children, and even provide translation services. These refugee services help refugees who have been in the country for five years; however, there is no limit for referral, interpreter services, and citizenship services. These services help build partnerships with the community, which allows the refugees to integrate successfully within the country.
For the refugee services, there is an order of priority. The priority is given to new refugees in the country, usually in their first year of arrival, then the priority is given to refugees who provide financial assistance. The next priority is given to unemployed refugees not getting cash assistance, and then the absolute priority is given to employed refugees to help them gain social and economic independence.
Eligibility
The United States defines a refugee as someone seeking protection in the country due to the fear of persecution in their respective countries due to their race, religion, ethnicity, or political opinion. People facing persecution in the form of violence or genocide, imprisonment due to political dissent, or religious persecution are eligible for refugee status. The eligible refugees can apply for a green card to get American citizenship.
According to Section 101(a) (42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the eligibility to get American citizenship is determined. This eligibility requires that the refugee is originally located outside the United States. The reason for the migrant seeking refugee status is persecution based on race, religion, political opinion, being a member of a particular group, and nationality. The refugee has not accepted citizenship in another country.
The refugee services will guide you to receiving a referral from US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAF). After receiving the referral, the services will help fill out the application and help the refugees in the interview, which will be conducted by a USCIS officer. This interview will eventually determine if the said person is eligible for refugee status. They need to seek their help to file this application for refugee status within two years of arrival, and this can be exempted if there are genuine humanitarian causes. They will also guide the refugees if they want their families to move to the United States. For that, they have to file Form I-730 for their partner and unmarried children (applicable if they are below 21 years of age).
Services Offered
When refugees come to the country, there are several things that the federal and state governments need to consider. Some of these issues are healthcare, education, housing, financial support, employment, language translations, and mental health services. Settlement information is provided to all the refugees, and humanitarian entrants are given a higher priority when providing services.
Some mainstream services like healthcare insurance and employment are provided to all eligible migrants. There is also the availability of specialized settlement services formed by the government, private sector, and other community segments to assist refugees who have been victims of trauma and abuse and given refugee status on humanitarian grounds.
Refugee and Entrant Assistance
This is a targeted assistance program provided by the United States government and refugee services for employment and social service in high refugee populations. There is high welfare utilization in these areas; however, the refugees need to be of Amerasian, Haitian, or Cuban ethnicity and must be a United States citizen to be eligible for this program.
Wilson/Fish Program
This program provides integrated services and cash assistance to the prospects of employment generation. Also, it aims to reduce the refugees’ dependence on Government aid and promote community welfare.
Human Trafficking Assistance
This provides assistance to victims and potential victims of human trafficking seeking Health and Human Services (HHS) in the United States. This assistance service provides them and their family members with assistance for case management, emergency services, employment referrals, and access to the various necessary services like housing and healthcare.
Employment
The Refugee assistance and service help you in getting Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), and it is a program for refugees without children, and it also includes employment and other services like entrepreneurship assistance which helps the refugees in becoming financially independent. This RCA is available up to a period of 8 months from arrival in the United States.
Apart from that, the services will help the refugees fill up Form I-765, the Employment Authorization application. This will help the refugees in getting a work permit or Authorization Document. They can then present form I-94, the Arrival-Departure Record, and that can be presented as proof of permission to work in the United States.
Obtaining Green Card
Refugee assistance services will help the refugees obtain a green card if they have been living in the United States for at least a year since their arrival and haven’t had their refugee admission terminated by the US government. Applying for a green card is not mandatory, but the refugee status may be taken away if it changes back in their home country.
Each family member needs to file Form I-485, which is the application to register for Permanent Residence, and there is no fee involved in the process. Every year an average of 162,895 applications for green cards are filed. Refugee services will help you here so that your application is not denied or rejected.
Conclusion
The Refugee Services help migrants with their official work so that they do not face any issues with their application forms and ensure that there is no delay and rejections. With their work, refugees can gain access to housing, healthcare, education, and so many more services, which is difficult for a refugee migrating from a different country. And the assistance service has got their back.
