Immigration and Resettlement Glossary

Asylee/Asylum

• Asylum status is granted to individuals who flee their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion
• Individuals granted asylum are called asylee(s)
• Asylum is a permanent status which allows individuals to remain in the United States indefinitely and offers a pathway to citizenship
• Those seeking asylum must be physically present in the United States, or at a port of entry
• Asylum status is determined by a legal process which usually takes 1-5 years. The decision is determined by an immigration judge
• Asylum status is similar to refugee status. Asylees and refugees both meet the same definition of individuals who flee their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution but they key difference is their physical location. A refugee must have fled their home country and presently reside in a location where they cannot stay indefinitely, therefore need resettlement to a third country. An asylum seeker (prospective asylee/ applicant) must be in the US first in order to apply for asylum.  

CHNV Parole (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela)

• A temporary immigration status that provides the recipient the legal means of coming to the US, CHNV parolees are eligible to come to the United States for a period of two years and apply for work authorization.

RI Department of Human Services (DHS) 

• Assists with providing low-income families and refugees with public benefits, such as cash assistance, childcare assistance, SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid (healthcare), etc. or which they are eligible.

Employment Services Department (ES) 

• Dorcas International’s team of case managers who assist people in the community with resumes, job interview preparation, training, and employment searches

EAD/Work Authorization/765 Form 

• Document that shows proof to employers that an individual is eligible for work  

Family Separation 

• In many cases refugees or immigrants of different statuses come to the US on their own, leaving behind immediate family. This can cause the refugee to have mental health needs or depression, thus needing further assistance
• Family separation for refugees refers to the forced separation of individuals from their loved ones due to violent conflicts, political factors, refugee resettlement processes or border restrictions
• Family separation can also refer to the practice of detaining or deporting individuals separately from their family members, often occurring during border enforcement or asylum procedures.
• This separation can leave families in limbo for extended periods of time, cause emotional distress, disrupt families, and have lasting impact on well-being and legal status. 

Green Card

• Document also known as a Permanent Resident Card, and issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to noncitizens as evidence of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status in the United States
• A green card grants permission to work and offers a pathway to citizenship.

Humanitarian Parole/e (Afghan, Ukrainian, Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, or Venezuelans) 

• Humanitarian Parole is a temporary authorization that allows individuals to enter and remain in the U.S. for a limited period of time, based on urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
• A person with parole status is called a parolee
• Historically, in cases of significant need, unique parole processes have been established for various populations including Afghans, Ukrainians, and Haitian

I-94 

• DHS Arrival/Departure Record issued to foreign nationals who are admitted to the U.S.
• It includes important information such as the date of entry, the visa status under which the person entered, and the authorized period of stay. The I-94 serves as proof of lawful entry into the U.S. and is often needed when applying for benefits like work permits or when adjusting immigration status.

Immigrant

• Any person who lawfully comes to live permanently in the United States, who is not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national.

Matching Grant   

• Program for eligible refugees or asylees that supports early employment and economic self-sufficiency through case management, employment counseling, and maintenance assistance.

Medicaid

• A joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to individuals with limited income and resources.

Medicare   

• Federal health insurance for anyone aged 65 and older, and some individuals under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions.

Migrant

• Someone who moves away from their place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons.

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) 

• U.S. government agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) whose mission is to promote the health, well-being, and stability of refugees, unaccompanied children, and other eligible individuals and families, through culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based services.    
• ORR provides financial assistance, social services, and support for basic needs such as housing, healthcare, and employment to help refugees rebuild their lives after resettlement. The agency also manages programs for other vulnerable populations, such as unaccompanied minors, victims of human trafficking, and individuals granted asylum.

Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) 

• Someone who has been granted the right to live in the United States indefinitely  

Preferred Communities (PC) 

• An intensive case management program that provides targeted support to refugees and asylees with specific needs or vulnerabilities. The program offers specialized services, such as case management, mental health support, and educational programs, to assist refugees in building self-sufficiency and adapting to life in the U.S. 

Public Benefits 

• A public benefit is assistance or services to support individuals and families in meeting basic needs, such as healthcare, housing, food, or income support. Benefits include healthcare, assistance for food, for cash, for childcare, or for housing.
• Individuals/ families are eligible for public benefits usually based on income, as well as additional factors such as age or disability.  

Push Factors for Migration 

• This term refers to the reasons that people to choose to or are forced to leave their home.
• For many immigrants, push factors include economic opportunity, education, political instability, or other social/ living conditions. For refugees push factors can include violence, religious persecution, political persecution, ethnic cleansing, war/ armed conflict, or natural disaster

Refugee

• Status granted to an individual fleeing persecution or who has a well-founded fear of persecution in their own country because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion
• Refugee status is determined prior to departure for and arrival in the United States

Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) 

• Cash assistance for single adult refugees [HM1] or couples without children (Asylees and Humanitarian Parolees are also eligible).
• RCA is provided through DHS and like other public benefits, varies based on income.
• Clients are eligible for RCA for 12 months, based on the date of US arrival.

Reception and Placement Program (R&P) 

• Reception and Placement (R&P) is the federal refugee resettlement program, sponsored by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
• Agencies like Dorcas International are responsible for placing the refugees as well as for providing initial services which include housing, essential furnishing, food, clothing, community orientation, and referrals to social, medical, and employment services for the refugees’ first 90 days in the United States. 

Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) 

• This immigration program is available to persons from Iraq or Afghanistan who worked on behalf of the U.S. Armed Forces in certain capacities, and offers a pathway to citizenship.

Stressors and Barriers

• Stressors and Barriers create problems with integration for new arriving refugees.
• Include: Urban Environment, Weather, New Systems (health, transport, education), Social Isolation, Language, Poverty, Separated from Family Support, Cultural Norms/ Adjustment, Housing Prices, Employment & Education Equivalency  

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) 

• Immigration status given to residents of select nations where a major event has occurred (wars and natural disasters are the most frequent major events).
• TPS does not grant access to benefits but does allow individuals to work.
• TPS, as stated in the name, is temporary protection that is intended to provide a relief period before which a foreign national is able to safely return home.

Unaccompanied Youth  

• Unaccompanied youth are minors who have been separated from their families and are seeking refuge in the US, having arrived with no lawful immigration status
• The majority of whom come to RI are Hispanic/Latinx, coming primarily from El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, and Guatemala
• Unaccompanied youth are released from US detention and placed with sponsors, who are often distant relatives, older siblings who are young adults, or estranged family members
• Unaccompanied youth receive home visits, mental health supports, access to support groups, assistance with school enrollment, referral to legal services, and support with medical appointments 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) 

• USCIS is the agency within the federal government’s Department of Homeland Security that is responsible for all lawful immigration.
• USCIS handles a wide range of immigration related tasks including processing visa applications, granting asylum and refugee status, managing naturalizations, providing work permits, and processing permanent residency

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) 

• USCRI is a nongovernmental organization that receives and manages federal grants including resettlement, case management, and employment programming and subcontracts with Dorcas International to provide services.
• USCRI provides oversight, guidance, and accountability to a variety of programming.

Visa

• An official document that allows an individual to legally enter a foreign country. The visa is usually stamped or glued into the individual’s passport. 

 
 [HM1]. It’s another one of those ORR “special populations” that it worth more than a few words but also could just be an *
 [HM2]This is fine to keep in here, but it’s not really a term that is ever used. Where did this come from?