Adjustment Of Status:
procedure
allowing certain aliens already in the U.S. to apply for
immigrant status (Lawful Permanent Resident); a medical
examination performed by an approved civil surgeon is required
as part of the application process; refugees are required to
apply for adjustment of status one year after arrival in the U.S
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Administration for Children and Families (ACF):
the HHS agency responsible for federal programs
that promote the economic and social well-being of families,
children, individuals, and communities; Office of Refugee
Resettlement is part of ACF.
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Affidavit of
Relationship (AOR):
a form filed with the U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program by refugees, permanent residents, or American citizens
to enable persons in countries of first asylum to establish a
claim to a relative in the U.S. This form is not used in the
application process for an immigrant visa.
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Alien:
A person who is not a citizen or national
of the United States.;
term includes Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
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Amerasian: refers to certain
Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the U.S. as
immigrants pursuant to Sec. 584 of the Foreign Operations,
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988
(as contained in Sec. 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 and amended
by the 9th proviso under Migration and Refugee
Assistance in title II of the Foreign Operations, Export
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1989 (Public
Law 100-461 as amended) and âwas born in Vietnam after January
1, 1962 and before January 1, 1976 and was fathered by a citizen
of the United States.â Amerasians are admitted to the U.S. as
immigrants, rather than refugees. They and their immediate
relatives are entitled to ORR-funded refugee services and
benefits to the same extent as refugees.
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American Council of Voluntary Agencies (ACVA) form:
refers to a form sent by the U.S. Public Health Service
quarantine station to the state health department The ACVA
contains demographic and medical information on individual
refugees.
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Arrival Paper:
the notification form provided by the U.S. Public
Health Service quarantine station to the state health
department; also called the ACVA form, Orderly Departure Form,
Non-Indochinese Refugee Notification, or Reception and Placement
Assurance Form; form contains demographic and medical
information on individual refugee arrivals.
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Association of Refugee Health Coordinators (ARHC):
a
national membership organization for state and local Refugee
Health Coordinators.
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Asylee:
an alien already in the U.S. or at a port of entry who is found
to be unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of
nationality, or unable to seek the protection of that country
because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution
because of the alienâs race, religion, nationality, membership
in a particular social group, or political opinion. An asylee
has made a formal application for asylum and has been granted
asylum by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
or by an Immigration Judge of the Executive Office of
Immigration Review of the U.S. Department of Justice. Asylees
may also petition for immediate family members who are outside
of the U.S. to join them in the U.S. If the petition is
approved, their family members are granted derivative asylee
status and may join the asylee in the U.S. Asylees are eligible
for ORR-funded refugee benefits and assistance beginning on the
date of their final grant of asylum.
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Asylum Corps:
corps in
USCIS of professional asylum officers who receive special
training in international human rights law, conditions in
countries of origin and other relevant national and
international refugee law.
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Center for
Applied Linguistics (CAL):
private,
non-profit organization, based in Washington D.C., working to
improve communication through better understanding of language
and culture. The Cultural Orientation Resource (COR) Center is
housed at CAL and works closely with the U.S. government,
international organizations, U.S. refugee resettlement agencies,
and their representatives overseas to develop and distribute
resources about refugee training and resettlement, provide
technical assistance regarding refugees' native cultures,
languages, and orientation needs, and develop a network of
refugee providers who exchange refugee orientation information,
concerns, and best practices.
Website:
Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
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Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS):
the
HHS agency responsible for health insurance programs for older
persons, persons with low income, and all qualified children.
Website:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for
Medicaid and Medicare Services
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Church World Service (CWS):
a
national voluntary agency.
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Civil Surgeon:
a
physician in the U.S. approved by the USCIS to conduct the
medical examination of applicants seeking to adjust status to
Lawful Permanent Resident (the terminology for this role when
performed abroad is Panel Physician).
Civil Surgeon Locator
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Class A Condition:
a medical condition that renders the alien inadmissible to the
U.S. under the Immigration Nationality Act. From TITLE
42--PUBLIC HEALTH, CHAPTER I--PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, PART 34--MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF
ALIENS--Table of Contents
Sec. 34.4
Medical notifications.
(a) Medical
examiners shall issue medical notifications of their findings of
the presence or absence of Class A or Class B medical
conditions. The presence of such condition must have been
clearly established.
(b) Class A
medical notifications. (1) The medical examiner shall report
his/her findings to the consular officer or the INS by Class A
medical notification which lists the specific condition for
which the alien may be excluded, if an alien is found to have:
(i) A
communicable disease of public health significance;
(ii) (A) A
physical or mental disorder, and behavior associated with the
disorder that may pose, or has posed, a threat to the property,
safety, or welfare of the alien or others; or
(B) A
history of a physical or mental disorder and behavior associated
with the disorder, which behavior has posed a threat to the
property, safety, or welfare of the alien or others and which
behavior is likely to recur or lead to other harmful behavior;
(iii) Drug
abuse or addition;
Class A conditions are diagnosed during the overseas medical
examination and require approved waivers for entry to the U.S.,
and require follow-up upon arrival by appropriate medical
personnel.
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Class B Condition:
a physical or mental abnormality, disease, or disability serious
in degree or permanent in nature amounting to a substantial
departure from normal well-being diagnosed during the overseas
medical examination; Class B designations indicate a need for
follow-up soon after arrival in the U.S. by appropriate medical
personnel but are not grounds for inadmissibility to the U.S.
under the INA.
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Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR):
compilation of federal rules and regulations.
Search the CFR
on the web: Government
Printing Office - Code of Federal Regulations
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Community-Based
Organization (CBO):
a
non-profit organization that serves needs of the community
within which it is located.
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County Health
Department (CHD):
a branch
of the Department of Health operating in each county of the
state, committed to providing health screening, education,
outreach, and treatment to their community.
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Cuban-Haitian Entrant:
refers to (a) Any individual granted parole status as a
Cuban/Haitian Entrant (Status Pending) or granted any other
special status subsequently established under the immigration
laws for nationals of Cuba or Haiti, regardless of the status of
the individual at the time assistance or services are provided;
and (b) Any other national of Cuba or Haiti (1) Who: (i) Was
paroled into the United States and has not acquired any other
status under the INA; (ii) Is the subject of exclusion or
deportation proceedings under the INA; or (iii) Has an
application for asylum pending with the Immigration and
Naturalization Service; and (2) With respect to whom a final,
non-appealable, and legally enforceable order of deportation or
exclusion has not been entered. (Refugee Education Assistance
Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-422).
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Cultural Orientation (CO):
overseas
CO helps refugees develop realistic expectations about life in
the U.S.; the overseas CO program is funded by the Department of
State, Bureau of Populations, Refugees, and Migration. CO is not
required for admission to the U.S. as a refugee.
Website: Cultural
Orientation Resource Center
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Customs and Border
Protection (CBP):
agency
within DHS responsible for enforcement of immigration and
customs laws at the air, land, and sea ports of entry to the
U.S.; CBP can exclude from the U.S. those aliens found to be
inadmissible upon inspection at the port of entry or within 100
miles of the border.
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Date of Entry:
a term
for the date on which individuals become eligible for benefits
and services. For refugees, this is their date of arrival in the
U.S. (as recorded on the Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record).
For Cuban/Haitian Entrants, this is the date they were granted
Cuban/Haitian Entrant status, which is typically the date of
their parole into the U.S. For asylees, this is the date of
final grant of asylum (as noted on the approval letter or
immigration court order). For victims of a severe form of
trafficking, it is the date of certification or eligibility (as
noted on the certification or eligibility letter), or date they
were granted a T visa.
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Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ or DQ):
the CDC
division responsible for
reducing morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases
among immigrants, refugees, international travelers, and other
mobile populations that cross international borders. In
addition, DGMQ is committed to promoting border health and
preventing the introduction of infectious agents into the U.S.
DGMQ is responsible for 20 Quarantine Stations at U.S. ports of
entry and land-border crossings.
Website: Center
For Disease Control - Division of Global Migration and
Quarantine
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Department of
Homeland Security (DHS):
the
federal agency tasked with leading the unified national effort
to secure America; charged with protecting the United States
from threats and hazards; also responsible for ensuring safe
and secure borders, enforcing the INA, welcoming lawful
immigrants and visitors, and promoting the free-flow of
commerce. USCIS, ICE and CBP are part of DHS.
Website: U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
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Department of Justice
(DOJ):
the
federal agency that enforces federal laws.
Website: Department
of Justice (DOJ)
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Department of State (DOS):
the federal agency with principal responsibility for the foreign
policy and international relations of the U.S., including
non-military programs and activities of the U.S. Government
abroad, and the visa function.
Website:
Department of State
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Division
of Tuberculosis Elimination (DTBE):
the
CDC Division responsible for prevention and control of TB in the
U.S.
Website: Center
For Disease Control - Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
(DTBE)
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DS-2053:
a
Department of State form required for medical examination of
applicants overseas for U.S. visas; this form is in the
possession of the refugee on his/her arrival in the U.S. and
contains all findings from the overseas medical examination.
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Electronic
Disease Notification (EDN):
a
web-based system that automates the process by which states or
local health officials are notified of the arrival of refugees
and immigrants with medical or health conditions. EDN provides
relevant overseas medical screening and treatment information
for stateside follow-up; EDN is administered by the CDC Division
of Global Migration and Quarantine.
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Employment
Authorization Document (EAD):
document
issued by USCIS to the alien granting him/her authorization to
work in the U.S., or evidence of employment authorization
incident to the alienâs immigration status.
Episcopal
Migration Ministries (EMM):
a national voluntary agency.
Website: Episcopal
Migration Ministries (EMM)
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Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC):
a
national voluntary agency.
Website: Ethiopian
Community Development Council (ECDC)
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Health Assessment:
(aka "Domestic
Health Exam" or "Health Screening" or "Medical Screening")
the
comprehensive assessment of newly arrived refugees; it should
include a follow-up of conditions identified overseas; and
evaluation and diagnostic services to determine health status
and identify health problems; referral for follow-up of
identified health problems; education/orientation to local
health care services; and linkage with primary health care
services. The process varies depending on the state. ORR uses
the term "Medical Screening" in the regulations.
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Health and Human
Services (HHS):
the
federal agency that administers federal health and social
services programs
Website: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society (HIAS):
a
national voluntary agency.
Website: Hebrew
Immigrant Aid society (HIAS)
I-94:
the immigration document that records each alienâs arrival and
departure from the U.S. It identifies the period of time for
which the alien is admitted and the alienâs immigrant status.
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Immigrant:
a person
who is not a U.S. citizen or national who enters the U.S. with
the intent to remain for an indefinite period of time or, once
in the U.S., is granted permission to do so (see Adjustment of
Status).
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Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE):
the
agency within the Department of Homeland Security that is
responsible for enforcement of the immigration laws; ICE
detects, detains, and removes from the U.S. aliens unlawfully
present in the U.S. and aliens who have otherwise violated the
immigration laws.
Website: Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
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Immigration Status:
the
status under the
INA under which an alien is allowed to enter and remain in the
U.S., and which determines the activities he/she is permitted to
engage in while in the U.S. Examples of immigration status
include Lawful Permanent Resident, refugee, Cuban/Haitian
Entrant, visitor for business or pleasure, student, exchange
visitor, specialized worker, temporary agricultural worker,
crewmember, and parolee. Aliens physically in the U.S. who lack
an immigration status, who violate the terms of their visas, or
who overstay their visas are considered unlawfully present.
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Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952:
the
Act that, along with other immigration laws, treaties, and
conventions of the United States, relates to the immigration,
temporary admission, naturalization, or removal of aliens.
Website:
Immigration and Nationality Act
Internally
Displaced Persons (IDP):
persons
who have been forced to flee their homes for the same reasons as
refugees, but who have not left their own countries and are
therefore not considered "refugees" under the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees Statute (General Assembly res.
428 (v)) or under relevant international or regional
instruments.
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International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC):
intergovernmental agency with a permanent mandate founded in
international law, on a worldwide basis to help victims of
conflicts and internal violence, whoever they may be.
Website: International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
International Organization for Migration (IOM):
the intergovernmental organization that arranges refugee travel
and travel loan to the U.S.; provides cultural orientation
briefings and/or medical screenings in some locations.
Website:
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
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International
Rescue Committee (IRC):
a
national voluntary agency.
Website: International
Rescue Committee (IRC)
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IOM Bag:
the large white plastic bag issued to refugees at the time of
travel to the U.S. in order to carry medical and other
documents, including the DS-2053, immunization records, and
overseas chest X rays.
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Joint
Voluntary Agency (JVS) (now OPE):
see Overseas Processing Entity; former term for this function.
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Lawful Permanent
Resident (LPR) (also called
Permanent Resident): an
alien granted permission by DHS/USCIS to remain permanently in
the U.S., evidenced by I-551 (green card). After one year in
the U.S., refugees must apply for adjustment of status to LPR.
After one year in the U.S., asylees are permitted to, but are
not required to, apply for adjustment of status to LPR. After
five years in LPR status (four years for refugees), the LPR may
file an application for naturalization to become a U.S.
citizen. LPRs who obtained LPR status by marriage to a
U.S. citizen are eligible to apply for naturalization in three
years.
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Lutheran Immigration and
Refugee Service (LIRS):
a national voluntary agency.
Website: Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
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Match Grant Program:
the ORR discretionary grant program that provides grants to
VOLAGs to resettle newly arriving refugees and assist them in
becoming economically self-sufficient within the first 4-6
months in the U.S. without access to public assistance. The
Matching Grant Program requires a match from private funds or
donated goods and services to partner with monies provided by
ORR.
Website: Administration
For Children And Families - Match Grant Program
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Medicaid:
a state administered program, jointly funded by the states and
federal government, that provides medical coverage to eligible
persons based on age, income, and/or disability status. Eligible
groups include children, adults with dependent minors, and SSI
recipients. Each state sets its own guidelines regarding
eligibility and services.
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Migrant:
generally
understood to be an economic migrant who has been âengaged in a
remunerated activity in a state of which he or she is not a
nationalâ; the term also encompasses undocumented migrants. The
term âmigrantâ should be understood to include cases where the
decision to migrate has been taken freely, for âpersonal
convenience,â without any external compelling factors such as
ethnic or civil strife or any environmental destruction.
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Mutual Assistance
Association (MAA):
a
non-profit, community-based organization promoting successful
refugee resettlement comprised of refugee populations.
Generally, MAAs are small grass-roots organizations that work in
specific communities and geographic areas. ORR encourages states
to give special consideration to MAAs in contracting refugee
services.
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Non-immigrant:
a foreign
national who seeks temporary entry to the U.S. for a specific
purpose (e.g., persons on student, business or tourist visas).
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Office of
Global Health Affairs (OGHA):
the HHS
Office responsible for promoting the health of people worldwide
by advancing HHS' global strategies and partnerships.
Website: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Global
Health Affairs (OGHA)
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Office of Refugee
Resettlement (ORR):
the HHS
agency responsible for the domestic refugee resettlement
program, refugees, asylees, Amerasians, Cuban/Haitian Entrants,
victims of trafficking, survivors of torture, unaccompanied
alien children, Lawful Permanent Residents who have held one of
these statuses in the past and Iraqi and Afghan Special
Immigrant Visa holders, as well as the repatriation of U.S.
citizens.
Website: Administration
For Children And Families - Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
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Orderly Departure
Program (ODP):
the
program between UNHCR and Vietnam that established a legal
emigration program for those seeking family reunification, or
those of special interest to resettlement countries (e.g.,
former political detainees, Amerasians); program was established
to provide an alternative to the dangerous boat departures.
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Overseas Processing
Entity (OPE):
funded by
DOS/PRM to prepare the necessary casework for persons eligible
for consideration by the USCIS under the U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program and, for those approved, to provide assistance in
completing the additional requirements for refugee admission
under Section 207 of the INA. In addition, the OPE forwards the
necessary data on all DHS-approved cases to the Refugee
Processing Center (RPC) for distribution to Reception and
Placement agencies according to procedures established by PRM.
Many also provide cultural orientation.
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Panel Physician:
a
physician, appointed by the U.S. Consul and
per the INA, who conducts the medical examination of the
alien overseas (the terminology for this role when performed in
the U.S. is Civil Surgeon).
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Parolee:
an alien
who has been given permission to enter the U.S. under emergency
or humanitarian conditions or when that alienâs entry is
considered to be in the public interest or for significant
public benefit.
Parole does not constitute a formal admission to the U.S. and
confers temporary status only. Absent a change in or adjustment
of status, parolees must depart the U.S. when the conditions
supporting their parole cease to exist. There are several types
of parole, including parole authorized as part of an overseas
parole program (such as the U.S. has with Cuba), port-of-entry
parole, deferred inspection parole, advance parole, humanitarian
parole, or public interest parole.
Under the INA a parole is not an admission to the U.S.
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Permanent Resident:
see
Lawful Permanent Resident.
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Port of Entry:
any
location in the U.S. or its territories that is designated as a
port of entry for aliens and U.S. citizens; refugees are
generally limited to entering the country through those ports of
entry with staffed Quarantine Stations.
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Population, Refugees, and Migration [Bureau of] (PRM): the
DOS bureau responsible for formulating policies on
population, refugees, and migration, and for administering U.S.
refugee assistance and admissions programs.
Website: U.S.
Department of State - Population, Refugees, and Migration
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Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program:
ORR
program under which states have the option of entering
into a partnership agreement with local resettlement agencies
for the operation of a public/private refugee cash assistance
(RCA) program. The partnerships facilitate the successful
resettlement of refugees by integrating cash assistance with
resettlement services and ongoing case management. Through these
public/private RCA programs, states are permitted to include
employment incentives that support the refugee programâs goal of
family self-sufficiency and social adjustment in the shortest
possible time after arrival.
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Quarantine Station (Q-Station):
the station at a major port of entry charged with preventing the
importation and spread of communicable disease into the U.S.;
quarantine officers inspect arriving aliens and review medical
documents, copies of which are forwarded to appropriate health
authorities in the resettlement location.
Website: Center
For Disease Control - Quarantine Station (Q-Station)
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Reception and
Placement (R&P):
the initial resettlement services provided by voluntary agencies
(VOLAGs) and their affiliates through cooperative agreements
with the DOS, to refugees upon their arrival in the U.S. These
initial services cover basic food, clothing, shelter,
orientation, referral, and other services for the first 90 days
after the refugeeâs arrival in the U.S.
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Refugee:
any person who
is outside any country of such person's nationality or, in the
case of a person having no nationality, is outside any country
in which such person last habitually resided, and who is unable
or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail
himself or herself of the protection of that country because of
persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of
race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social
group, or political opinion. The term ârefugeeâ is distinguished
from âasyleeâ in that ârefugeeâ refers to individuals admitted
into the U.S. under Section 207 of the INA and determined to be
refugees before arriving in the U.S., while asylees are aliens
in the U.S. who are determined to meet the legal definition of
ârefugeeâ in Section 101 (a) 42 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act and are granted asylum in the U.S.
Note:
For the purposes of the Refugee Health Program, the term
ârefugeeâ is generally inclusive of all persons eligible for
ORR-funded refugee benefits and assistance, including asylees,
victims of trafficking, and Cuban/Haitian entrants.
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Refugee Cash Assistance
(RCA):
temporary cash assistance provided by ORR to needy refugees who
arrive in the U.S. with no financial resources and are not
eligible for other assistance programs such as Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security
Income (SSI); this cash assistance is paid entirely from federal
funds and is available only for eight months following arrival
in the U.S.
Website:
Administration
For Children And Families - Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA)
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Refugee Corps:
corps in USCIS of officers dedicated to the adjudication of
refugee applications at overseas locations; Refugee Corps
officers are based in Washington, DC, but travel overseas for
50% of the year.
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Refugee Council USA
(RCUSA):
coalition of U.S. non-governmental organizations focused on
refugee protection.
Website:
Refugee Council USA (RCUSA)
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Refugee Health
Coordinator (RHC):
state or local person responsible for administration of refugee
health programs and services within their jurisdiction.
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Refugee Medical
Assistance (RMA):
funding for temporary medical assistance provided by ORR to
needy refugees who arrive in the U.S. with no financial
resources and are not eligible for other assistance programs
such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF),
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Medicaid; this medical
assistance is paid for entirely from federal funds and is
available only for eight months following arrival in the U.S.
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Refugee Processing
Center (RPC):
center
operated by the U.S DOS Bureau of PRM.
The RPC mission is to provide the
necessary technical, data and refugee processing support to
assist DOS/PRM in achieving its annual U.S. Refugee
Admissions Program objectives. At the RPC and at Overseas
Processing Entities (OPEs), an interactive computer system
called the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System
(WRAPS) is used to process and track the movement of refugees
from various countries around the world to the U.S. for
resettlement under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Website:
Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS)
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Refugee Resettlement
Program:
federally-funded program for the
resettlement in the U.S. of refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian
Entrants, Amerasians, Special Immigrant Visa holders, and
Victims of Trafficking, LPRs who have held one of these
statuses, and Unaccompanied Alien Children, administered
by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Website:
Administration For Children And Families - Refugee Resettlement
Program
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Refugee Social Services
(RSS):
intensive social services provided to help refugees obtain
employment, achieve economic self-sufficiency, and realize
social adjustment. Programs that administer RSS services are
funded through ORR, which provides both state grants and
direct-service grants. The programs provide employability and
other services which may include employment assistance, job
training, English language training, and social adjustment.
Refugees and other ORR eligible populations are only eligible
for this program for the first 60 months from their date of
entry.
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Request for Evidence (RFE):
upon application by alien to DHS/USCIS for an immigration
benefit, request by USCIS for additional or missing evidence
such as medical information.
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Resettlement Agency (VOLAG):
see Voluntary Resettlement Agency.
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Returnees:
refugees or internally displaced persons who have returned to
their place of origin.
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Special
Immigrant (Iraqi and Afghani):
refers to Iraqi and Afghan aliens granted special immigrant
status under section 101(a)(27) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA) who are eligible for resettlement
assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits available
to refugees admitted under section 207 of such Act for a limited
period.
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Sponsor:
the person or organization that assists an applicant in their
admission to the U.S. The term "sponsor" in the immigration
sense often means to bring to the U.S. or "petition for". In the
U.S. Refugee Admissions Program the voluntary agencies that have
cooperative agreements with the Department of State are the
sponsors of the refugees they resettle.
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State Coordinators of Refugee Resettlement (SCORR):
national membership organization for State Refugee Coordinators.
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State
Letter:
a letter to provide policy guidance to the field on a specific
subject; issued by the director of the Office of Refugee
Resettlement; most recent state letters may be found on the ORR
website.
Website:
Administration For Children And Families - State Letter
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State Refugee
Coordinator (SRC):
person designated as responsible for administration of ORR
programs within a state.
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
the federal agency, which is comprised of three centers, that
carry out the agencyâs mission of providing substance abuse and
mental health services; the Refugee Mental Health Program (RMHP)
is within the Center for Mental Health Services.
Website: National
Mental Health Information Center
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Supplemental
Security Income (SSI):
federally-administered program that provides assistance for
individuals who are aged, blind, or disabled and have limited
income and resources as established under title XVI of the
Social Security Act.
Website: Social
Security Administration
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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):
state-administered program, jointly funded by the states and
federal government, that provides cash assistance and work
opportunities to needy families with dependent children. States
are granted wide flexibility to develop and implement their own
welfare programs.
Website: Administration
For Children And Families - Temporary Assistance For Needy
Families
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Trafficking Victim (Victim of a Severe Form of Trafficking in
Persons):
individual who is subjected to (1) Sex Trafficking, which is the
recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining
of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act [any
sex act, on account of which anything of value is given to or
received by any person], in which a commercial sex
act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the
person forced to perform such an act is under the age of 18
years; or (2) Labor Trafficking, which is the recruitment,
harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person
for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or
coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude,
peonage, debt bondage or slavery. Victims of trafficking are
eligible for ORR benefits and services and other federal
benefits provided they have been certified as a victim of
trafficking by ORR. Children do not have to be âcertifiedâ, but
they do need a letter from ORR stating their status as a victim
of trafficking.
Website: Administration
For Children And Families - Trafficking Victim
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Unaccompanied Alien
Children (UAC):
refers to unaccompanied minors placed into ORR custody until
his/her reunification with family members or sponsors in the
U.S. or until he/she is removed to his/her home country by DHS
immigration officials.
Website: Administration
For Children And Families - Unaccompanied Alien Children
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Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program (URMP):
assists unaccompanied minor refugees and entrants
in developing appropriate skills to enter adulthood and to
achieve economic and social self-sufficiency; administered by
the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Website: Administration
For Children And Families - Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program
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Undocumented Immigrant (or
Undocumented Alien):
a person who is not a U.S. citizen or national, who has entered
the U.S. (or has remained in the U.S.) and
is not in a legal immigration status
under the INA and lacks proper immigration documentation.
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United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR):
international organization, headquartered in Geneva that, with
host country authorization, provides services (directly or
indirectly) in refugee camps including protection, assistance,
medical services, registration of camp population, and referral
for possible resettlement in the U.S. or other refugee-receiving
country.
Website:
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
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United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):
a national voluntary agency.
Website:
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS):
agency within the Department of Homeland Security
that adjudicates applications for
immigration benefits under the INA including employment
authorization, refugee travel document and advance parole,
adjustment of status, and naturalization.
Website:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
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U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI):
a national refugee resettlement and advocacy agency.
Website:
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
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Unlawfully Present Alien:
includes undocumented aliens, aliens who violate the terms of
their visas, and visa overstays.
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Visa Medical Examination:
also called overseas medical examination;
the physical and mental examination the immigrants and refugees
coming to the U.S. complete as part of the visa application
process to identify the presence or absence of certain disorders
that could result in exclusion from the U.S. under provisions of
the INA.
Website:
Center For Disease Control
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Voluntary
Resettlement Agency (VOLAG):
(aka "Resettlement Agency") Public or private agencies that
provide initial reception and placement services to
newly-arriving refugees under cooperative agreements with the
DOS. Currently, the Department of State has such agreements with
nine national agencies and one state government agency (Iowa).
Local affiliates of these national agencies may be referred to
as VOLAGs and are responsible for providing initial R&P services
covering basic food, clothing, shelter, orientation, referral,
and other services for the first 90 days after arrival for
refugees. They often serve as providers of other services,
including RSS, TAG or Matching Grant.
Web resource:
Administration For Children And Families - Voluntary
Resettlement Agency
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Wilson/Fish Alternative:
an alternative to traditional publicly-administered programs or
public/private partnerships for providing assistance to
refugees; this program is delivered through public or private
nonprofit agencies and provides integrated services and cash
assistance such as interim financial assistance, case
management, social services and may include medical assistance
to refugees and eligible populations. The Wilson/Fish Projects
provide such integrated services and cash assistance to refugees
to increase their prospects for early employment and
self-sufficiency, and to reduce their level of welfare
dependence. States that determine that a public/private RCA
program or publicly-administered program modeled after its TANF
program is not the best approach for the state, may choose
instead to establish an alternative approach under the
Wilson/Fish program. If a state withdraws from all or part of
the refugee resettlement program, a public or private nonprofit
organization may apply to operate refugee programs in the state
under the Wilson/Fish program.
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World Health
Organization (WHO):
directing and coordinating authority for health within the
United Nations system; responsible for providing leadership on
global health matters, shaping the health research agenda,
setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy
options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring
and assessing health trends.
Website:
World Health Organization
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World Relief (WR):
a national voluntary agency.
Website:
World Relief
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Worldwide Refugee Admission Processing System (WRAPS):
the DOS interactive computer system used to process and track
the movement of refugees from various countries around the world
to the U.S. for resettlement under the U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program.
Website:
Worldwide Refugee Admission Processing System
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