Frequently Asked Questions

Who is a refugee?

A refugee is a person who is unable to return to their home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Other individuals who are eligible for services on the same basis as refugees include: persons granted asylum; certain Amerasians from Vietnam; Cuban/Haitian entrants; Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants; and victims of human trafficking.

Are refugees and asylees the same?

No. Both refugees and asylees are legally admitted to the United States because of the fear of persecution in their home country. The difference is that refugees are given admission before entry in to the United States, whereas asylees arrive in the United States before they claim asylum and are given legal permission to stay.

What’s the difference between legal and undocumented immigrants?

Legal immigrants are foreign-born people legally admitted to the United States. Undocumented immigrants, also called illegal aliens, are foreign-born people who do not possess a valid visa or other immigration documentation, because they entered the United States without inspection, stayed longer than their temporary visa permitted or otherwise violated the terms under which they were admitted.

Who is eligible for federally funded refugee services from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement?

Federally funded refugee services are available to eligible persons who have been in the United States for less than five years, have not naturalized as a U.S. citizen and have one of the following immigration statuses:

  1. Refugees.
  2. Asylees*.
  3. Cuban and Haitian entrants.
  4. Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders.
  5. Amerasians.
  6. Victims of human trafficking certified with the Office of Trafficking in Persons**.
  7. Survivors of torture.
  8. Citizens and nationals of Afghanistan with Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Resident status.
  9. Citizens and nationals of Afghanistan with SI/SQ parole.
  10. Afghan humanitarian parolees, if they are one of the following:
    1. Citizens or nationals of Afghanistan paroled into the United States under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023.
    2. A spouse or child of any individual described above in 10A, who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.
    3. A parent or legal guardian of any individual described above in 10A, who is determined to be an unaccompanied child as defined by 6 U.S.C. § 279(g)(2), who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.
  11. Ukrainian humanitarian parolees, if they are one of the following:
    1. Citizens or nationals of Ukraine who the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has paroled into the United States between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2024, due to urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit, known as Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees.
    2. Non-Ukrainian individuals who last habitually resided in Ukraine, who DHS has paroled into the United States between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2024, due to urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit.
    3. A spouse or child of an individual described in section 11A or 11B who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.
    4. A parent, legal guardian or primary caregiver of an unaccompanied refugee minor or an unaccompanied child described in section 11A or 11B who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.

In addition to unaccompanied minors in the above categories, the following minors are eligible for the ORR Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program:

  1. *Unaccompanied Minors with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).
  2. Unaccompanied Minors who hold U status.

*For asylees, time in the United States is based on the approval date of asylum petition.
**For victims of human trafficking, time in the United States is based on the date status is certified/approved by the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement.

For more information about eligibility for federally funded refugee benefits, please view the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s web page on Eligibility and Benefits.

Who is eligible for benefits and services under the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act?

Individuals who have an entry date between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023, and are:

  • Afghan individuals with SI/SQ Parole.
  • Afghan individuals with SIV status.
  • Afghan individuals with Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Residence. 
  • Afghan refugees and asylees with entry date on or after July 31, 2021.
  • Afghan humanitarian parolees admitted to the United States on or after July 31, 2021, but before Oct. 1, 2023.
  • A spouse or child of an individual described above who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.
  • A parent, legal guardian or primary caregiver of an unaccompanied refugee minor or an unaccompanied child who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.

Who is eligible for benefits and services under the Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act?

Individuals who have an entry date between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, and are:

  • Citizens or nationals of Ukraine who the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has paroled into the United States between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, due to urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit, known as Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees.
  • Non-Ukrainian individuals who last habitually resided in Ukraine, who DHS has paroled into the United States between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, due to urgent humanitarian reasons or for significant public benefit.
  • A spouse or child of an individual described above who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023.
  • A parent, legal guardian or primary caregiver of an unaccompanied refugee minor or an unaccompanied child described above who is paroled into the United States after Sept. 30, 2023

What is the Refugee Act of 1980?

The Refugee Act of 1980 created The Federal Refugee Resettlement Program to provide for the effective resettlement of refugees and to assist them to achieve economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible after arrival in the United States. Title IV, Chapter 2 of the Immigration and Nationality Act contains the provisions of the Refugee Act.

What is the resettlement process for refugees?

The U.S. government allows a certain number of refugees to come to the United States each year. People who are granted refugee status overseas by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are brought to the United States for resettlement by the U.S. Department of State. Refugee resettlement agencies and the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement  assist refugees with resettlement and integration into the United States. Refugees are eligible to receive ORR benefits and services for up to five years beginning the first day they arrive in the United States.

What is a refugee resettlement agency?

Once a refugee is granted permission to come to the United States and granted a legal immigration status, refugee resettlement agencies are contracted for initial resettlement. The refugee resettlement agency is responsible for meeting and picking up the refugee at the airport, finding a place to live and helping with basic necessities and cultural orientation within the first 90 days of the refugee being in the United States. Click here for a list of the refugee resettlement agencies that resettle refugees in Washington state.

How can I access DSHS services if I don’t read, write or speak English?

If you are limited in your ability to read, write or speak in English, DSHS will provide information about available services to you in your primary language by authorized bilingual workers or by using licensed interpreters and translators. Interpreter services may be conducted in person or over the telephone. Translation of DSHS forms, letters and other printed materials may be given or sent to you.

If you are a current DSHS client, your primary language is the language you have indicated on your application or your eligibility review as the language you wish to communicate in with DSHS.

What do I need to bring with me when I visit my local Community Services Office to determine my eligibility for services?

Anyone can apply for benefits through the Department of Social and Health Services. Your eligibility for services will need to be determined before you can receive DSHS services. You can apply online through Washington Connection or through your local DSHS Community Services Office.

When you visit a DSHS Community Services Office, please bring the following documented information to help with your eligibility determination:

  • Your immigration status documentation.
  • Proof of Washington residency.
  • Information about your income.
  • Name of your voluntary resettlement agency.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery. It includes the recruitment, transportation or sales of persons for labor. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines severe forms of trafficking as:

  • Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.
  • 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.

Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking. Traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to compel women, men and children to engage in commercial sex or forced labor. Many victims trafficked into the United States do not speak and understand English and are therefore isolated and unable to communicate with service providers, law enforcement and others who might be able to help them.

What can I do if I suspect a person is a victim of human trafficking?

If you think you have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking, call the Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline at 888-373-7888. This hotline will help you determine if you have encountered a victim of human trafficking and will identify local resources in your community to help victims.

How do I become a certified interpreter or translator?

You can become a certified translator if you are able to pass the required DSHS written translation examination or pass a DSHS-recognized written translation examination offered by another organization. Both examinations are offered by DSHS Language Testing and Certification Program.