National Asylee Information & Referral Line

Each year, approximately 21,000 people from over 100 nations are granted asylum in the United States. Asylees have suffered from persecution in their country of origin, forced migration, detention in the United States, and the uncertainty of the asylum adjudication process. Most confront systemic and bureaucratic barriers to resettlement and integration, and need well-coordinated and prompt social services to ease their transition.

CLINIC's National Asylee Information and Referral Line refers asylees to more than 500 local providers of resettlement services such as English language classes, job placement assistance, temporary cash assistance, and health care. Funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, the referral line provides a single, centralized source of accurate information about service eligibility and programs across the country that assist asylees with the resources they need for a smooth adjustment and early self-sufficiency. Referral line counselors speak 19 languages, including English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and Albanian.

Since its inception in 2001, the referral line has:

Served over 34,000 asylees.
Created and maintained an up-to-date referral database (the first of its kind) of more than 500 local refugee service providers throughout the U.S.
Placed outreach information in the regional USCIS asylum offices and improved outreach to asylees in the immigration courts.
Created an informational pamphlet to assist service providers who work with asylees. The pamphlet contains information about the benefits and services for which asylees are eligible, including Employment Authorization Documents, Social Security cards, I-94s, adjustment of status, travel authorization, petitioning for immediate relatives, and federal student financial aid.

RESOURCES

Benefits & Services

Asylee Eligibility for Resettlement Assistance: A Short Guide

September 2010 webinar, Post Admission Issues for Asylees

ORR outreach flyer for asylees (available in 9 languages)

Information about the SSI extension for elderly and disabled refugees

USCIS fee waiver application, Form I-912

USCIS policy guidance on fee waivers, November 2010

USCIS questions and answers about filing the I-485, I-765, and I-131 for asylees and refugees

USCIS fact sheet on asylee travel

General Information

DHS Office of Immigration Statistics 2010 annual flow report on asylees and refugees