The United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is a collaboration among federal agencies and non-profits responsible for identifying and admitting qualified refugees for resettlement in the United States."The United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Consultation and Worldwide Processing Priorities", U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (accessed 2022-12-02). Refugee admission counts under USRAP have varied over time in response to global displacement patterns, domestic political priorities, and national security considerations.
Overview USRAP provides resettlement opportunities to individuals of "special humanitarian concern" while maintaining national security and preventing fraud.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Refugee Admissions Program Overview, 2021.
Each year, the president of the United States, after consultation with Congress, determines refugee admissions ceilings and priorities for the coming fiscal year.
USRAP's goals are:"U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Law & Legal Definition", USLegal, accessed October 2012.
Arrange refugee placement, ensuring approved refugees are sponsored and assisted upon arrival in the U.S. Providing necessities and core services during the initial resettlement period. Promoting self-sufficiency and employment for resettled refugees in coordination with refugee service and assistance programs.
Historical background Origins and development After World War II, Non-governmental organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), and Church World Service played leading roles in early resettlement efforts.
The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 established the first legal framework for refugee admission, allowing the entry of over 400,000 displaced Europeans. Following the Vietnam War, the United States accepted large numbers of Indochinese refugees, prompting the Refugee Act of 1980, standardizing refugee admissions and establishing a uniform resettlement structure.
Since 1980, over three million refugees have been admitted to the United States under the Act.
21st century developments
Refugee admissions fluctuated in the 2010s and 2020s. In 2017, Executive Order 13769 temporarily suspended refugee admissions and reduced the annual ceiling. The limit was later raised under the Biden administration to 125,000 for fiscal years 2022–2025. In October 2025, the Trump administration lowered the annual ceiling to 7,500, the lowest in the history of the program. These changes reflect debates over humanitarian responsibility, border security, and the capacity of federal and local institutions to support refugee resettlement. In FY2026, the program admitted over 7,000 people, all White South Africans except for three Afghans.
Policy and impact Legal definition and eligibility Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a refugee is a person unable or unwilling to return to their country of nationality due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Applicants must be referred by the UNHCR, a U.S. embassy, or a designated NGO, and undergo multi-stage security and medical screening before admission.
Socioeconomic effects Refugees in the United States decrease crime rates and contribute to long-term economic growth, generating more tax revenue than the cost of federal assistance programs.
Refugees’ economic outcomes improve over time when policies support labor market integration, language training, and recognition of prior skills. Long-term impacts depend on local and federal integration capacity.https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w32266/w32266.pdf?
Ongoing challenges There are systemic challenges in coordination among agencies, case processing delays, and inconsistent access to local services. Key issues include insufficient funding for local integration programs, uneven English-language training, and gaps in medical care for vulnerable populations. Migration and resettlement stressors can erode coping resources, contribute to social isolation, and deepen marginalization among refugee families in the United States.Im, H. (2021). Falling through the cracks: Stress and coping in migration and resettlement among marginalized Hmong refugee families in the United States. Families in Society, 102(1), 109–123. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389420901393
Program structure Government entities USRAP is a collaborative effort among many agencies and departments of the U.S. federal government and a number of non-profit organizations. Three entities make up the federal arm of the USRAP program: USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security; the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, part of the Department of State; and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Other involved agencies include:
Department of State/Population, Refugees, and Migration: Having management responsibility overseas and has led in proposing admissions ceilings and processing priorities. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Refers cases for resettlement and provides information regarding the worldwide refugee situation. Resettlement Support Centers: International organizations that collect and process information, such as file preparation and storage, data collection, and out-processing activities. Department of Homeland Security: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicates applications for refugee status and reviews case decisions; the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection screens arriving refugees at the port of entry. International Organization for Migration: Department of State contractors serve primarily as travel agents in certain locations. Non-Governmental Organizations: Provide resettlement assistance and services to arriving refugees.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
USCIS is responsible for the legal work of USRAP operations. It processes refugee and permanent residency applications and issues documents permitting refugees to return to the United States after travelling abroad."The United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Consultation & Worldwide Processing Priorities." Coordination between USCIS and other agencies ensures refugees are admitted efficiently while meeting security and legal requirements.
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
As part of the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration is responsible for USRAP's operations abroad. Staff primarily perform pass-through operations and do not work directly with refugees. The department works through other organizations, including the International Rescue Committee and various intergovernmental organizations, to provide services to refugees. The Bureau also processes refugee applications.
Office of Refugee Resettlement
The Office of Refugee Resettlement "provide[s] new populations with the opportunity to maximize their potential in the United States."
The ORR helps refugees adjust to living and working in a new and foreign culture. Effective resettlement support, including housing, employment, and language training, is critical for refugee self-sufficiency and integration.
Non-profit affiliates Ten nonprofits are appointed to work in refugee referrals or resettlement: Bethany Christian Services Church World Service Episcopal Migration Ministries Ethiopian Community Development Council HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) International Rescue Committee Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service United States Conference of Catholic Bishops U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants World Relief
Each nonprofit helps refugees become self-sufficient in the United States, providing housing, food, clothing, school enrollment, English language classes, employment, health screenings, and public services."U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Frequently Asked Questions – Iraqi Processing." Non-profits ensure refugees access essential services and integrate successfully, though resources are uneven across locations.
Church World Service Church World Service works with eight different denominations, the United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Reformed Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Along with the basic public services provided by every nonprofit, the Church World Service administers the Religious Services Program, a program which helps refugees continue to practice their religion in the U.S.
HIAS HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society)Refugee Resettlement – U. S. :: Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society works within the Jewish Communal Network Commission to provide basic services to refugees. HIAS created the Refugee Family Enrichment program that addresses the problems a refugee family may face during resettlement. As part of their resettlement program through USRAP, HIAS teaches communication and conflict resolution skills that help families work through the difficulties of resettlement.
Budget and funding During 2011, USRAP received $302 million from the federal government to fund its programs. Funding increased to $417 million in 2012, then dropped back to $310 million in 2013. Some money funds public and private non-profit organizations providing initial services and assisting refugees to achieve self-sufficiency.U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) Frequently Asked Questions – Iraqi Processing
Refugee eligibility According to USRAP, "A refugee is someone who has fled from his or her home country and cannot return because he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group." Once a refugee has fled their country, there is an intensive process before they can be admitted into the United States. The process aims to take eight months to a year, but actually takes much longer. Once a refugee has been admitted, the sponsoring organization is responsible for helping them adapt to their new life.
Services Cash assistance The USRAP cash assistance program has come under scrutiny for not considering individual circumstances, with the level of support being essentially random. Depending on their location, some refugees are given transportation assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families support, and local community assistance, while other refugees are given the bare minimum of federal funding. This inequitable allocation leads to the successful integration of some refugees while others are left behind.
Employment The purpose of cash assistance is to help refugees find employment. This goal, however, is frequently not achieved. "…The cash assistance received was not enough to cover basic expenses and often ran out long before employment was secured." Limited time and funding for support can shorten the employment assistance period, sometimes to less than six months. This lack of time and funding results in a push for quick, insufficient employment rather than full, sustaining careers.
Refugees are often placed in short-term jobs that may not match their skills, education, or experience. The reason behind this push is that the goal is not that of long-term self-sustainability, but rather of self-sustainability by the end of the "eight"-month refugee assistance.