IMMIGRATIONRefugee or Asylum-Seeker in the U.S.: What's the Difference?
In the United States, there are notable distinctions between refugees or asylum-seekers. While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are significant differences under U.S. immigration law when pursuing these statuses. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has established specific priorities for processing individuals and groups with special humanitarian concerns who seek entry into the United States.
World Refugee Day, celebrated around the world every June 20, serves as a day to pay tribute to people who have been compelled to flee their homes.
Those who leave their home countries seeking safety are known as refugees or asylum-seekers.
In the United States, there are notable distinctions between these two statuses. While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are significant differences under U.S. immigration law when pursuing these statuses.
Who Is a Refugee?
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has established specific priorities for processing individuals and groups with special humanitarian concerns who seek entry into the United States.
The individuals referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, U.S. embassies, or certain non-governmental organizations receive the utmost priority, P-1. Groups of special humanitarian concern are next in priority, P-2, followed by family reunification cases, P-3.
Applicants go through a pre-screening process at one of a handful of Resettlement Support Centers scattered around the world. This is followed by an interview conducted by a U.S. immigration officer, multiple security checks, and a medical examination to determine their eligibility for resettlement in the United States.
Once approved, an applicant is assigned to a sponsoring resettlement agency that provides assistance with services such as housing and employment upon the refugee’s arrival in the U.S.
Refugees receive employment authorization and can request documents to travel outside the United States. After one year, refugees may apply for lawful permanent status, also known as a green card. Five years after obtaining a green card, they can apply for U.S. citizenship.
Is it possible to count how many people are refugees worldwide?
According to a report released by the UNHCR, 110 million people are displaced worldwide, an increase of 19 million people compared with the end of 2021. That means 1 in every 74 people around the world has been forced to flee.
That number includes those displaced internally, which means they can’t go home but they have not left their country, asylum-seekers, and refugees.
Who Is an Asylum-Seeker?
U.S. federal law allows people from other countries to seek asylum in the United States if they fear persecution at home. They must be present in the U.S. and prove a fear of persecution on one of five grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social class (the vaguest of the five categories, it can include things like sexuality or caste).
