Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy
Andorra Bruno
Specialist in Immigration Policy
March 7, 2012
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL31269
CRS Report for Congress
Pr
epared for Members and Committees of Congress

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Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy

Summary
A refugee is a person fleeing his or her 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. Typically, the annual number of refugees that can be admitted into the United
States, known as the refugee ceiling, and the allocation of these numbers by region are set by the
President after consultation with Congress at the start of each fiscal year. For FY2012, the
worldwide refugee ceiling is 76,000, with 73,000 admissions numbers allocated among the
regions of the world and 3,000 numbers comprising an unallocated reserve. An unallocated
reserve is to be used if, and where, a need develops for refugee slots in excess of the allocated
numbers. The FY2012 regional allocations are, as follows: Africa (12,000), East Asia (18,000),
Europe and Central Asia (2,000), Latin America/Caribbean (5,500), and Near East/South Asia
(35,500).
Overseas processing of refugees is conducted through a system of three priorities for admission.
Priority 1 comprises cases involving persons facing compelling security concerns. Priority 2
comprises cases involving persons from specific groups of special humanitarian concern to the
United States (e.g., Iranian religious minorities). Priority 3 comprises family reunification cases
involving close relatives of persons admitted as refugees or granted asylum.
Special legislative provisions facilitate relief for certain refugee groups. The “Lautenberg
Amendment,” which was first enacted in 1989, allows certain former Soviet and Indochinese
nationals to qualify for refugee status based on their membership in a protected category with a
credible fear of persecution. In 2004, Congress amended the Lautenberg Amendment to add the
“Specter Amendment,” which requires the designation of categories of Iranian religious
minorities whose cases are to be adjudicated under the Lautenberg Amendment’s reduced
evidentiary standard. Subsequent laws extended the Lautenberg Amendment, as amended by the
Specter Amendment, through FY2010. For FY2011, Congress extended the amendment only until
June 1, 2011, and it temporarily lapsed on that date. It was re-enacted for FY2012 by P.L. 112-74,
however, and is now in effect until October 1, 2012. Another provision, referred to as the
“McCain Amendment” or the “McCain-Davis Amendment,” had made certain adult children of
Vietnamese re-education camp survivors eligible for U.S. refugee resettlement. This amendment
was repealed by P.L. 111-117.
The Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS/ORR)
administers an initial transitional assistance program for temporarily dependent refugees and
Cuban/Haitian entrants. This report will be updated as major developments occur.
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Contents
Background and Definitions ............................................................................................................ 1
Refugee Admissions ........................................................................................................................ 1
FY2012 Refugee Ceiling and Allocations ................................................................................. 4
Refugee Processing Priorities.................................................................................................... 4
Refugee Adjudications............................................................................................................... 6
Admissibility of Refugees................................................................................................... 6
Special Refugee Provisions ....................................................................................................... 7
Lautenberg Amendment and Specter Amendment .............................................................. 7
Vietnamese Refugees .......................................................................................................... 8
Refugee Resettlement Assistance .................................................................................................... 8

Tables
Table 1. Refugee Admissions Ceilings and Regional Allocations, FY2001-FY2012...................... 3
Table 2. Refugee Resettlement Funding, FY2003-FY2012............................................................. 9
Table 3. Refugee Eligibility for Major Federal Public Assistance Programs ................................ 10

Appendixes
Appendix. Refugee Admissions by Region, FY1987-FY2011...................................................... 11

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 12

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Background and Definitions
The admission of refugees to the United States and their resettlement here are authorized by the
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Refugee Act of 1980.1 The 1980 Act
had two basic purposes: (1) to provide a uniform procedure for refugee admissions; and (2) to
authorize federal assistance to resettle refugees and promote their self-sufficiency. The intent of
the legislation was to end an ad hoc approach to refugee admissions and resettlement that had
characterized U.S. refugee policy since World War II.
Under the INA, a refugee is a person who is outside his or her country and who is unable or
unwilling to return 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.2 In special
circumstances, a refugee also may be a person who is within his or her country and who is
persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality,
membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Excluded from the INA definition of
a refugee is any person who participated in the persecution of another.3
Refugees are processed and admitted to the United States from abroad. The Department of State
(DOS) handles overseas processing of refugees and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) makes final determinations about
eligibility for admission. Separate provision is made in the INA for the granting of asylum on a
case-by-case basis to aliens who are physically present in the United States or at a land border or
port of entry and who meet the definition of a refugee.4 After one year in refugee status in the
United States, refugees are required to apply to adjust to legal permanent resident (LPR) status.5
Refugee Admissions
The United States aims to consider for resettlement at least half of the refugees referred by the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for resettlement worldwide each
year, depending on the availability of funding. By law, the annual number of refugee admissions
and the allocation of these numbers by region of the world are set by the President after
consultation with Congress.6 Each year, the President submits a report to the House of
Representatives and the Senate, known as the consultation document, which contains the
Administration’s proposed worldwide refugee ceiling and regional allocations for the upcoming
fiscal year.7 Following congressional consultations on the Administration’s proposal, the

1 The INA is Act of June 27, 1952, ch. 477, codified, as amended, at 8 U.S.C. §§1101 et seq. The Refugee Act is P.L.
96-212, March 17, 1980.
2 This definition conforms with the definition used in the United Nations Convention and Protocol relating to the status
of refugees.
3 INA §101(a)(42).
4 For further information on asylum, see CRS Report R41753, Asylum and “Credible Fear” Issues in U.S. Immigration
Policy, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
5 INA §209(a). Asylees (those granted asylum) may apply for LPR status after one year, but are not required to do so.
There are no numerical limitations on refugee or asylee adjustments of status.
6 INA §207(a).
7 The consultation document for FY2012 is U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2012: Report to the
(continued...)
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President issues a Presidential Determination setting the refugee numbers for that year.8 Table 1
shows refugee admissions ceilings and regional allocations for FY2001-FY2012.
The U.S. refugee program was greatly impacted by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In
the aftermath of those attacks, a review of refugee-related security procedures was undertaken,
refugee admissions were briefly suspended, and enhanced security measures were implemented.
As a result of these and other factors, actual refugee admissions plunged, declining from an
FY2001 total of 69,304 to an FY2002 total of 27,131 and an FY2003 total of 28,404, as shown in
the last row of Table 1.9
Admissions have rebounded since FY2002 and FY2003, totaling over 70,000 in each of FY2009
and FY2010. As shown in Table 1, however, there was a significant drop in admissions between
FY2010 and FY2011, when admissions totaled 56,424. The FY2012 consultation document,
written during FY2011, attributed the FY2010-FY2011 decrease largely to new security
requirements:
[FY2011’s] admissions total will be lower … due largely to the introduction of additional
security checks during the year, including pre-departure checks shortly before refugees travel
to the U.S., instituted mid-year, that enhance the vetting of applicants against intelligence
and law enforcement information. While these checks caused a slowdown in refugee arrivals,
the checks reflect the Administration’s commitment to conduct the most thorough checks
possible to prevent dangerous individuals from gaining access to the United States through
the refugee program. Arrival numbers began to rebound in June and July [of 2011] and we
expect arrivals in FY2012 approaching the proposed ceiling.10


(...continued)
Congress, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/181378.pdf. (Hereinafter cited as Proposed Refugee
Admissions for Fiscal Year 2012.)
8 Asylees are not included in the refugee ceiling. There are no numerical limitations on the granting of asylum.
9 Refugee admissions had not been at or below the FY2002 or FY2003 levels since FY1977, when admissions totaled
about 20,000. From FY1979 through FY2001, annual refugee admissions totaled more than 60,000. For annual data on
refugee admissions by region since FY1987, see the Appendix at the end of this report.
10 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2012, p. iv.
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Table 1. Refugee Admissions Ceilings and Regional Allocations, FY2001-FY2012
Region
FY2001 FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012
Africa
20,000 22,000 20,000 30,000b 21,000c 20,000 22,000 16,000 12,000 15,500 15,000 12,000
East
Asia
6,000 4,000 4,000 8,500b 13,000 15,000 16,000d 20,000 20,500f 18,000g 19,000 18,000
Europe and Central Asiaa 37,000 26,000 16,500 13,000 15,500c 15,000 6,500 3,000 2,500 2,500 2,000 2,000
Latin America/Caribbean
3,000
3,000
2,500
3,500
7,000c 5,000 5,000 5,000e 5,500f 5,500g 5,500 5,500
Near East/
39,500f 38,000g 35,500 35,500
South Asia
10,000
15,000
7,000
3,000b 3,500c 5,000 9,000d 28,000
Unal ocated 4,000

—
20,000
12,000b 10,000c 10,000 11,500d 8,000e
—f 500 3,000 3,000
Total
ceilings
80,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 80,000 80,000 80,000 80,000 76,000
Actual
admissions
69,304 27,131 28,404 52,873 53,813 41,223 48,282 60,191 74,654 73,311 56,424
NA
Sources: For ceiling and allocation data: PD 2000-32, September 29, 2000; PD 02-04, November 21, 2001; PD 03-02, October 16, 2002; PD 2004-06, October 21, 2003;
PD 2004-53, September 30, 2004; PD 2006-3, October 24, 2005; PD 2007-1, October 11, 2006; PD 2008-1, October 2, 2007; PD 2008-29, September 30, 2008; PD 2009-
32, September 30, 2009; PD 2011-02, October 8, 2010; PD 2011-17, September 30, 2011. U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Proposed Refugee Admissions ... , Fiscal Years 2001-2012. For actual admissions data: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees
and Migration.
a. For FY2001-FY2003, separate sub-al ocations were provided for the former Yugoslavia and the Former Soviet Union (FSU); they are combined here.
b. Of the FY2004 ceiling of 70,000, 50,000 numbers were originally allocated by region and 20,000 were unallocated. The unallocated reserve was tapped during the
year to provide 8,000 additional numbers to Africa, East Asia, and Near East/South Asia.
c. Of the FY2005 ceiling of 70,000, 50,000 numbers were originally allocated by region and 20,000 were unallocated. The unallocated reserve was tapped during the
year to provide 10,000 additional numbers to Africa, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, and Near East/South Asia.
d. Of the FY2007 ceiling of 70,000, 50,000 numbers were originally allocated by region and 20,000 were unallocated. The unallocated reserve was tapped during the
year to provide 8,500 additional numbers to East Asia and Near East/South Asia.
e. Of the FY2008 ceiling of 80,000, 70,000 numbers were originally allocated by region and 10,000 were unallocated. The unallocated reserve was tapped during the
year to provide 2,000 additional numbers to Latin America/Caribbean.
f.
Of the FY2009 ceiling of 80,000, 75,000 numbers were originally allocated by region and 5,000 were unallocated. The unallocated reserve was tapped during the year
to provide 5,000 additional numbers to East Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, and Near East/South Asia.
g. Of the FY2010 ceiling of 80,000, 75,000 numbers were originally allocated by region and 5,000 were unallocated. The unallocated reserve was tapped during the year
to provide 4,500 additional numbers to East Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, and Near East/South Asia.

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FY2012 Refugee Ceiling and Allocations
On September 30, 2011, President Obama signed the Presidential Determination setting the
FY2012 worldwide refugee ceiling and regional levels.11 As indicated in Table 1, the FY2012
ceiling is 76,000. The ceiling and allocations in the FY2012 Presidential Determination are
identical to those in the FY2012 consultation document.
The FY2012 refugee ceiling of 76,000 includes 73,000 admissions numbers allocated among the
regions of the world and an unallocated reserve of 3,000 numbers. An unallocated reserve is to be
used if, and where, a need develops for refugee slots in excess of the allocated numbers. This has
occurred in recent years, as detailed in Table 1.
Africa has been allocated 12,000 refugee admissions numbers for FY2012. The FY2011
allocation to the region was 15,000, and FY2011 admissions totaled just over half that number
(7,685).12 According to the FY2012 consultation document, the shortfall in FY2011 African
refugee arrivals resulted from several factors, including “challenges related to finalizing
individual security clearances; our inability to launch a significantly larger resettlement program
for Darfur refugees in Chad due to host government opposition;” and a decrease in referrals to the
U.S. refugee admissions program from UNHCR. For Africa, as for all regions, the FY2012
allocation is intended to cover previously approved refugees in the pipeline as well as new cases.
FY2012 admissions are expected to come primarily from East and Southern Africa and to include
Somalis, Congolese, and Eritreans, among others.
East Asia’s FY2012 allocation is 18,000, compared to an FY2011 allocation of 19,000. FY2011
admissions totaled 17,367. FY2012 admissions are expected to consist primarily of Burmese
refugees living in Thailand and Malaysia.
Europe and Central Asia have a combined FY2012 allocation of 2,000 refugee numbers, the same
as in FY2011. In FY2011, admissions totaled 1,228. The 2012 allocation includes projected
admissions of “Lautenberg Amendment” cases from the former Soviet Union (discussed below).
The FY2012 allocation for Latin America and the Caribbean is 5,500, the same as the FY2011
allocation. FY2011 admissions totaled 2,976. Cubans account for the vast majority of admissions
from this region.
The Near East/South Asia FY2012 allocation is 35,500, the same as the FY2011 allocation.
FY2011 admissions totaled 27,168. FY2012 admissions are expected to include Iraqis,
Bhutanese, Iranians, Pakistanis, and Afghans.
Refugee Processing Priorities
DOS is responsible for overseas processing of refugees. Generally, it arranges for a non-
governmental organization (NGO), an international organization, or U.S. embassy contractors to

11 U.S. President [Obama], “Fiscal Year 2012 Refugee Admissions Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country Refugee
Status ...,” Presidential Determination No. 2011-17 of September 30, 2011, 76 Federal Register, pp. 62597-62598,
October 11, 2011.
12 See Appendix for annual refugee admissions numbers by region since FY1987.
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manage a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) that assists in refugee processing. RSC staff
conduct pre-screening interviews of prospective refugees and prepare cases for submission to
USCIS, which handles refugee adjudications. Overseas refugee processing is conducted through a
system of three priorities for admission. These priorities are separate and distinct from whether
such persons qualify for refugee status.
Priority 1 covers refugees for whom resettlement seems to be the appropriate durable solution,
who are referred to the U.S. refugee program by UNHCR, a U.S. embassy, or a designated NGO.
Such persons often have compelling protection needs, and may be in danger of attack or of being
returned to the country they fled. All nationalities are eligible for this priority.
Priority 2 covers groups of special humanitarian concern to the United States. It includes specific
groups that may be defined by their nationalities, clans, ethnicities, or other characteristics. Some
of these groups, such as Cuban dissidents and certain former Soviet nationals (“Lautenberg
Amendment” cases, discussed below), are processed in their country of origin. Other Priority 2
groups are processed outside their country of origin. These include Iranian religious minorities
(“Specter Amendment” cases, discussed below) processed in Austria and Turkey, and Burmese in
refugee camps in Thailand. Unlike Priority 1 cases, individuals falling under Priority 2 are able to
access the U.S. refugee program without a UNHCR, embassy, or NGO referral.
Priority 3 covers family reunification cases. Refugee applications under Priority 3 are based upon
an affidavit of relationship (AOR) filed by an eligible relative in the United States. The Priority 3
program, which is limited to designated nationalties, has changed over the years. 13 Since
FY2004, it has comprised cases of spouses, unmarried children under age 21, and parents of
persons who were admitted to the United States as refugees or granted asylum. Individuals falling
under Priority 3, like those falling under Priority 2, are able to access the U.S. refugee program
without a UNHCR, embassy, or NGO referral.
On October 22, 2008, the U.S. refugee program stopped accepting applications under Priority 3.14
Earlier in 2008, processing of Priority 3 cases was suspended in certain locations in Africa “due
to indications of extremely high rates of fraud obtained through pilot DNA testing.”15 A revised
Priority 3 program is under consideration. According to the FY2012 consultation document:

13 The number of nationalities eligible for Priority 3 processing has varied in recent years. During the late 1990s, the
State Department found that a large number of Priority 3 applications were received from persons who did not qualify
for refugee status and that there was a significant amount of fraud associated with these applications. To address these
problems, the U.S. government reduced the number of nationalities eligible for such refugee slots. For FY2003, four
nationalities were eligible for Priority 3 processing. For FY2004, the Priority 3 program was revised on a pilot basis. To
simultaneously broaden access to the program and continue to address concerns about fraud, the number of eligible
nationalities was increased to nine, while the types of qualifying relationships were restricted. As noted above,
eligibility for Priority 3 currently requires a qualifying relationship with an individual who was admitted to the United
States as a refugee or granted asylum. Prior to FY2004, this processing priority was available to those with qualifying
relationships with a much wider range of legal U.S. residents without regard to how these residents gained admission to
the United States. In another change, since FY2004, children have to be under age 21 to be eligible for Priority 3. In the
past, this processing priority was also available to older unmarried sons and daughters. These changes to the Priority 3
qualifying relationships have remained in place since FY2004.
14 U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, “Fraud in the Refugee Family
Reunification (Priority Three) Program,” fact sheet, December 4, 2008.
15 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2012, p. 12.
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PRM and DHS/USCIS will update the Congress when the revisions [to the P-3 program and
AOR] are complete, and we are prepared to resume P-3 processing, likely with a DNA
relationship testing requirement for certain claimed biological relationships.16
Upon resumption, Priority 3 processing will be available to nationals of 20 countries.17
Refugee Adjudications
USCIS is responsible for adjudicating refugee cases. It makes determinations about whether an
individual qualifies for refugee status and is otherwise admissible to the United States. In the past,
the majority of refugee adjudications were conducted by USCIS officers on temporary duty from
domestic asylum offices. Today, these adjudications are handled by USCIS officers in the
Refugee Corps.
Admissibility of Refugees
In order to be admitted to the United States, a prospective refugee must be admissible under
immigration law. The INA sets forth various grounds of inadmissibility, which include health-
related grounds, security-related grounds, public charge (i.e., indigence), and lack of proper
documentation.18 Some inadmissibility grounds (public charge, lack of proper documentation) are
not applicable to refugees. Others can be waived for humanitarian purposes, to assure family
unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest.19 Of particular relevance to the admission of
refugees are certain health-related and security-related grounds of inadmissibility.
Under the INA health-related grounds of inadmissibility, an alien who is determined, in
accordance with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations, to have a
communicable disease of public health significance is inadmissible. Until recently, human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was defined to be one of these diseases, although HIV-
infected refugees could apply for a waiver. In 2008, Congress amended the INA to eliminate the
reference to HIV infection as a health-related ground of inadmissibility.20 And effective January 4,
2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of HHS amended its regulations to
remove HIV infection from the definition of a communicable disease of public health
significance.21
Since 1990, the security-related grounds of inadmissibility in the INA have expressly included
terrorism-related grounds. Over the years, the terrorism-related grounds have been amended to

16 Ibid.
17 The countries are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cuba,
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq,
Republic of Congo (ROC), Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. Proposed Refugee Admissions for
Fiscal Year 2012, pp. 12-13.
18 For further information on the grounds of inadmissibility generally, see CRS Report R41104, Immigration Visa
Issuances and Grounds for Exclusion: Policy and Trends, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
19 Certain grounds of inadmissibility, including most security-related grounds, cannot be waived.
20 P.L. 110-293, Title III, §305, July 30, 2008.
21 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Medical Examination
of Aliens—Removal of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection From Definition of Communicable Disease
of Public Health Significance,” 74 Federal Register, pp. 56547-56562, November 2, 2009.
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lower the threshold for how substantial, apparent, and immediate an alien’s support for a terrorist
activity or organization may be for the alien to be rendered inadmissible.22 Among the current
terrorism-related grounds, an alien is generally inadmissible for engaging in terrorist activity if he
or she gives any material support, such as a safe house, transportation, communications, or funds,
to a terrorist organization or any of its members or to a person engaged in terrorist activity. The
Secretary of State or the Secretary of DHS, after consultation with the other and the Attorney
General, may exercise discretionary waiver authority over certain terrorism-related grounds of
inadmissibility. Both the Secretary of State and the Secretary of DHS have exercised this waiver
authority with respect to certain categories of individuals.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, enacted in December 2007, specifies groups that, for
purposes of the INA terrorism-related grounds of inadmissibility, are not to be considered terrorist
organizations on the basis of past acts. 23 Thus, a prospective refugee who provided support to one
of these groups would not be subject to the material support inadmissibility provision on the basis
of those actions. More broadly, the Consolidated Appropriations Act expands the discretionary
authority of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of DHS to grant waivers of the terrorism-
related grounds of inadmissibility generally.
Special Refugee Provisions
Lautenberg Amendment and Specter Amendment
The “Lautenberg Amendment” is a provision of the FY1990 Foreign Operations Appropriations
Act. It requires the Attorney General to designate categories of former Soviet and Indochinese
nationals for whom less evidence is needed to prove refugee status, and provides for adjustment
to permanent resident status of certain Soviet and Indochinese nationals granted parole after being
denied refugee status.24 Applicants for refugee status under the special provision are required to
prove that they are members of a protected category with a credible, but not necessarily
individual, fear of persecution. By contrast, the INA requires prospective refugees to establish a
well-founded fear of persecution on a case-by-case basis.
The Lautenberg Amendment has been regularly extended in appropriations acts, although there
have often been gaps between extensions. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, in addition
to extending the amendment through FY2004, amended the Lautenberg Amendment to add a new
provision known as the “Specter Amendment.”25 The Specter Amendment requires the
designation of categories of Iranian nationals, specifically religious minorities, for whom less

22 See CRS Report RL32564, Immigration: Terrorist Grounds for Exclusion and Removal of Aliens, by Michael John
Garcia and Ruth Ellen Wasem.
23 P.L. 110-161, Division J, Title VI, §691, December 26, 2007. DHS and DOS followed this enactment with a series of
Federal Register notices similarly stating that the terrorism-related grounds of inadmissibility would generally be
waived with respect to any assistance provided by an alien to any of the entities expressly exempted by the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, from being deemed terrorist organizations. U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, Office of the Secretary, and Department of State, Office of the Secretary, “Exercise of Authority Under
Section 212(d)(3)(B)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act” [10 separate notices with same title], 73 Federal
Register 34770-34777, June 18, 2008.
24 P.L. 101-167, Title V, §599D and §599E, November 21, 1989. Parole is a temporary authorization to enter the
United States and is typically granted when the alien’s entry is determined to be in the public interest.
25 P.L. 108-199, Division E, Title II, §213, January 23, 2004.
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evidence is needed to prove refugee status. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, extended
the Lautenberg Amendment, including the Specter Amendment, through FY2010.26 For FY2011,
Congress extended the amendment only until June 1, 2011,27 and it temporarily lapsed on that
date. It was re-enacted for FY201228 and is now in effect until October 1, 2012.
Vietnamese Refugees
The “McCain Amendment” was first enacted in the FY1997 Omnibus Consolidated
Appropriations Act.29 It covered certain adult children, whose parents were Vietnamese re-
education camp survivors and had been accepted for U.S. refugee resettlement. The amendment
made the adult children eligible for U.S. refugee resettlement. It was subsequently amended and
extended through FY1999.
In November 1999, the McCain Amendment was re-enacted in revised form for FY2000 and
FY2001 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2000.30 As revised, it applied to the adult
children of a re-education camp survivor who was residing in the United States or awaiting
departure from Vietnam and who, after April 1995, was accepted for U.S. refugee resettlement or
for admission as an immediate relative immigrant. The April 1995 date restriction did not apply to
children who were previously denied refugee resettlement because their documents did not show
continuous co-residency with their parent.
Legislation to amend and extend the provision through FY2003 was approved by the 107th
Congress in May 2002.31 This law eliminated the existing April 1995 date restriction. Thus,
children who were previously denied refugee resettlement for reasons other than co-residency
could also have their cases reconsidered. This revised provision, which was regularly extended,32
is sometimes referred to as the “McCain-Davis Amendment.” The McCain-Davis Amendment
was last extended, through FY2010, by the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009.33 This extension
was repealed, however, by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010,34 and the McCain
amendment is no longer in effect.
Refugee Resettlement Assistance
The Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS/ORR),
within the Administration for Children and Families, administers an initial transitional assistance
program for temporarily dependent refugees and Cuban/Haitian entrants. Since its establishment

26 P.L. 111-117, Division F, Title VII, §7034(f), December 16, 2009. Earlier extensions were included in P.L. 108-447,
December 8, 2004; P.L. 109-102, November 14, 2005; P.L. 110-5, February 15, 2007; and P.L. 110-161, December 26,
2007.
27 P.L. 112-10, Division B, §2121(m), April 15, 2011.
28 P.L. 112-74, Division I, §7034(r), December 23, 2011.
29 Section 584 of P.L. 104-208, Division A, Section 101(c), September 30, 1996.
30 P.L. 106-113, Appendix G, Division A, §255, November 29, 1999.
31 P.L. 107-185, May 30, 2002.
32 It was extended by P.L. 108-447, P.L. 109-102, and P.L. 110-161.
33 P.L. 111-8, Division H, §7034(d), March 11, 2009.
34 P.L. 111-117, Division F, §7034(d).
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in 1980, the refugee resettlement program has been justified on the grounds that the admission of
refugees is a federal decision, entailing some federal responsibility. Unlike immigrants who enter
through family or employment ties, refugees are admitted on humanitarian grounds, and there is
no requirement that they demonstrate economic self-sufficiency.
For FY2012, appropriations for ORR refugee assistance totaled $768.3 million. Table 2 details
refugee resettlement funding for FY2003-FY2012. For FY2013, the President has requested
$805.4 million for refugee assistance.
Table 2. Refugee Resettlement Funding, FY2003-FY2012
(budget authority in millions)
FY03
FY04
FY05
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
FY11
FY12
Programs
enacted actual
actual
actual enacted enactedf estimate enacted enacted enacted
Transitional/Cash
and Medical
Services
$219.9
$169.0
$205.0
$265.4 $265.5 $301.3 $282.3 $353.3 $352.6 $372.3
Victims of
Traffickinga
9.9
9.9
9.9
9.8 9.8 10.0 9.8 9.8 9.8 9.8
Social
Services
150.1
152.2
152.2
153.9 154.0 156.7 154.0 154.0 153.7 153.4
Victims of
Tortureb
9.9 9.9 9.9 9.8 9.8 10.0 10.8 11.1 11.1 11.0
Preventive
Health
4.8
4.8
4.8
4.7 4.7 4.8 4.7 4,7 4,7 4,7
Targeted
Assistance
49.2
49.0
49.1
48.6 48.6 49.5 48.6 48.6 48.5 48.4
Unaccompanied
Alien Childrenc 37.1e
52.8
53.8
77.2
95.3
135.0
123.1
149.4
149.1
168.7
Totald
$480.9
$447.6
$484.7
$569.4 $587.8 $667.3 $633.4 $730.9 $729.5 $768.3
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Justifications
of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, Fiscal Years 2005-2013; U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Administration for Children and Families, “Administration for Children and Families 2005-2007 All-
Purpose Table”; U.S. Congress, Conference Committees, Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, conference report to accompany H.R. 3288, 111th
Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 111-366, Labor-Health and Human Services-Education funding table, p. 1292.
a. Funding used primarily for administrative cost of certifying that an alien is a trafficking victim for purposes
of receiving benefits and services.
b. Funding used for rehabilitation services, social services, and legal services for torture victims and for
provision of research and training to health care providers.
c. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296) transferred functions under U.S. immigration law
related to the care of unaccompanied alien children from the then-INS to HHS/ORR.
d. Sum of listed amounts may not equal total due to rounding.
e. This funding was transferred to ORR from the former INS, pursuant to P.L. 107-296.
f.
Amounts do not reflect the required 1.747% recision.
ORR-funded refugee assistance activities include refugee cash and medical assistance, social
services to help refugees become socially and economically self-sufficient, and targeted
assistance for impacted areas. Special refugee cash assistance (RCA) and refugee medical
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assistance (RMA) are the heart of the refugee program, accounting for a greater portion of the
ORR annual budget than any other activity (see Table 2). RCA and RMA, which in most cases
are administered by the states, are intended to help needy refugees who are ineligible to receive
benefits from mainstream federal assistance programs. RCA and RMA are currently available to
refugees for eight months after entry.35 RMA benefits are based on the state’s Medicaid program,
and RCA payments are now based on the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) payment to a family unit of the same size.36
The ORR program was significantly affected by the 1996 welfare reform act and subsequent
amendments.37 Prior to this legislation, refugees who otherwise met the requirements of federal
public assistance programs were immediately and indefinitely eligible to participate in them just
like U.S. citizens. Now, refugees and other specified humanitarian entrants are subject to time
limits. Table 3 summarizes the time limits on refugee eligibility for four major public assistance
programs.
Table 3. Refugee Eligibility for Major Federal Public Assistance Programs
Program Eligibility
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for the Aged,
Eligible for seven years after entry.a
Blind and Disabled
Medicaid (non-emergency care)
Eligible for seven years after entry, then state
option.
TANF
Eligible for five years after entry, then state
option.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly,
Eligible without time limits.
Food Stamps)
a. A temporary provision (in P.L. 110-328, September 30, 2008) extended to nine years (during FY2009
through FY2011) the period of eligibility of certain refugees and others for SSI benefits, provided that
specified criteria were met.

35 INA §412(e)(1) authorizes ORR to reimburse states for RCA and RMA for 36 months. Initially, beginning in April
1980, RCA and RMA were available for the full 36 months. As appropriations levels decreased in subsequent years,
however, the period of coverage was reduced. Since October 1991, RCA and RMA have been available to refugees for
eight months after entry.
36 For additional discussion of ORR assistance, see CRS Report R41570, U.S. Refugee Resettlement Assistance, by
Andorra Bruno.
37 The 1996 welfare reform law is the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, P.L. 104-193,
August 22, 1996.
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Appendix. Refugee Admissions by Region,
FY1987-FY2011
Former
Latin
East
Eastern
Soviet
America/
Near East/
FY Africa Asia
Europe
Union
Caribbean
South Asia
Total
1987 1,990
40,099 8,396 3,699
323
10,021 64,528
1988 1,593
35,371 7,510 20,411
3,230a 8,368
76,483
1989 1,902
45,722 8,752 39,602
4,116a 6,976a
107,070
1990 3,453
51,604a 6,094 50,628
5,308a 4,979
122,066
1991 4,420
53,522 6,837 39,226
4,042a 5,342
113,389
1992 5,470
51,899 2,915 61,397
3,947a 6,903
132,531
1993 6,967
49,817 2,582 48,773
4,322a 6,987
119,448
1994 5,860
43,564 7,707 43,854
6,156
5,840
112,981
1995 4,827
36,987 10,070 35,951
7,629
4,510 99,974
1996 7,604
19,321 12,145 29,816
3,550
3,967 76,403
1997 6,065 8,594 21,401 27,331
2,996
4,101 70,488
1998 6,887
10,854 30,842 23,557
1,627
3,313 77,080
1999 13,043 10,206 38,658 17,410
2,110
4,098 85,525
2000 17,561 4,561 22,561 15,103
3,232
10,129 73,147
2001 19,021 3,725 15,777 15,748
2,973
12,060 69,304
2002 2,551 3,512 5,459 9,969
1,934
3,706 27,131
2003 10,715 1,724 2,506 8,744
455
4,260 28,404
2004 29,104 8,084 9,254b
3,577 2,854
52,873
2005 20,745 12,076 11,316b
6,699 2,977
53,813
2006 18,126 5,659 10,456b
3,264 3,718
41,223
2007 17,483 15,643 4,560b
2,976 7,620
48,282
2008 8,935
19,489 2,343b
4,277
25,147
60,191
2009 9,670
19,850 1,997b
4,857
38,280
74,654
2010 13,305 17,716 1,526b
4,982
35,782
73,311
2011 7,685
17,367 1,228b
2,976
27,168
56,424
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.
Notes: Data for 2002-2011 are as of February 29, 2012. Data for earlier years may not reflect al subsequent
adjustments.
a. Includes refugees admitted under the Private Sector Initiative (PSI), most of whom were Cuban.
b. Beginning in FY2004, the categories of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union were combined into a
single category, Europe and Central Asia. These are the total admissions under that category.

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Author Contact Information

Andorra Bruno

Specialist in Immigration Policy
abruno@crs.loc.gov, 7-7865

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