U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

January 20, 2023 R47399

U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
January 20, 2023
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R47399

U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

R47399
U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
January 20, 2023
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Refugee Act of 1980,
authorizes the United States to admit refugees. The INA defines a refugee as a person
Andorra Bruno
who is outside his or her country and unable or unwilling to return because of
Specialist in Immigration
persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion,
Policy
nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. In special

circumstances, a refugee may also be a person who is within his or her country and is

persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution based on one of these same
grounds.
Refugees are processed and admitted to the United States from abroad. A separate provision in the INA authorizes
the granting of asylum to aliens who are physically present in the United States, or arrive in the United States, and
meet the definition of a refugee.
Under the INA, the annual number of refugee admissions and their allocation are set by the President after
consultation with Congress. In the event that an emergency arises after the refugee numbers for the year have
been set, the INA authorizes the President, after consultation with Congress, to increase the refugee ceiling.
Refugee ceilings and admissions levels have varied over the years. For FY2022, the refugee ceiling was 125,000
and actual admissions totaled 25,465. For FY2023, the refugee ceiling is again 125,000.
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the Department of State coordinates and manages
the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Generally, it arranges for a nongovernmental organization, an
international organization, or U.S. embassy contractors to manage a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) abroad
that assists in refugee processing. RSC staff conduct pre-screening interviews of prospective refugees and prepare
cases for submission to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which handles refugee adjudications.
Refugee processing is conducted through a system of priorities (access categories). These include, for example,
Priority 1 for cases involving persons facing compelling security concerns, and Priority 2 for cases involving
persons from specific groups of special humanitarian concern to the United States (e.g., Central American
minors). In order to be considered for admission to the United States as a refugee, an individual must fall within
an established processing priority.
The DHS Secretary has discretionary authority to admit refugees to the United States. DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services is responsible for interviewing refugee applicants and adjudicating cases. To be eligible for
admission to the United States as a refugee, an individual must meet the INA definition of a refugee, not be firmly
resettled in another country, be determined to be of special humanitarian concern to the United States, and be
admissible to the United States.
PRM provides initial assistance to arriving refugees and certain others through its Reception and Placement
program. This assistance includes pre-arrival services; reception upon arrival in the United States; basic-needs
support (e.g., housing, furnishings, food, clothing) for at least 30 days; and referrals to health, employment,
education, and other services, as needed.
After one year in refugee status in the United States, refugees are required to apply to adjust to lawful permanent
resident (LPR) status. Under the INA, LPRs can apply for U.S. citizenship subject to statutory timeframes and
other requirements.
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U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

Background
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Refugee Act of 1980, authorizes
the United States to admit refugees.1 A main purpose of the 1980 act was to end the ad hoc
approach to refugee admissions that had characterized U.S. refugee policy since World War II and
establish a uniform procedure.
The INA defines a refugee as a person who is outside his or her country of nationality and 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 is persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution based on one of these same
grounds. Excluded from the INA definition of a refugee is any person who participated in the
persecution of another.3
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the Department of State (DOS)
coordinates and manages the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), and U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) interviews
applicants and makes final determinations about eligibility for admission. Refugees are processed
and admitted to the United States from abroad. A separate provision in the INA authorizes
granting asylum on a case-by-case basis to aliens4 who are physically present in the United States
or who arrive in the United States and meet the definition of a refugee.5
After one year in refugee status in the United States, refugees are required to apply to adjust to
lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.6 Under the INA, LPRs can apply for U.S. citizenship
subject to statutory timeframes and other requirements.7
Presidential Determinations on Refugee
Admissions
Under the INA, the annual number of refugee admissions and their allocation “among refugees of
special humanitarian concern to the United States” are set by the President after “appropriate
consultation” with Congress.8 Appropriate consultation is defined, in part, as “discussions in
person by designated Cabinet-level representatives of the President with members of the

1 The INA is Act of June 27, 1952, ch. 477; 8 U.S.C. §§1101 et seq. The Refugee Act is P.L. 96-212.
2 INA §101(a)(42)(A), 8 U.S.C. §1101(a)(42)(A). This definition conforms with the definition used in the United
Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.
3 INA §101(a)(42), 8 U.S.C. §1101(a)(42).
4 Alien is the term used in the INA for any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States. INA §101(a)(3),
8 U.S.C. §1101(a)(3).
5 INA §208, 8 U.S.C. §1158.
6 INA §209(a), 8 U.S.C. §1159(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.
7 For further information, see CRS Report R43366, U.S. Naturalization Policy.
8 INA §207(a), 8 U.S.C. §1157(a).
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Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and of the House of Representatives.”9 There is no
statutory requirement, however, that the President’s proposal receive congressional approval.
Each year, the President submits a Proposed Refugee Admissions report to Congress containing
the Administration’s proposed worldwide refugee ceiling and allocations for the upcoming fiscal
year.10 Following congressional consultations on the proposal, the President issues a presidential
determination setting the refugee numbers for that year. As noted above, the INA allows for
persons who are within their countries of nationality to be considered for refugee admission to the
United States in special circumstances. The annual presidential determinations indicate which
persons (defined by nationality or otherwise) may undergo in-country refugee processing.
In the event that an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” arises after the refugee numbers for
the year have been set, the INA authorizes the President, after consultation with Congress, to
fix a number of refugees to be admitted to the United States during the succeeding period
... in response to the emergency refugee situation and such admissions shall be allocated
among refugees of special humanitarian concern.11
In such cases, the President issues an emergency presidential determination.12
All the annual presidential determinations until FY2020 implemented the statutory requirement to
allocate admissions among refugees of special humanitarian concern by allocating admissions by
worldwide region. From FY2004 to FY2019, admissions were allocated among five regions:
Africa, East Asia, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, and Near East/South Asia.
Like the presidential determinations issued by his predecessors, those issued by former President
Trump for FY2020 and FY2021 set annual refugee ceilings and allocations.13 The allocations for
these years were not based on geographical regions, however, but on “population[s] of special
humanitarian concern.” For both years, some of these populations were based on nationality, such
as Iraqis with certain U.S. ties and nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. Others were
not; for example, there was an allocation in both years for persons with persecution claims based
on religion.14
President Biden issued two emergency presidential determinations in 2021 to revise the original
FY2021 presidential determination. The first reinstated regional allocations; it allocated the
existing FY2021 ceiling of 15,000 among the five worldwide regions listed above.15 The second

9 INA §207(e), 8 U.S.C. §1157(e).
10 The FY2023 report is U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, Report to the
Congress, https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/FY-2023-USRAP-Report-to-Congress_FINAL_7-Sep-
2022.pdf (hereinafter cited as Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023).
11 INA §207(b), 8 U.S.C. §1157(b).
12 For example, emergency determinations were issued in 1988 and 1989 by Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush,
respectively, both of which provided for the admission of additional refugees from Eastern Europe and the Soviet
Union (Presidential Determination No. 88-16 of May 20, 1988; Presidential Determination No. 89-15 of June 19,
1989). In 1999, President Clinton issued an emergency determination to provide for the admission of Kosovar refugees
(Presidential Determination No. 99-33 of August 12, 1999).
13 U.S. President (Trump), “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020,” Presidential
Determination No. 2020-04 of November 1, 2019, 85 Federal Register 65903, November 29, 2019; U.S. President
(Trump), “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021,” Presidential Determination No.
2021-02 of October 27, 2020, 85 Federal Register 71219, November 6, 2020.
14 For further information about these presidential determinations, see CRS Insight IN11196, FY2020 Refugee Ceiling
and Allocations; and CRS Insight IN11529, FY2021 Refugee Ceiling and Allocations.
15 U.S. President (Biden), “Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021,”
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increased the FY2021 refugee ceiling to 62,500.16 For FY2022, President Biden set the refugee
ceiling at 125,000.17 Table 1 below shows refugee admissions ceilings and regional allocations
(where applicable) for the years from FY2010 to FY2023.18
FY2023 Refugee Ceiling and Allocations
In September 2022, President Biden signed the presidential determination setting the FY2023
worldwide refugee ceiling and regional allocations.19 The FY2023 refugee ceiling is the same as
the FY2022 ceiling (125,000). The FY2023 presidential determination also provides that, if
otherwise qualified, the following persons may be processed for U.S. refugee admission within
their countries of nationality: (1) persons in Cuba; (2) persons in Eurasia and the Baltics; (3)
persons in Iraq; (4) persons in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; and (5) in certain
circumstances, persons identified by a U.S. embassy in any location.
As shown in Table 1, 120,000 of the 125,000 admissions slots for FY2023 have been allocated
among the five designated regions of the world. The allocations are as follows:
 Africa: 40,000. These admissions are expected to include Congolese, Eritrean,
and Sudanese refugees, among others.
 East Asia: 15,000. These admissions are expected to consist largely of Burmese
and Rohingya refugees.
 Europe and Central Asia combined: 15,000. This allocation includes projected
admissions of Lautenberg amendment cases from the former Soviet Union
(discussed in the “Lautenberg Amendment Groups” section below).
 Latin America/Caribbean: 15,000. Admissions from this region are expected to
include refugees from the Central American Northern Triangle countries (El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), among other countries.
 The Near East/South Asia: 35,000. These admissions are expected to include
Afghans, Iraqis, and Syrians, among other nationalities.20
The 5,000 remaining admissions slots comprise an unallocated reserve. The unallocated reserve is
to be used if, and where, a need develops for refugee slots in excess of the regional allocations.
Unallocated numbers have been used regularly in past years (see Table 1).

Presidential Determination No. 2021-05 of April 16, 2021, 86 Federal Register 21159, April 22, 2021.
16 U.S. President (Biden), “Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021,”
Presidential Determination No. 2021-06 of May 3, 2021, 86 Federal Register 24475, May 7, 2021.
17 U.S. President (Biden), “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2022,” Presidential
Determination No. 2022-02 of October 8, 2021, 86 Federal Register 57527, October 18, 2021.
18 The presidential determinations that set or changed the refugee ceilings for these years are listed among the table
sources.
19 U.S. President (Biden), “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023,” Presidential
Determination No. 2022-25 of September 27, 2022, 87 Federal Register 60547, October 6, 2022.
20 For additional discussion of refugee populations by region, see Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023,
pp. 29-33.
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Table 1. Refugee Admissions Ceilings and Regional Allocations, FY2010-FY2023
Region
FY10a
FY11
FY12
FY13b
FY14c
FY15d
FY16e
FY17f
FY18
FY19
FY20g
FY21h
FY22
FY23
Africa
15,500
15,000
12,000
15,950
17,500
20,400
27,500
35,000
19,000
11,000
—
22,000
40,000 40,000
East Asia
18,000
19,000
18,000
16,600
14,700
17,300
14,000
12,000
5,000
4,000
—
6,000
15,000 15,000
Europe and Central Asia
2,500
2,000
2,000
650
1,000
2,300
4,000
4,000
2,000
3,000
—
4,000
10,000 15,000
Latin America/Caribbean
5,500
5,500
5,500
4,400
4,300
2,300
1,500
5,000
1,500
3,000
—
3,000
15,000 15,000
Near East/South Asia
38,000
35,500
35,500
32,400
32,500
27,700
38,000
40,000
17,500
9,000
—
9,000
35,000 35,000
Unallocated
500
3,000
3,000
—
—
—
—
14,000
—
—
—
—
10,000
5,000
Total ceilings
80,000 80,000 76,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 85,000 110,000
45,000
30,000 18,000 62,500 125,000 125,000
Sources: Presidential Determination No. 2009-32, September 30, 2009; PD 2011-02, October 8, 2010; PD 2011-17, September 30, 2011; PD 2012-17, September 28,
2012; PD 2014-01, October 2, 2013; PD 2014-17, September 30, 2014; PD 2015-14, September 29, 2015; PD 2016-13, September 28, 2016; PD 2017-13, September 29,
2017; PD 2019-01, October 4, 2018; PD 2020-04, November 1, 2019; PD 2021-06, May 3, 2021; PD 2022-02, October 8, 2021; PD 2022-25, September 27, 2022; and
U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Proposed Refugee Admissions . . , FY2010-FY2023.
a. Of the FY2010 ceiling of 80,000, 75,000 were originally allocated by region and 5,000 were unallocated. Most of the unallocated reserve was used during the year to
provide additional allocations to East Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, and Near East/South Asia.
b. Of the FY2013 ceiling of 70,000, 67,000 were originally allocated by region and 3,000 were unallocated. The ful unallocated reserve was used and regional
allocations were shifted during the year to provide additional allocations to Africa and Near East/South Asia; all the original regional allocations were changed.
c. Of the FY2014 ceiling of 70,000, 68,000 were originally allocated by region and 2,000 were unallocated. The ful unallocated reserve was used and regional
allocations were shifted during the year to provide additional allocations to Africa and East Asia; all the original regional allocations were changed except Europe and
Central Asia.
d. Of the FY2015 ceiling of 70,000, 68,000 were originally allocated by region and 2,000 were unallocated. The ful unallocated reserve was used and regional
allocations were shifted during the year to provide additional allocations to Africa, East Asia, and Europe and Central Asia; all the original regional allocations were
changed.
e. Of the FY2016 ceiling of 85,000, 79,000 were originally allocated by region and 6,000 were unallocated. The ful unallocated reserve was used and regional
allocations were shifted during the year to provide additional allocations to Africa, East Asia, and Near East/South Asia; all the original regional allocations were
changed except Europe and Central Asia.
f.
The FY2017 ceiling and regional al ocations are from the FY2017 presidential determination issued by former President Obama in September 2016.
g. The FY2020 ceiling was not allocated by region. Instead, it was allocated as fol ows: persons with persecution claims based on religion (5,000); Iraqis with certain
U.S. ties (4,000); nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras (1,500); and others, including persons referred to the USRAP by a U.S. embassy, family
reunification cases, and approved refugees who were ready to travel to the United States as of September 30, 2019 (7,500).
h. The FY2021 ceiling and regional al ocations are from the emergency presidential determination issued by President Biden in May 2021.
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Comparison of Refugee Ceilings and Admissions
Refugee ceilings can be compared to corresponding annual admissions levels (see Appendix A
for refugee ceilings and admissions since FY1981; see Appendix B for refugee admissions by
region since FY1981). Over the entire period from FY1981 to FY2022 shown in Table A-1, the
annual average refugee ceiling was about 83,000 and the annual average number of admissions
was about 70,000. For the more recent period from FY2001 to FY2022, these annual averages
were about 72,000 and 50,000, respectively.
Focusing on this more recent period, in each year from FY2001 to FY2015, as indicated in Table
A-1, the worldwide refugee ceiling was between 70,000 and 80,000. Admissions levels during
these years were much more variable. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks prompted a
review of refugee-related security procedures (although no persons admitted to the United States
as refugees were implicated in the attacks). As a result, refugee admissions were briefly
suspended, and enhanced security measures were implemented. U.S. refugee admissions, which
totaled about 70,000 in FY2001, fell below 30,000 in each of FY2002 and FY2003 and remained
below 60,000 each year until FY2008. From FY2009 to FY2012, refugee admissions were
generally higher but experienced annual increases and decreases; admissions numbers in these
years ranged from about 56,000 to 75,000. Refugee admissions stabilized at about 70,000 each
year from FY2013 to FY2015, matching each year’s 70,000 ceiling.
In the years since FY2015, both refugee ceilings and admissions levels have fluctuated. Former
President Obama set the FY2016 refugee ceiling at 85,000 to accommodate increased admissions
of Syrians and others. Refugee admissions that year were about 85,000. For FY2017, former
President Obama set the refugee ceiling at 110,000, the highest level since FY1995. Refugee
admissions that year were less than half the ceiling (totaling about 54,000).21
Refugee ceilings and admissions levels fell during the Trump Administration. In March 2017,
former President Trump issued an executive order that “proclaim[ed] that the entry of more than
50,000 refugees in fiscal year 2017 would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.”22
In addition, in accordance with a subsequent October 2017 executive order,23 DHS put in place
“additional security enhancements and recommendations to strengthen the integrity of the U.S.
Refugee Admissions Program,” including additional screening for certain nationals of high-risk
countries.24 From FY2018 to FY2020, the annual refugee ceiling decreased annually from 45,000
to 30,000 to 18,000. Annual admissions during these years ranged from 30,000 in FY2019 to

21 A DHS report attributed the decrease in refugee admissions between FY2017 and FY2018 “in large part to additional
security vetting procedures.” DHS, Office of Immigration Statistics, Annual Flow Report, Refugees and Asylees: 2017,
March 2019, p. 4, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Refugees_Asylees_2017.pdf.
22 Executive Order 13780 of March 6, 2017, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United
States,” §6(b), 82 Federal Register 13209, March 9, 2017. On June 26, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that,
pending the resolution of ongoing litigation concerning the lawfulness of the March 2017 executive order, the
provisions establishing the FY2017 50,000 refugee admissions limit (as well as a 120-day refugee program suspension)
could take effect for all individuals except for those “who can credibly claim a bona fide relationship with a person or
entity in the United States.” Trump v. Int’l Refugee Assistance Project, 137 S. Ct. 2080, 2089 (2017).
23 Executive Order 13815 of October 24, 2017, “Resuming the United States Refugee Admissions Program with
Enhanced Vetting Capabilities,” 82 Federal Register 50055, October 27, 2017.
24 DHS, “DHS Announces Additional, Enhanced Security Procedures for Refugees Seeking Resettlement in the United
States,” press release, January 29, 2018 (updated January 31, 2018), https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/01/29/dhs-
announces-additional-enhanced-security-procedures-refugees-seeking-resettlement. For additional discussion of
USRAP-related actions during the Trump Administration, see archived CRS Report RL31269, Refugee Admissions and
Resettlement Policy.
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about 12,000 in FY2020. At the start of FY2021, former President Trump set the FY2021 refugee
ceiling at 15,000, the lowest level in the history of the USRAP.
Shortly after taking office, in February 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that
included “steps to improve the efficacy, integrity, security, and transparency of USRAP.”25 He
also set higher refugee ceilings than his predecessor. After initially opting to leave the FY2021
ceiling unchanged at 15,000, President Biden increased it to 62,500.26 FY2021 refugee
admissions fell well short of that ceiling, totaling an all-time low of about 11,000. In FY2022,
there was again a sizeable gap between the refugee ceiling (125,000) and total admissions
(25,465).
Different sets of factors may help explain the discrepancy between the refugee ceiling and the
refugee admissions level in different years. For example, the FY2023 Proposed Refugee
Admissions report offered various reasons for the shortfall in FY2022. These included “the heavy
cuts to operational capacity made in previous years” and “the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.” The report also stated that “the Administration’s robust response to humanitarian
crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine, prompting unprecedented emergency resettlement and
relocation efforts, required a significant reallocation of time and resources.” 27
Processing of Refugee Cases
PRM oversees the processing of refugee cases. Generally, it arranges for a nongovernmental
organization (NGO), an international organization, or U.S. embassy contractors to manage a
Resettlement Support Center (RSC) abroad 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.
Processing Priorities
The INA authorizes the admission of refugees who are determined to be “of special humanitarian
concern to the United States.”28 This requirement is implemented through a system of processing
priorities. In order to be considered for admission to the United States as a refugee, an individual
must fall within an established processing priority (access category). As explained in the FY2023
Proposed Refugee Admissions report:
It is important to note that entering the program under a certain priority does not establish
precedence in the order in which cases will be processed or the likelihood of success of the

25 Executive Order 14013 of February 4, 2021, “Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs To Resettle Refugees and
Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration,” 86 Federal Register 8839, February 9, 2021 (hereinafter
cited as “Executive Order 14013 of February 4, 2021”). This executive order also revoked the October 2017 executive
order.
26 U.S. President (Biden), “Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021,”
Presidential Determination No. 2021-06 of May 3, 2021, 86 Federal Register 24475, May 7, 2021. A February 2021
State Department report had proposed raising the FY2021 refugee ceiling to 62,500. DOS, Report to Congress on the
Proposed Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021, February 12, 2021,
https://www.state.gov/proposed-emergency-presidential-determination-on-refugee-admissions-for-fy21/. President
Biden’s initial decision to leave the ceiling unchanged at 15,000 “prompted swift blowback.” See Tyler Pager, Sean
Sullivan and Seung Min Kim, “‘The wheels fell off’: How Biden’s misgivings on border surge upended plan on
refugees,” Washington Post, April 20, 2021.
27 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, p. 5.
28 INA §207, 8 U.S.C. §1157.
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claim. Once cases are established as eligible for access under one of the processing
priorities, they all undergo the same processing steps.29
At the start of each fiscal year, DOS, in coordination with other agencies, determines the refugee
processing priorities for that year. For FY2023, the USRAP has four processing priorities:
 Priority 1 (P-1) covers refugees for whom resettlement seems to be the
appropriate durable solution, who are referred to the USRAP by the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a U.S. embassy or U.S.
government agency, or a designated NGO. Such persons often have compelling
protection needs and may be in danger of attack or of being returned to the
countries they fled. All nationalities are eligible for P-1.
 Priority 2 (P-2) covers groups of special humanitarian concern to the United
States whose members are in need of resettlement. It includes specific groups
that may be defined by their nationalities, ethnicities, or other characteristics. As
explained in the FY2023 Proposed Refugee Admissions report, “in general, these
characteristics are the reason that members of the group have been persecuted or
have a well-founded fear of persecution in the future.”30 P-2 groups are
designated by DOS in consultation with USCIS, NGOs, UNHCR, and other
experts. Unlike P-1 cases, individuals falling under P-2 are able to access the
USRAP without a UNHCR, embassy, or NGO referral. (For additional
information on this priority, see the “Priority 2 Groups” section below.)
 Priority 3 (P-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. To be eligible to file an AOR, the U.S.-based
relative must be at least age 18 and must have been granted asylum or been
admitted to the United States as a refugee or Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant
within the last five years.31 Eligible relatives can initiate applications under P-3
on behalf of their spouses, unmarried children under age 21, and parents. For
FY2023, P-3 processing is available to persons of all nationalities.
 Priority 4 (P-4), as described in the FY2023 Proposed Refugee Admissions
report, will cover “privately sponsored refugees.” According to the report:
The Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human
Services, is developing a private sponsorship pilot program for refugees admitted through
the USRAP that it anticipates launching in late calendar year 2022 as part of efforts to
expand community participation in refugee resettlement.
Private sponsorship is a specific form of community sponsorship whereby private sponsors
work independently of resettlement agency partners to welcome refugees, accepting
primary responsibility to provide core services and other basic supports to newly arrived
refugees to facilitate their resettlement….
Refugee applicants will be assigned to private sponsors through two distinct components
of the private sponsorship pilot program that will be launched sequentially and eventually
operate in parallel: a matching component and an identification component linked to the
Priority 4 (P-4) category. The program is being designed so that it can eventually support
refugees of all nationalities.

29 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, p. 11.
30 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, p. 12.
31 During those five years, the eligible relative could have become an LPR or naturalized citizen.
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The program will launch with the matching component, where private sponsors will be
matched with refugees who already have access to the USRAP through another priority
category and whose cases are already being processed. As the program is rolled out, we
will later introduce the identification component, whereby certified private sponsors will
be able to identify and refer refugee applicants to the USRAP through the Priority 4 (P-4)
category, subject to access criteria established by PRM, and apply to support their
resettlement.32
In January 2023, DOS, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), announced the launch of the P-4 private sponsorship program, named
the Welcome Corps. According to the announcement, the goal in the first year is “to
mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to step forward as private sponsors and offer a
welcoming hand to at least 5,000 refugees from around the world.”33
Priority 2 Groups
As noted above, P-2 groups are designated by DOS in consultation with USCIS, UNHCR, NGOs,
and others. Congress has also directed through legislation that the executive branch establish
certain P-2 groups. There are two main types of P-2 groups: predefined groups and direct access
groups.34 Meeting the criteria for either type of P-2 group provides access to consideration for
refugee admission to the United States. Some P-2 programs process applicants within their
countries of origin, some process applicants outside their origin countries, and some process
applicants in both types of locations.
Predefined Groups
A predefined P-2 group is usually based on a UNHCR recommendation and typically applies to
individuals in a specific location. Under the predefined model, UNHCR (or another referring
entity) provides biographical information for applicants who meet the eligibility criteria
established by PRM, in consultation with USCIS. According to the FY2023 Proposed Refugee
Admissions report, “this type of group enables efficient processing because it identifies groups of
people with very similar persecution claims, can avoid labor-intensive individual referrals, and
prevents delays to applicants.”35 Examples of long-standing predefined P-2 groups, which remain
in effect for FY2023, are those for certain Burmese in refugee camps in Thailand and certain
Congolese in Rwanda.
A newer predefined P-2 designation—for certain Afghans—was announced by DOS in August
2021 and remains in effect for FY2023. This P-2 program is designed to cover Afghans who
“may be at risk due to their U.S. affiliation” but do not meet the employment-related eligibility
criteria under the Afghan special immigrant visa (SIV) programs because they do not have
sufficient length of service or did not perform qualifying employment.36 Afghans must be referred
to this P-2 program by a U.S. government agency or other employer.

32 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, pp. 17-18.
33 DOS, Office of the Spokesperson, Launch of the Welcome Corps – Private Sponsorship of Refugees, January 19,
2023, https://www.state.gov/launch-of-the-welcome-corps-private-sponsorship-of-refugees/. Additional information
about the program is available at https://welcomecorps.org.
34 For a list of P-2 group designations for FY2023, see Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, pp. 13-16.
35 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, p. 13.
36 For additional information about this program, see DOS, Office of the Spokesperson, U.S. Refugee Admissions
Program Priority 2 Designation for Afghan Nationals, August 2, 2021, https://www.state.gov/u-s-refugee-admissions-
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Direct Access Groups
For the second type of P-2 group, known as direct access, PRM, in consultation with USCIS,
establishes eligibility criteria and application procedures. Historically, P-2 programs in which
applicants are processed in their home countries have used this model. For FY2023, there are
direct access P-2 programs where processing is conducted inside and/or outside the country of
origin. Among the FY2023 in-country programs is the Central American Minors (CAM) program.
The CAM program, which operated for several years under the Obama and Trump
Administrations before being terminated, was reopened and expanded in 2021. It currently allows
parents and legal guardians who are present in the United States in certain immigration categories
to request that their children in one of the Northern Triangle countries be considered for refugee
admission to the United States.37
Congress established a P-2 designation for certain Iraqis in the 2008 Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act,
allowing them to apply directly to the USRAP.38 The covered Iraqis include persons who were
employed in Iraq by the U.S. government, a U.S.-based media organization or NGO, or an
organization with close ties to the U.S. mission in Iraq that has received federal funding through
“an official and documented contract, award, grant, or cooperative agreement.” The act specifies
that these cases can be processed inside Iraq and other countries in the region.39
Lautenberg Amendment Groups
Originally enacted as part of the FY1990 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act and
subsequently amended, the Lautenberg amendment on refugees directed the executive branch to
establish direct access P-2 groups.40 Specifically, it directed the executive branch to designate, for
purposes of U.S. refugee admission, categories of persons who shared common characteristics
and were (1) nationals of the former Soviet Union (FSU) or of Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania
(Baltic states), or (2) nationals of Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia.41 The act further directed that
specific categories be established. These included categories for
 “nationals and residents of an independent state of the former Soviet Union or of
Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania and who are Jews or Evangelical Christians,” and
 “nationals of an independent state of the former Soviet Union or of Estonia,
Latvia, or Lithuania and who are current members of, and demonstrate public,

program-priority-2-designation-for-afghan-nationals/. For information about the Afghan SIV programs, see CRS
Report R43725, Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs.
37 For additional information, see DHS, USCIS, “Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee and Parole Program,”
https://www.uscis.gov/CAM.
38 P.L. 110-181, Division A, Title XII, Subtitle C.
39 This program was suspended in January 2021 due to a “scheme” that involved “stealing U.S. government records
from the Department of State’s Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System to take advantage of the
[program].” It resumed in March 2022. See DOS, “Ensuring Our Safety and Security Through a 90-Day Suspension of
the Direct Access Program for U.S.-Affiliated Iraqis,” press statement, January 22, 2021, https://www.state.gov/
ensuring-our-safety-and-security-through-a-90-day-suspension-of-the-direct-access-program-for-u-s-affiliated-iraqis/;
and U.S. Department of State, “Restarting the Direct Access Program for U.S.-Affiliated Iraqis (Iraqi P-2 Program),”
press statement, March 1, 2021, https://www.state.gov/restarting-the-direct-access-program-for-u-s-affiliated-iraqis-
iraqi-p-2-program/.
40 The amendment is named after the late Senator Frank Lautenberg from New Jersey.
41 P.L. 101-167, Title V, §599D; 8 U.S.C. §1157 note. The Lautenberg amendment separately provided for the
adjustment to permanent resident status of certain Soviet and Indochinese nationals granted parole after being denied
refugee status. P.L. 101-167, Title V, §599E; 8 U.S.C. §1157 note.
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active, and continuous participation (or attempted participation) in the religious
activities of, the Ukrainian Catholic Church or the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church.”42
The Lautenberg language went beyond identifying categories, however, and also provided that
category members would have a lower burden of proof to qualify for refugee status. Such persons
had to establish that they were members of a protected category with a credible, but not
necessarily individual, fear of persecution. By contrast, other prospective refugees have to
establish a well-founded fear of persecution on an individual basis.
The Lautenberg amendment has been regularly extended in appropriations acts, although there
have often been lapses between extensions.43 The two P-2 groups described above (for Jews and
Evangelical Christians, and for members of the Ukrainian Catholic Church or the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church) remain Lautenberg categories. Applications for members of these groups are
initiated by family members in the United States, who must be U.S. citizens or LPRs. These U.S-
based relatives may file applications for their spouses, children of any age or marital status,
parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.44
The FY2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act45 amended the Lautenberg language to add a new
provision known as the Specter amendment.46 This amendment provided for the designation of
categories of Iranian nationals, specifically religious minorities, who would also be subject to the
lower evidentiary standard. It has been extended as part of the regular Lautenberg amendment
extensions.
The Lautenberg amendment does not specify where cases will be processed. The P-2 program for
former Soviet nationals and nationals of the Baltic states operates as an in-country program,47
while Iranian P-2 cases are processed outside Iran.
Refugee Adjudications
The Secretary of DHS has discretionary authority to admit refugees to the United States. To be
eligible for admission to the United States as a refugee, an individual must meet the INA
definition of a refugee, not be firmly resettled in another country, be determined to be of special
humanitarian concern to the United States, and be admissible to the United States.48 The
adjudication of refugee cases is handled by USCIS officers in the Refugee Corps.
Admissibility of Refugees
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,

42 P.L. 101-167, Title V, §599D(b)(2)(A), (B); 8 U.S.C. §1157 note.
43 The most recent extension, through the end of FY2023, was enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
(P.L. 117-328, Division K, Section 7034(l)(2)).
44 E-mail from DOS to CRS, April 21, 2022.
45 P.L. 108-199, Division E, Title II, §213.
46 The amendment is named after the late Senator Arlen Specter from Pennsylvania.
47 Due to the war in Ukraine, special provisions have been made permitting Lautenberg applications to be filed for
Ukrainians who are outside Ukraine and outside the FSU. E-mail from DOS to CRS, April 14, 2022.
48 INA §207(c), 8 U.S.C. §1157(c).
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security-related grounds, public charge (i.e., indigence), and lack of proper documentation.49
Some inadmissibility grounds (public charge, lack of proper documentation) are not applicable to
refugees. Others can be waived for humanitarian purposes, to ensure family unity, or when it is
otherwise in the public interest.50 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 HHS regulations, to have a “communicable disease of public health
significance” is inadmissible.51 Over time, the definition of this term has changed. For example,
in 2008, Congress amended the INA to eliminate the statutory reference to HIV infection as such
a communicable disease.52
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
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. 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.53 The Secretary of State or the DHS Secretary, after consultation with one another and
the Attorney General, may exercise discretionary waiver authority over certain terrorism-related
grounds of inadmissibility. Both the Secretary of State and the DHS Secretary have used this
authority to grant exemptions from the terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds to certain
categories of individuals and for certain types of support.54
The FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act55 specified 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.56 Thus, a prospective refugee who was a member of, or provided support to,
one of these groups would not be inadmissible because of those actions. More broadly, the
FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act expanded the discretionary authority of the Secretary of
State and the Secretary of DHS to grant waivers of the terrorism-related grounds of

49 INA §212(a), 8 U.S.C. §1182(a).
50 Certain grounds of inadmissibility, including most security-related grounds, cannot be waived.
51 INA §212(a)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. §1182(a)(1)(A).
52 P.L. 110-293, Title III, §305. HHS’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subsequently amended its
regulations to this effect. HHS, CDC, “Medical Examination of Aliens—Removal of Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV) Infection From Definition of Communicable Disease of Public Health Significance,” 74 Federal Register 56547,
November 2, 2009.
53 INA §212(a)(3)(B)(iv), 8 U.S.C. §1182(a)(3)(B)(iv).
54 For a list of approved exemptions, see DHS, USCIS, “Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds Exemptions,”
https://www.uscis.gov/laws/terrorism-related-inadmissability-grounds/terrorism-related-inadmissibility-grounds-
exemptions.
55 P.L. 110-161, Division J, Title VI, §691.
56 These included, for example, groups affiliated with the Hmong and the Montagnards. 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 FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act from being deemed terrorist organizations. DHS,
Office of the Secretary, and DOS, Office of the Secretary, “Exercise of Authority Under Section 212(d)(3)(B)(i) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act” (10 separate notices with the same title), 73 Federal Register 34770, June 18, 2008.
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inadmissibility generally. Later measures limited application of the INA’s terrorism-related
provisions with respect to other specific groups.57
Security Screening
To be admissible under the INA security-related grounds of inadmissibility discussed above, a
prospective refugee must clear all required security checks. According to a June 2020 USCIS fact
sheet on refugee security screening:
USCIS has the sole discretion to approve an application for refugee status and only does
so after it has obtained and cleared the results of all required security checks for the
principal applicant, as well as any derivative family members included on their case. Just
as DOS commonly denies visas, USCIS also routinely denies refugee cases, including for
reasons of national security.58
The fact sheet summarizes the security screening process as follows: “USRAP screening includes
both biometric and biographic checks, which occur at multiple stages throughout the process,
including immediately after the preliminary RSC interview, before a refugee’s departure to the
United States, and on arrival in the U.S. at a port of entry.”59
The FY2023 Proposed Refugee Admissions report states that “PRM and USCIS work continually
with interagency partners to identify opportunities to enhance and refine security screening for
refugee applicants.” According to the report, “this includes increasing the efficacy, efficiency, and
fairness of security screening without sacrificing the rigorous security measures that ensure the
safety and security of the American people.”60
Post-Adjudication Steps
For refugee applicants who are conditionally approved for resettlement by USCIS, next steps
include obtaining medical screening exams and attending cultural orientation programs. The RSC
also must obtain a “sponsorship assurance” from a U.S.-based resettlement agency, which will
provide initial resettlement assistance to the refugee upon arrival in the United States as part of
the DOS Reception and Placement program (discussed below). Once the required steps are
completed, including all required security clearances, the RSC refers approved refugees to the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) for transportation to the United States. Refugees
are provided with interest-free loans from PRM through an IOM-administered program to cover
the cost of their U.S.-bound transportation.61
Resettlement of Arriving Refugees
PRM provides resettlement assistance to arriving refugees through its Reception and Placement
(R&P) program.62 Under the R&P program, PRM enters into cooperative agreements with both

57 See P.L. 110-257; P.L. 113-291, §1264; and P.L. 115-232, §1291.
58 DHS, USCIS, Refugee Security Screening Fact Sheet, June 2, 2020. https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/
document/fact-sheets/Refugee_Screening_and_Vetting_Fact_Sheet.pdf.
59 Ibid., p, 4. The fact sheet describes the biographic and biometric checks.
60 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, p. 21.
61 Ibid., pp. 22-23.
62 Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants may also receive benefits under this program. For additional information, see
CRS Report R43725, Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs.
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public and private nonprofit organizations, which maintain nationwide networks of local affiliates
that provide resettlement services. R&P assistance includes pre-arrival services; reception upon
arrival in the United States; support for basic needs (e.g., housing, furnishings, food, clothing) for
at least 30 days; and referrals to health, employment, education, and other services, as needed.
Participating organizations receive R&P grants, which they supplement with monetary and in-
kind contributions from private and other sources. As of the cover date of this report, participating
organizations receive a grant of $2,275 per arrival, of which at least $1,225 must be used for that
person’s direct support.63
The R&P program’s infrastructure was significantly affected by reductions in refugee admissions
that began during the Trump Administration. Refugee Council USA, a coalition that includes the
national resettlement organizations participating in the R&P program, described some of these
effects in a 2019 report:
At the end of 2016, approximately 325 local resettlement offices helped refugees
integrate.... As of April 2019, more than 100 local affiliate offices around the country have
had to close their federal refugee programs altogether or have had to suspend some or all
of their refugee program operations.64
According to the more recent Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, the R&P
organizations “maintain a nationwide network of 272 affiliated offices.”65 This report also
indicated that PRM was interested in increasing the number of R&P organizations.
Conclusion
Since its establishment in 1980, the USRAP has been a key mechanism for providing
humanitarian protection in the United States to persons abroad seeking refuge. Over the life of the
program, the average annual number of refugee admissions has been about 70,000. In recent
years, however, annual refugee admissions levels have been historically low. Since FY2018, they
have totaled 30,000 or less each year. In his February 2021 refugee-related executive order,
President Biden stated that the “USRAP should be rebuilt and expanded.”66 He also has set
historically high refugee ceilings of 125,000 in recent years. It remains to be seen if, and when,
annual refugee admissions will return to historical averages or reach these even higher ceilings.

63 See DOS, FY 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Reception and Placement Program, April 19, 2022,
https://www.state.gov/fy-2023-notice-of-funding-opportunity-for-reception-and-placement-program/.
64 Refugee Council USA, Where are the Refugees?, 2019, https://rcusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/RCUSA-
Report-1.pdf.
65 Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023, p. 23.
66 Executive Order 14013 of February 4, 2021.
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Appendix A. Refugee Ceilings and Admissions
Table A-1. Annual Refugee Ceilings and Actual Admissions
FY1981-FY2022
Fiscal Year
Refugee Ceiling
Refugee Admissions
1981
217,000
159,252
1982
140,000
98,096
1983
90,000
61,218
1984
72,000
70,393
1985
70,000
67,704
1986
67,000
62,146
1987
70,000
64,528
1988
87,500
76,483
1989
116,500
107,070
1990
125,000
122,066
1991
131,000
113,389
1992
142,000
132,531
1993
132,000
119,448
1994
121,000
112,981
1995
112,000
99,974
1996
90,000
76,403
1997
78,000
70,488
1998
83,000
77,080
1999
91,000
85,525
2000
90,000
73,147
2001
80,000
69,886
2002
70,000
27,131
2003
70,000
28,403
2004
70,000
52,873
2005
70,000
53,813
2006
70,000
41,223
2007
70,000
48,282
2008
80,000
60,191
2009
80,000
74,654
2010
80,000
73,311
2011
80,000
56,424
2012
76,000
58,238
2013
70,000
69,926
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Fiscal Year
Refugee Ceiling
Refugee Admissions
2014
70,000
69,987
2015
70,000
69,933
2016
85,000
84,994
2017
110,000
53,716
2018
45,000
22,615
2019
30,000
30,000
2020
18,000
11,814
2021
62,500
11,411
2022
125,000
25,465
Sources: Presidential determinations and emergency presidential determinations on refugee admissions; and
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
Notes: The refugee ceiling shown is the final cap set for the year in a presidential determination or an
emergency presidential determination; admissions data are as of November 30, 2022.
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Appendix B. Refugee Admissions by Region
Table B-1. Annual Refugee Admissions by Worldwide Region
FY1981-FY2022
Europe and
Latin
Central
America/
Near East/
Fiscal Year
Africa
East Asia
Asiaa
Caribbean
South Asia
Total
1981
2,119
131,139
20,148
2,017
3,829
159,252
1982
3,412
73,755
13,869
580
6,480
98,096
1983
2,645
39,245
13,209
691
5,428
61,218
1984
2,749
51,978
10,817
150
4,699
70,393
1985
1,951
49,962
9,856
151
5,784
67,704
1986
1,322
45,482
9,302
131
5,909
62,146
1987
1,990
40,099
12,095
323
10,021
64,528
1988
1,593
35,371
27,921
3,230b
8,368
76,483
1989
1,902
45,722
48,354
4,116b
6,976b
107,070
1990
3,453
51,604b
56,722
5,308b
4,979
122,066
1991
4,420
53,522
46,063
4,042b
5,342
113,389
1992
5,470
51,899
64,312
3,947b
6,903
132,531
1993
6,967
49,817
51,355
4,322b
6,987
119,448
1994
5,860
43,564
51,561
6,156
5,840
112,981
1995
4,827
36,987
46,021
7,629
4,510
99,974
1996
7,604
19,321
41,961
3,550
3,967
76,403
1997
6,065
8,594
48,732
2,996
4,101
70,488
1998
6,887
10,854
54,399
1,627
3,313
77,080
1999
13,043
10,206
56,068
2,110
4,098
85,525
2000
17,561
4,561
37,664
3,232
10,129
73,147
2001
19,020
4,163
31,772
2,975
11,956
69,886
2002
2,551
3,512
15,428
1,934
3,706
27,131
2003
10,714
1,724
11,250
455
4,260
28,403
2004
29,104
8,084
9,254
3,577
2,854
52,873
2005
20,745
12,076
11,316
6,699
2,977
53,813
2006
18,126
5,659
10,456
3,264
3,718
41,223
2007
17,483
15,643
4,560
2,976
7,620
48,282
2008
8,935
19,489
2,343
4,277
25,147
60,191
2009
9,670
19,850
1,997
4,857
38,280
74,654
2010
13,305
17,716
1,526
4,982
35,782
73,311
2011
7,685
17,367
1,228
2,976
27,168
56,424
2012
10,608
14,366
1,129
2,078
30,057
58,238
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2013
15,980
16,537
580
4,439
32,390
69,926
2014
17,476
14,784
959
4,318
32,450
69,987
2015
22,472
18,469
2,363
2,050
24,579
69,933
2016
31,624
12,518
3,957
1,340
35,555
84,994
2017
20,232
5,173
5,205
1,688
21,418
53,716
2018
10,537
3,670
3,612
955
3,841
22,615
2019
16,366
5,030
4,994
809
2,801
30,000
2020
4,160
2,129
2,578
948
1,999
11,814
2021
6,219
776
983
400
3,033
11,411
2022
11,358
2,215
2,351
2,485
7,056
25,465
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
Notes: Data are as of November 30, 2022.
a. Prior to FY2004, there were separate regions for Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Beginning in
FY2004, these regions were combined into Europe and Central Asia. Data for FY1981 through FY2003 for
Europe and Central Asia combine admissions from the Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union regions.
b. Includes refugees admitted under the Private Sector Initiative (PSI), most of whom were Cuban.

Author Information

Andorra Bruno

Specialist in Immigration Policy

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