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United States: Information on the obligations of the US authorities to persons who have entered the US and have already been determined to be Convention Refugees abroad, and whether the authorities are required to permit that person re-entry into the country if that person leaves the USA

The following information was provided by a representative of the Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa in a 25 April 1996 telephone interview. The source stated that if a person has been granted Convention Refugee (CR) status outside of the United States, after one year of residing in the United States the person may adjust their status to permanent resident. The source noted that the US does not accord CR status to individuals seeking asylum from inside the country, but processes internal asylum-seekers under different regulations. Each year, the US routinely grants residence to a pre-determined number of people who have been granted Convention Refugee status abroad.

Refugees with CR status residing legally in the United States do not have access to any special government services, but are directed to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and refugee groups that provide social services to asylum-seekers. Language training is not provided by government, but may be available from NGOs. Many of these organizations receive subsidies and grants from federal and state governments for the provision of these social services. People accorded Convention Refugee status abroad who have been allowed to reside in the US enjoy the same rights as any US citizen, which includes the right to protection, the right to work and the right to apply for welfare services. The only right they do not enjoy is the right to vote. An individual residing in the US under Convention Refugee status may lose these rights and face deportation from the US if they have committed criminal offences.

If the individual wishes to travel before they acquire permanent resident status, the person must obtain a refugee travel document, which is available upon application to the Immigration and Naturalization Services. These travel documents, which look similar to a US passport, are routinely granted. If the person does not obtain this document, and decides to travel outside of the United States, the individual will lose their resident status and will be denied re-entry into the United States.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Reference

Embassy of the United States of America, Ottawa. 25 April 1996. Telephone interview with representative.

Topics: Work permits, Deportation, Residence permits, Refugee travel documents,