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Refugee Employment Eligibility FAQs

What is the difference between an immigrant and a refugee?

While all refugees are immigrants, all immigrants are not refugees.  An immigrant is a person who leaves one country to settle in another due to any of a number of reasons.  A refugee, according to the 1951 U.N. convention relating to the Status of Refugees, is a person who has fled his or her home country due to persecution or fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

• What is the difference between a refugee and an asylee?
  A refugee applies for protection while in a country of first asylum outside of the United States whereas an asylum seeker applies on U.S. soil.  Both must meet the definition of a refugee in order to be approved the requested status.
• What documents can a refugee or asylee provide that will establish eligibility to work in the United States (satisfying Form I-9 requirements)?
  The USCIS website provides a list of acceptable documents for proving work eligibility: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf
• What is the "receipt rule" for refugees?
  Although an individual normally must submit a document from List A, or one document from List B and one document from List C, under the "receipt rule" for refugees, a refugee may meet the Form I-9 requirements by presenting to his or her employer the departure portion of the Form I-94, containing a refugee admission stamp. This submission only completes the Form I-9 temporarily. Within 90 days, the refugee must provide the employer with either (1) an unrestricted Social Security card and a List B document or (2) an employment authorization document issued by the INS.

**for list of acceptable documents, please reference USCIS link above

What kinds of job skills do refugees resettled by Caritas of Austin possess?

Caritas resettles refugees possessing a very diverse range of skills.  We have assisted in resettling cooks, accountants, farmers, jewelry-makers, construction workers, HVAC workers, doctors, scuba-divers, teachers, veterinarians, lawyers, merchants, electrical engineers, fisherman, bakers, dentists, soldiers, and hair-dressers to name just a few professions.

From which countries do refugees come that are resettled by Caritas of Austin?

Caritas of Austin resettles refugees from countries throughout the world, including:

Burma
Burundi
Congo
Cuba
Ethiopia
Honduras
Iraq
Iran
Somalia
Sudan
Venezuela                 

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