For the millions of people around the world who have been forcibly displaced from their homes, resettlement to a new country is often the best hope for building safe, bright futures. Since CWS began its work responding to the devastation of World War II, we have helped refugee families rebuild their lives in the United States.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), nearly three million refugees are currently in need of resettlement. This includes the most vulnerable displaced individuals such as those who remain in danger in the places where they have fled and who are in need of urgent medical care.
The resettlement process is complex, involving multiple agencies and support networks to help individuals and families rebuild their lives. Here’s a look at how refugee resettlement works in the United States and the critical steps involved in transitioning from arrival to home.
What is refugee resettlement?
Who are refugees?
Refugees are people who have been forced from their homes due to persecution, conflict or violence and have sought safety in another country. Refugees have a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. As of October 2024, there were more than 43.7 million refugees around the world, 40% of whom were children. That number has tripled over the past decade, as conflicts have forced more people from their homes.
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What is resettlement?
Resettlement is a process that provides the most vulnerable refugees protection ina third country that has granted them permission to stay on the basis of long-term or permanent residence status. Refugee resettlement provides a durable solution that ensures individuals are protected against forced return to their home countries, granting them access to rights similar to those enjoyed by citizens and an opportunity to eventually become citizens of the country that welcomes them.
Why is refugee resettlement important?
For people facing violence or persecution in their home country who remain unsafe in the place they have fled to, refugee resettlement is often their only option to reach safety. Less than 1% of refugees around the world will ever be resettled to a safe third country. The resettlement process can take years—the time it takes to vet and screen a refugee can take 18-24 months, and the average waiting time for refugee resettlement in the United States is approximately 20 years. Resettlement is a critical and regulated pathway, and since the passing of the 1980 Refugee Act, the United States has safely resettled more than three million refugees.
What is the refugee resettlement process in the United States?
Step 1: Refugee Status Determination
After fleeing their home countries, refugees register with UNHCR to access protection and essential services. While this provides immediate safety, some refugees face ongoing threats, urgent medical needs or the risk of further persecution in either their home countries or the countries to which they have fled.
Step 2: Referral to the United States
UNHCR identifies the most vulnerable individuals and refers them for resettlement in a safe third country, such as the United States. Very few people in search of safety are able to access resettlement—in fact, less than 1% of refugees worldwide are granted this opportunity.
Steps 3-5: Security and Medical Screenings
As individuals wait for their application to be approved, U.S. agencies and Resettlement Support Centers run thorough background, security and biometric screenings, and the Department of Homeland Security conducts in-person interviews to determine whether applicants qualify for resettlement to a third country. Pre-approved applicants will then undergo thorough medical screenings before they are processed for travel.
Step 6: Matching with a Resettlement Agency
Once approved, refugees are assigned to one of ten national resettlement agencies like Church World Service, which work closely with local partners to prepare for their arrival, arranging housing and basic necessities to help them start their new lives in the United States. Upon arrival, resettlement agencies and volunteers welcome refugees at the airport and help them settle into their new homes. 
What do resettlement agencies do to support refugees?
Resettlement agencies like CWS provide critical support to newcomers, helping refugees navigate their new environment and rebuild their lives in the United States. CWS helps families get their best start during their first few months, connecting them with language services, housing, providing legal and employment support and helping newcomers access healthcare. This initial support ensures refugees can establish careers, start businesses, give back to their communities and thrive in their new home.
Some of the services CWS local offices provide include:
- Temporary and Permanent Housing: CWS partners with national housing groups, private landlords and property managers across the country to provide housing solutions for our new neighbors, as well as temporary housing providers to expand our housing network for newcomers when permanent housing cannot be identified upon arrival.
- Legal Services: New arrivals to the United States often have many complicated and expensive legal hurdles on the path to citizenship, safety and to reuniting with their families. For many immigrant and refugee families, legal support is their best hope of being reunited with their families who are waiting to join them in the United States. Across the country, the CWS network offers low cost legal services to refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants, helping them apply for citizenship, green cards and more.
- Employment and Economic Support: CWS Employment Specialists support new neighbors on their journey to financial self-sufficiency by providing initial job readiness support like English language learning, resume building and connections to initial employment opportunities. Our employment team supports the career goals and financial well-being of newcomer families, while the skills and experience of newcomers greatly benefit the local and U.S. workforce.
Resettlement agencies also work alongside volunteers and community sponsors, who offer friendship and support. From helping new arrivals understand bus routes to English language skills to how to enroll in school, community members helping refugee families learn about their new communities.
Refugees become financially self-sufficient after a few months, but our support doesn’t stop there. We continue walk alongside them as they become thriving members of their own communities—building careers, starting businesses, volunteering and watching their children succeed.
How You Can Help
The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders and failure to reimburse resettlement agencies have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families and communities across the country.
Church World Service will continue to serve those in our care using all the resources we have at our disposal. We will stay true to our mission, and we urge you to stay with us in this time of great need. If you are able to donate or join in local mutual aid efforts, we need your help to support those who are in jeopardy due to recent administration actions. You can learn more about how these actions are impacting resettlement agencies like CWS here.
