Exploring Refugee Officer Careers

The United States works with other governmental, international, and private organizations to provide food, health care, and shelter to millions of refugees throughout the world. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is a complex interagency effort involving several governmental and nongovernmental partners both outside and within the United States. The program is designed to resettle refugees in urgent need of protection or for whom no other durable solution exists. USRAP partners include other components of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and a host of nongovernmental organizations.

USCIS, a DHS component agency, is responsible for determining whether refugee applicants in other countries are eligible for resettlement in the United States. The Refugee Corps within the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate is responsible for adjudicating applications for refugee status.

About the Refugee Corps

In 2005, USCIS formed the Refugee Corps, composed of specially trained refugee officers who travel around the world to interview refugee applicants seeking resettlement in the United States. Refugee officers receive extensive training on U.S. refugee and immigration law. Refugee officers spend up to 75% of their time in international refugee processing locations adjudicating refugee claims. While in the United States, officer assignments support overseas operations, fraud deterrence and security, and training and quality assurance. The day-to-day work of each refugee officer is critical to our mission to offer protection to refugees and to consider applicants for resettlement to the United States. Every refugee interview has a great impact on the life of the applicant, and every officer plays a key role within the USRAP.

Though not required, many refugee officers:

• Have studied, lived, or worked outside the United States before joining the Refugee Corps;
• Are multilingual and come from diverse backgrounds and cultures;
• Hold advanced degrees in fields including international studies, law, public administration, peace studies, and social work; and
• Have served in Peace Corps, worked as attorneys, worked for nonprofits, or come from other parts of government.

• Work in diverse locations around the world;
• Interview refugee applicants in a professional, nonadversarial manner and adjudicate their requests for resettlement in the United States based on U.S. immigration laws;
• Support overseas operations, fraud deterrence, and security initiatives while in the United States; and
• Work in a fast-paced, exciting, and rewarding job environment.

As a refugee officer, you will gather and analyze information, conduct face-to-face interviews with applicants in a variety of locations worldwide, and verify the authenticity and relevance of supporting documents. Based on your findings, you will make decisions related to requests for immigration benefits.

Typical duties include:

• Traveling to locations such as Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia to process refugee-related applications;
• Interviewing refugee applicants;
• Assessing refugee status claims and making eligibility determinations;
• Researching the political climates, human rights conditions, and cultural practices of refugee applicants;
• Liaising with governmental and nongovernmental organizations that partner with the USRAP; and
• Supporting the overall mission by performing a variety of functions such as fraud detection and prevention, protection of our national security, training, logistics, and administration.

Successful refugee officers are adaptable and detail-oriented. We also demonstrate our abilities to:

• Exercise sound judgment and discretion;
• Research and evaluate information and conduct legal analysis;
• Effectively communicate with people from diverse backgrounds;
• Clearly write about complex facts and analyses;
• Work effectively in a team as well as independently; and
• Travel abroad for up to 75% of the year as required and work in challenging locations with limited services.

In 2022, we conducted interviews in over 46 different countries in both urban and remote locations.

As a federal employee, you will enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance your wellness, education, and life balance. Learn more about the benefits available to USCIS employees.

Becoming a refugee officer begins with the job application and hiring process. Refugee officer job opportunity announcements are posted on usajobs.gov – visit USCIS job opportunities on USAJOBS and type “refugee officer” in the keywords. You must apply online through the job opportunity announcement to be considered.

• Where to Apply

All open refugee officer job announcements can be found on usajobs.gov.

Visit USCIS job opportunities on USAJOBS and type “refugee officer” in the keywords.

• Qualifications

The requirements for each of the refugee officer positions are described in their related job announcements on usajobs.gov.

• Education Requirements

There is no educational requirement to become a refugee officer; you may meet the requirements based on experience, education level, or a combination of both. Refer to the job opportunity announcement on usajobs.gov for more information.

• Salary

The salary will be set based on the grade, step, and location of the selectee or position. To learn more about the General Schedule (or GS) pay system and associated salaries, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s Pay & Leave webpage for more information.

• Training

You must attend the mandatory, paid RAIO Foundations training course, if you have not already done so, as well as any division-specific courses that relate to this position, at a USCIS training facility. Depending on the courses needed, training could last up to 12 weeks and may, in some cases, be conducted virtually or be residential in-person.  In addition, you may also need to attend the residential, paid BASIC Immigration Officer training program, if you have not already done so. This is an approximately 6-week course at a USCIS training facility.

• Duty Locations

You may be expected to report for work at a local USCIS facility based on the needs of the hiring office. Your position may allow for remote work.

• Travel

These positions require frequent travel, including circuit rides to international locations that generally last between 45 and 60 days. You may need to travel to support other RAIO or USCIS programs in some circumstances. While abroad, a refugee officer performs work in a variety of locations, some of which may be physically challenging and may involve working in inhospitable climates, in remote camp settings, or in environments of high security. Political or other unpredictable events may sometimes force sudden adjustments of schedule or work hours. The officer must possess the ability to adjust to unexpected changes in work assignments while maintaining a courteous and professional demeanor. The officer must be physically resilient, adaptable, and flexible enough to adjust to living and working in demanding conditions that sometimes involve extreme temperatures, harsh working environments, austere living facilities, and long arduous travel.

• Medical Requirements

You must pass a U.S. Department of State medical examination certifying that you are eligible to complete work assignments worldwide (Worldwide Available Class 1 medical clearance). Inoculations or vaccinations may also be required. You must undergo a periodic physical examination to qualify for deployment to overseas locations where adequate medical care is not always readily available. You may need vaccinations or other precautionary or preventive measures before traveling to countries with high risk for infectious diseases.

• Application Evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in the job posting. You will be evaluated for this position based on information reflected in your resume. Your resume must support your responses to the job-specific assessment questionnaire and the level of education, experience, and training you claim. To remain in consideration for the position, please ensure your resume covers this requirement and that you successfully submit your resume as part of your online application package. Creating this package includes completing any online assessments, uploading your resume, and uploading any required supporting documents. (See the “How to Apply” section of the job announcement.)

• Onboarding Timeline

The process timeline varies and depends on successfully completing your background clearance after we offer you the position and when Human Resources processes your paperwork for your onboarding dates.