General Information

Authorizing Legislation

The Refugee Act of 1980 authorized The Office of Refugee Services (ORS) (P.L. 96-212) to provide cash assistance, medical assistance, and support services to refugees. The Fascell Stone Amendment to the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-422) extended to Cuban and Haitian entrants the same benefits and services available to refugees. The law was amended by the Refugee Assistance Amendments of 1982 (P.L. 97-363). In the Continuing Resolution of 1983 (P.L. 97-377) the Cuban/Haitian Entrant Program was combined with the ORS so that both refugees and entrants were served by the same program. The law was further amended by the Refugee Assistance Extension Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-605). In 1988 the Amerasian Homecoming Act (P.L. 100-202) admitted Amerasians and their families as immigrants but made them eligible for refugee benefits. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386) admitted victims of severe forms of human trafficking and made them eligible for refugee benefits. Asylees are also eligible for refugee benefits as added by the Refugee Act of 1980.

In 2021, H.R. 5305 Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act extended to Afghan Humanitarian Parolees the same benefits and services available to refugees.

Under section 8120 of Pub. L. No. 111-118, Department of Defense Appropriation Act, 2010, Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrants are eligible for ORR benefits and services to the same extent and for the same time period as Refugees (ORR State letters #08-04, #08-06, #09-17 partially superseded).

In short, refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, Amerasians, victims of Human Trafficking and Special Immigrants from Afghanistan and Iraq are all eligible for the benefits and services available under the Office of Refugee Services.

May 21, 2022, Congress passed the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-128). Section 401 of this legislation provides that Ukrainian humanitarian parolees[1] are now eligible to receive federal benefits, including TANF, from the date of enactment. Specifically, the following individuals are eligible to apply for TANF until the end of their parole term as determined by the Department of Homeland Security, and in the same way a refugee is eligible to apply for TANF.

Overview of the Office of Refugee Services Participation in Refugee Resettlement Assistance

The Office of Refugee Services (ORS), including cash assistance, medical assistance, support services, and employment services, is 100% federally funded. The funds are channeled through the Georgia Department of Human Services.

The Department of Public Health’s Refugee Health Program administers the Refugee Health Screening Program. The Refugee Health Program coordinates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning the mandatory health screening which was done overseas on all refugees scheduled to be resettled. Health screening, some immunizations, follow-up medical treatment, and medical referral are provided by the Refugee Health Program to refugees during their first one to three months after arriving in the U.S. It is funded primarily by the ORS through a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Public Health.

The Multi-County Refugee Resettlement Unit (Multi-County Unit) has the responsibility of certifying refugees for Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) for refugees living in the state of Georgia. The Multi-County Unit also establishes eligibility for refugees for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, and Food Stamps (FS) for their first year in the U.S. At the end of the first year any active TANF or Medicaid cases are transferred to the county of residence. Normally the refugee will be referred to the Multi-County Unit by a refugee resettlement agency. If any further assistance is needed, contact the local DFCS County office. Applications may be submitted online via www.Gateway.ga.gov.

The following rules should be followed:

  1. Refugees with an entry date or eligibility date on or after October 1st, 2021, may be eligible for RCA and RMA only during their first 12 months in the United States. Refugees with an entry date prior to October 1st, 2021, may be eligible for RCA and RMA only during their first 8 months in the United States. The month of arrival is the first month of the eligibility period.

  2. To be eligible for RCA, the refugee must be ineligible for TANF.

  3. To be eligible for RMA, the refugee must be ineligible for all other categories of Medicaid.

Note that there are some significant differences between the eligibility criteria for TANF and RCA. The same is true for Medicaid and RMA.

Refugees may be eligible for TANF, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other benefits. See the Citizenship/Alienage sections of the TANF, Medicaid, or Food Stamp policy manuals for more information.

There are several private agencies, some of which operate under contract with the Department of Human Services, that provide a variety of services designed specifically for refugees. They are listed in Section 165.

Other Considerations

The term “refugee” will be used throughout this manual when referring to refugees, asylees, Cuban Parolees/Haitian entrants, Amerasians, victims of human trafficking, Afghan Humanitarian Parolees, Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees, and Special Immigrant from Afghanistan and Iraq at the same time. The terms “asylee”, “entrant”, “Amerasian”, “victim of human trafficking”, “Afghan Humanitarian Parolee”, “Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee”, “Special Immigrant from Afghanistan or Iraq” will be used when the manual refers specifically to one of these groups.

Computer records of refugee assistance are maintained on Gateway.

Confidentiality of Records

Except for purposes directly connected with the administration of the program, no information about or obtained from an individual and in possession of any agency providing assistance or services to such individual will be disclosed in a form identifiable with the individual without the individual’s consent, or if the individual is a minor, the consent of his or her parent or guardian.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, records containing personal information about persons who are refugees may be made available to persons within the Department of Public Health and Human Services on a “need to know” basis in the performance of their official duties.

These records may also be made available to other persons and organizations without the written consent of the client when used solely for purposes connected with the administration of the program, including:

  • Departments of State, Labor, Justice, Defense.

  • State and local governments for support services activities.

  • State employment services.

  • Resettlement agencies.

  • State and local governments acting in the capacity of the Resettlement Agencies.

  • Bureau of the Census.

  • Controller General or his/her authorized representative in the course of the performance of the duties of the General Accounting Office.

  • National Archives as a record which has sufficient historic or other value to warrant its continued preservation.

  • Another agency or an instrumentality of any governmental jurisdiction within or under the control of the United States for a civil or criminal law enforcement activity if the activity is authorized by law.

  • Either House of Congress, or to the extent of matter within its jurisdiction, any committee or subcommittee thereof, and any joint committee of Congress or subcommittee of any such joint committee.

  • To a congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional office.

  • Pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

  • Contract agencies (See Section 165).

  • In such manner and only as allowed and required under the Freedom of Information Act.

If a congressional inquiry is made on behalf of a person other than the person whose record is requested, the congressional office should be advised that the written consent of the person whose record is requested must be obtained before the requested information can be disclosed.

If personal information (a name or number which could be used to identify and distinguish him or her from other individuals) about an individual is disclosed to persons and organizations indicated above, an account is to be made of the date, nature and purpose of each disclosure of personal information, and the name and address of the person and organization to whom the disclosure is made.