Program Evaluation of Catholic Charities of Buffalo’s Green Card Acquisition Abuk Masham - MPA Project Proposal Dr. Therese Warden – Advisor In order for the process of getting a green card to be successful, both the refugees and the organization have to work together. With the immigrant or refugee providing as much information as possible to help fill out the application. This often start with a person (the person seeking the green card or catholic charities) printing out a green card application provided on the USCIS website. Once the green card is filled out. You then must check for errors. You may also seek consolation with a person works at USCIS or Catholic Charities for help or questions. After that you send it to the address of the US Homeland Security & wait for it to be approved. According to networklobby.org the Obama administration increased funding for Catholic nonprofit organizations and programs. “In fact, more than $1.5 billion went to Catholic organizations over the past two years.” “An increase from just over $440 million (2008) to more than $554 million (2010) to Catholic Charities USA” Conclusion This project has 3 main focal points: 1. Catholic Charities and how they help refugees with their services. The role of the United States Citizenship Immigration Service will also be included. 2. Why refugees seek refuge in a different country and the actual process of getting a green card. 3. How Catholic Charities and the refugees work together on the green card process. The study will use a mixed method design. Lit Review Background/Introduction Catholic Charities History Refugees have been arriving to America for so long now, and Catholic Charities of Buffalo, NY has been protecting, strengthening and empowering the people of Western New York since How Catholic Charities help refugees to get their green cards to adjust their refugee status to permanent resident in Buffalo area. ” Catholic charities today offers so many services to help the people of their city of buffalo. They service in all nine counties of the city. Catholic Charities is network of agencies around the country that provide their many services to people including immigration and refugee services, domestic violence, counseling, and more. They help the most vulnerable of the population which includes children, women, adults, older adults, and families regardless of size. They give assistance to anyone of any race, religion, or age. They set Goals for people to reach as well as their own goals within the organization. “Our goal is optimum emotional, mental and physical health for all.” USCIS History It is said that On March 1, 2003, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officially assumed responsibility for the immigration service functions of the federal government. The Homeland Security Act of It dismantled the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and separated the former agency into three components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They were formed to enhance the security and improve the efficiency of national immigration services by exclusively focusing on the administration of benefit applications. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), components within DHS, are responsible for handling immigration enforcement and border security functions. It has of 100 years of carrying this responsibility. Purpose Statement References Sample Selection In this study, a random selection will be performed. The random selection will involve the population of refugees and immigrants that were seeking help or have received help from Catholic Charities in order to get their immigration status issues’ resolved. This random selection method was to choose or find as many of the past or present refugees who have come to Catholic Charities & how was their process or obtaining their official documents. This information was received through various ways, such as online sources, in person interviews (with both the staff, and clients of Catholic Charities as well). Data was also collected with statistics of the clients. Design Of Study Using mixed methods allowed the data to better be explained through quantitative & qualitative data. The best way to obtain the qualitative data was through a series of question to not only the clients of Catholic Charities but through the staff that work there as well. Quantitative data was received through statistics of Catholic Charities previous and present cases. Putting the two sets of data besides each other made the information very clear to understand. Continued… While the United States Citizenship & Immigration Serveries (USCIS) has taken the responsibility of immigrants since March 1, 2003, Catholic Charities have been providing their services since There are 6 main ways to obtain a green card, while there are 3 main steps to follow. The way you choose to receive a green card may or may not increase the amount of steps you must take. There are also things you must do, rules you must follow in order to keep your green card as well. Lastly the lengthy process time can vary as well with the way you choose to get your green card.