2.  Refugee status or asylum may be granted to people who have been:  Persecuted or fear they will be persecuted on account of race, religion, nationality, and/or membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

3. Refugee  Is located outside of the United States  Is of special humanitarian concern to the United States  Demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group Is not firmly resettled in another country  Is admissible to the United States Asylum  Located inside of the United States or at a U.S. port of entry  Is of special humanitarian concern to the United States  Demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group Is not firmly resettled in another country  Is admissible to the United States

4. I-730 Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition  The family reunification process starts with your spouse or parent filing an I-730 petition on your behalf with the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

5. Preparation for the Immigrant Visa Interview  USCIS (United approves petition, and sends to NVC.  Embassy will give further instruction

6. The Interview  Consular officer evaluates the family relationship  You will be told weather or not you are eligible  Second interviews may be required for various reasons

7. Return of Travel Documents  Once eligibility is established, consular officer will retain one’s passport & documents  Travel document is placed in a sealed envelope, and is ready for pick-up  Once picked up, documents cannot be opened by anyone  Travel document is to travel to one’s port of entry into the United States

8.  Refugees are reunited with families  Family Reunification brings comfort to refugees in America  Extensive family separation may bring trauma upon refugee families

9.  Rouseau, C., Mekki-Berrada, A., Moreau, S. (2001). Trauma and extended separation from family among Latin America and African refugees in Montreal. Psychiatry 64(1). Rouseau, C., Mekki-Berrada, A., Moreau, S. (2001). Trauma and extended separation from family among Latin America and African refugees in Montreal. Psychiatry 64(1).  Betancourt, T. t., Abdi, S., Ito, B. S., Lilienthal, G. M., Agalab, N., & Ellis, H. (2015). We left one war and came to another: resource loss, acculturative stress, and caregiver-child relationships in Somali refugee families. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(1), 114-125  Wilmsen, B. (2013). Family separation and the impacts on refugee settlement in Australia. Australian Journal Of Social Issues. Australian Social Policy Association 48(2).  Savic, M., Chur-Hansen, A., Mahmood, M. A., & Moore, V. (2013). Separation from family and its impact on the mental health of Sudanese refugees in Australia: a qualitative study. Australian & New Zealand Journal Of Public Health, 37(4).  Khan, F. (2011). Reunification of the refugee family in south africa: a legal right?. refuge, 28(2).  http://immigration-law.freeadvice.com/immigration- law/asylum/asylum_refugee_difference.htm http://immigration-law.freeadvice.com/immigration- law/asylum/asylum_refugee_difference.htm  http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum