A migrant is someone who leaves their country voluntarily, to escape poverty, join family members or seek better opportunities. A refugee is someone who flees their country because of persecution or violence based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. Someone can only be considered a refugee after they have been interviewed by the United Nations and granted refugee status.

The United Nations gathers personal information about each person seeking refugee status and conducts an interview to determine the validity of their story. Only the most vulnerable refugees, less than one percent, are considered for third country resettlement, like the United States.

If a refugee begins the process to be resettled in the United States, they must undergo a thorough vetting process, which can take up to 18 months. Their personal information, including iris scans and fingerprints, are checked and verified by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and many other government agencies to check for any record of criminal history, ties to terrorism or bad actors, or to determine whether they would be a security risk for any reason.

Eligible populations for services are refugees, asylees, Special Immigrant Visa holders, Cuban/Haitian entrants, Humanitarian Parolees, and adult victims of human trafficking. Resettlement services are provided for 90 days from the date of entry to the U.S., but health services are usually provided for up to 6 months. Additional wrap-around services are available for up to 5 years, including employment services, Preferred Communities (or intensive case management), and post-resettlement support.