Refugee: Any person who is outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution or the fear thereof must be based on the alien’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. People with no nationality must generally be outside their country of last habitual residence to qualify as a refugee. Refugees are subject to ceilings by geographic area set annually by the President in consultation with Congress and are eligible to adjust to lawful permanent resident status after one year of continuous presence in the United States.

Refugee Approvals: The number of refugees approved for admission to the United States during a fiscal year.

Refugee Arrivals: The number of refugees admitted to the United States through ports of entry during a fiscal year.

Refugee Authorized Admissions: The maximum number of refugees allowed to enter the United States in a given fiscal year. As set forth in the Refugee Act of 1980 the President determines the annual figure after consultations with Congress.

Refugee-Parolee: A qualified applicant for conditional entry, between February 1970 and April 1980, whose application for admission to the United States could not be approved because of inadequate numbers of seventh preference visas. As a result, the applicant was paroled into the United States under the parole authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Regional Offices: The three USCIS Regional Offices that supervise the work of USCIS Districts and Border Patrol Sectors. The Regional Directors report to the Associate Director for Operations in USCIS Headquarters, Washington, DC. The three Regional Offices are located in (Eastern Region) Burlington, VT, (Central Region) Dallas, TX, and (Western Region) Laguna Nigel, CA.

Registry Date: Aliens who have continuously resided in the United States since January 1, 1972, are of good moral character, and are not inadmissible, are eligible to adjust to legal permanent resident status under the registry provision. Before the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 amended the date, aliens had to have been in the country continuously since June 30, 1948, to qualify.

Removal: The expulsion of an alien from the United States. This expulsion may be based on grounds of inadmissibility or deportability.

Resettlement: Permanent relocation of refugees in a place outside their country of origin to allow them to establish residence and become productive members of society there. Refugee resettlement is accomplished with the direct assistance of private voluntary agencies working with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Resident Alien: Applies to non-U.S. citizens currently residing in the United States.

Returning Resident: Any lawful permanent resident who has been outside the United States and is returning. May also be defined as a "special immigrant." If outside of the U.S. for more than 180 days, must apply for readmission to the U.S. If outside of the U.S. for more than one year and is returning to his or her permanent residence in the United States, usually must have a re-entry documentation from USCIS or an immigrant visa from the Department of State.

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