Refugees and asylees are authorized to work whether or not they have DHS-issued work authorization documents. As with all newly hired employees, refugees and asylees must still complete an I-9 Form and present either one document from List A or a combination of one document from List B and one document from List C.
See OSC's flyer for employers on employment eligibility verification for refugees and asylees here, and OSC's flyer for refugee and asylee workers and their advocates here.
Watch OSC's short video on reverification of the I-9 form for refugees (and asylees) here.
For more information on refugee and asylum status from the USCIS website, click here.
Employers sometimes receive notices that an employee’s name and Social Security number (SSN) do not match the records on file with either the Social Security Administration or an outside entity drawing on publicly available Social Security number data. SSN no-matches are not necessarily the result of fraud or identity theft, and employers should not automatically assume that such notices mean that an employee is not authorized to work in the United States.
Accordingly, OSC has developed guidance for employers and employees relating to SSN no-match notices:
Name and Social Security Number (SSN) "No-Match" Information for Employees (also in Spanish)
Click here to learn more about TPS and DED and to view OSC’s guidance for workers and employers.
Video - RealPlayer | QuickTime
OSC PowerPoint Presentation (English) | OSC PowerPoint Presentation (Spanish) |
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*PowerPoint versions of the slides are available upon request by calling OSC at 1-800-255-7688 or via email at osccrt@usdoj.gov
Worker Hotline: 1-800-255-7688 • Employer Hotline: 1-800-255-8155
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(currently vacant) |
Special Counsel |
Seema Nanda |
Deputy Special Counsel |
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Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices |
U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. OSC, NYA 9000 Washington, D.C. 20530 |
(202) 616-5594 Worker Hotline: 1-800-255-7688 Employer Hotline: 1-800-255-8155 Teletypewriter (TTY) (202) 616-5525 & 1-800-237-2515 Fax: (202) 616-5509 |
Email: osccrt@usdoj.gov |