Renting to Refugees

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his/her home country due to persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, and member of a social group or political opinion. All refugees are provided legal status and authorization to work in the United States through the Refugee Resettlement Program of the U.S. Department of State. Among refugees, you will find doctors, lawyers, craftsmen, and many other hardworking skilled individuals hoping to rebuild their lives.

World Relief is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization founded in 1944. For over 45 years, World Relief has resettled refugees across the U.S. and in Chicagoland through an agreement with the U.S. Department of State and the support of numerous private financial partners. Services World Relief provides include housing support, English classes, job placement, car donations, medical care coordination, school enrollment, after-school tutoring and mentoring, orientation to U.S. culture and local community, and citizenship assistance.

Yes. In the United States, 'refugee' is a legal immigration status. Upon arrival in the U.S., refugees have full work authorization and are admitted to the country permanently. Although refugees do not have social security numbers upon arrival, World Relief assists refugees to apply for Social Security Cards within 7 days of their arrival in the U.S. They typically receive the cards 2-4 weeks after application and begin building a credit history at that time.

Yes. The process of screening refugees prior to entrance into the U.S. is the most rigorous of any process that exists for a foreign national to enter the country. It is more detailed and thorough than tourist visas, student visas and work visas. These checks are conducted by Dept. of State, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, Dept. of Homeland Security, Dept. of Defense, and Customs & Border Patrol.

World Relief provides housing assistance to refugees during the first three (3) months in the U.S. This may include paying security deposits, rental payments, and charges for background checks or application fees. Our Employment Services Department works with adult refugees to help secure full- time work, provide training, and develop resources so that refugees can achieve financial stability. Over 90% of employable refugees have secured employment approximately 60 days after arriving in the United States with an average wage of over $17/hr.