Refugees

Refugee State Plan Update - The current Hawaii Refugee State Plan is being revised to better meet the needs of Hawaii's refugees.

Changes to T and U Nonimmigrant Status and Programs - This Policy Memorandum informs immigration services officers who adjudicate petitions for T and U nonimmigrant status and related applications for adjustment of status about new legislation affecting the T and U nonimmigrant programs.  The draft memorandum was posted for public comment on the USCIS website from May 17 to June 1, 2010.  The final policy memorandum was approved on July 21, 2010.

To download the whole document, click here or download it from the USCIS website.

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) 2010 National Consultation Working Session - Every year a national conference is held so states and non-profit agencies in partnership with ORR can discuss efforts to better support the refugee community.  The conference was held on June 7-8, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

For more information, visit the main ORR 2010 Consultation website here.


"Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee" - A new traveling exhibit originally created by Lied Discovery Children's Museum in Las Vegas is on a 4 year, 12 city tour across North America, will be coming to our own Hawaii Children's Discovery Center in Honolulu. The exhibit is currently in the works to tailor to Hawaii's rich heritage, and plans to be available this summer in June or July. 

The team contributing to this project includes many state and non-profit agencies that work with immigrants and refugees, as well as communication strategists Active Voice.

For more information about this exhibit, visit the main Torn From Home site here.