The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides free legal help to some refugees and displaced people.
- IRAP helps some people find services and prepare refugee and visa applications.
- IRAP is not part of any government, IOM, or UNHCR.
- IRAP cannot grant refugee status or visas or speed up cases.
- IRAP cannot provide financial help, find or pay for housing, or find jobs.
- All of IRAP’s help is free. No one affiliated with IRAP has the right to ask you for money or any other service.
IRAP decides to help people based on their need and eligibility for immigration status. IRAP does not decide to help people based on any other social or political or religious criteria.
This website provides general information about legal processes available to some refugees. It is not meant as legal advice for individual applications.
This information was revised in January 2023. Requirements may change. Always check for current requirements from the government or agency deciding your request.
If you are a refugee in an emergency, we recommend that you contact the UNHCR office in the country where you live.
IRAP can help some people in processes like this:
- Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa applications. IRAP helps with some kinds of Chief of Mission appeals.
- Family reunification for refugees with relatives in the United States and in some European countries. IRAP helps with some stages and some kinds of family reunification processes.
- UNHCR processes. IRAP represents some refugees in certain UNHCR processes in certain countries.
- U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) applications. IRAP helps with some kinds of Requests for Review (RFRs) of USRAP denials.
- Some other processes, like refugees in the U.S. applying for a refugee travel document.
IRAP cannot guarantee that we can help any particular person in any process. In many situations, we are not able to provide direct legal help because the number of people requesting help exceeds our capacity.
IRAP cannot help with:
- Financial help
- Help with jobs
- Processes with the government where you currently live