VIVE Fact Sheet
If I have a pet can I stay at VIVE?
Because of the diversity of cultures and the possibilities of allergies, pets can not be housed at VIVE. Pets can either be kenneled while staying at VIVE or staff can make suggestions regarding alternative accommodations.
What is the definition of a refugee?
According to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country.
A significant proportion of refugees have experienced severe trauma. Many have been tortured, separated from their families, and subjected to personal and/or sexual violence.
What is an asylum seeker?
Until a request for refuge has been accepted, the person is referred to as an asylum seeker.
What is an alien?
An alien is any person from another country who is not a citizen or national of the United States.
What is the difference between an asylee and a refugee?
Asylees and refugees must meet the same legal definition of a refugee: that they have been persecuted in the past and/or have a “well-founded” fear of persecution in the future because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, by their government or by persons the government cannot or does not wish to control. The difference between refugees and asylees is where the determination that a person fits this definition is made. Refugee status is granted to people who are outside the United States, while asylum status is granted to people who enter the United States on their own and then apply for asylum from within the US.
What is asylum?
Like refugees, asylees flee persecution in their home countries and seek the protection of the US because their own countries are persecuting them, or are unwilling or unable to protect them from persecution. Asylum seekers apply for asylum from within the US. Asylum seekers must show that they meet the definition of a refugee. A person granted asylum has the right to live and work indefinitely in the United States, and to apply for lawful permanent residence after one year as an asylee.
How does someone apply for asylum?
In the United States, a person files an I-589 application with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Except in exceptional circumstances, asylum applicants must file their applications for asylum within their first year of arrival in the United States. Asylum applicants who complete an application for asylum and submit it to USCIS will be granted an asylum interview with an Asylum Officer who will evaluate her or his claim. Some asylum applicants have their asylum case presented before a judge in United States Immigration Court.
How is VIVE funded?
VIVE receives 82% of its funding from local private sources including individuals, churches, and local foundations. VIVE also receives public funding from Erie County Department of Social Services and federal homeless shelter grants administered by the City of Buffalo and the Red Cross of Western New York.
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