What are the eligibility steps for Somali refugees to be admitted to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in 2024?
Executive summary
Somali nationals seeking admission to the U.S. in 2024 could pursue resettlement through USRAP or seek Temporary Protected Status (TPS) if already in the U.S.; USRAP processing follows refugee-priority, security, medical and agency referral steps, while TPS for Somalis was redesignated and extended with strict residence and presence dates (redesignation allows an estimated 4,300 new initial TPS applicants; redesignation effective Sept. 18, 2024 — initial applicants must show continuous residence since July 12, 2024 and continuous physical presence since Sept. 18, 2024) [1] [2] [3].
1. How a Somali refugee typically enters USRAP: international referral then U.S. vetting
Most refugees considered for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) begin with an international referral—commonly by UNHCR or a U.S. embassy/partner organization—into the U.S. processing pipeline; once referred, cases are prioritized under USRAP processing priorities and then move through security, biographic screening, medical exams and an in-person eligibility interview with U.S. authorities before admission decisions (USRAP sets processing priorities and requires admissibility checks) [3] [4].
2. Security, background checks and the drawn-out timeline
Refugee admittance demands multiple security checks that can span months to years: background vetting, biometric checks and interagency reviews are core to the U.S. process and are commonly the reason applicants wait in limbo in camps such as Dadaab, even after medical clearance and placement decisions (reporting on long waits and cleared cases stuck by suspended admissions illustrates this bottleneck) [5] [6].
3. Medical screening and admissibility requirements
U.S.-bound refugees must complete panel physician medical exams that screen for conditions affecting admissibility (for example tuberculosis classifications that can be manageable but require treatment); because security and clearance processes take long, refugees often must repeat medical exams if the initial exam expires before travel (Minnesota health profile explains repeat screening realities) [5].
4. TPS vs. resettlement: two separate routes for Somalis in 2024
Somalis already in the United States could be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the 2024 redesignation and extension; TPS is a humanitarian status granting work authorization and protection from removal rather than refugee resettlement abroad. The redesignation extended TPS through March 17, 2026, allowed about 4,300 new initial applicants who had established residence on or before July 12, 2024, and required continuous physical presence since Sept. 18, 2024 for initial applicants (official DHS/USCIS notices and the Federal Register spell out these dates and estimated beneficiary counts) [1] [2] [7].
5. Practical steps for Somali applicants under USRAP in 2024
Available sources describe the program architecture rather than a single checklist: obtain a referral from UNHCR or U.S. authorities; be prioritized under USRAP case categories; complete biographic forms and biometric enrollment; pass interagency security checks; undergo the overseas medical examination; attend a U.S. immigration interview; and clear admissibility and legal review prior to travel. Sources stress that USRAP case priorities shape who is processed first [3] [4].
6. What the 2024 policy environment added — bigger numbers, then political disruption
In FY 2024 the U.S. substantially ramped refugee admissions and set new program tools such as the Welcome Corps and higher processing rates (State Department/analyses), producing large intake and referrals; however, political actions in 2025 (executive orders discussed in reporting) led to suspension or review of USRAP, leaving many Somalis who were cleared or mid-process uncertain — reporting from camps documents refugees who had cleared checks but could not travel because admissions were halted [8] [6] [4].
7. Competing perspectives and limits in available reporting
Government sources (DHS/USCIS Federal Register notices) provide precise eligibility dates and numbers for TPS redesignation [2] [1]. Humanitarian and resettlement groups and independent outlets depict long waits, operational strain and the human consequences of pauses in admissions [6] [9]. Some commentators emphasize program growth and reform (Welcome Corps, higher FY2024 admissions) while other sources document policy reversals and constraints; these perspectives coexist in the reporting [4] [9] [8]. Available sources do not mention a single, consolidated step-by-step “apply here” checklist for Somali refugees under USRAP in 2024 — instead they describe referral, vetting and adjudication stages and, separately, TPS procedural rules (not found in current reporting).
Limitations: This account draws only on the provided documents; it does not incorporate other agency guidance, consular instructions or local resettlement agency checklists that applicants and sponsors often rely on. All specific dates, counts and procedural requirements above are taken from the cited DHS/USCIS and reporting sources [2] [1] [3].