Mission Statement
The mission of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is to provide protection, ease suffering, and resolve the plight of persecuted and uprooted people around the world on behalf of the American people by working with other governments and international partners, sharing the burden of providing life-sustaining assistance and seeking durable solutions by working through multilateral systems to build global partnerships, ensure compliance with international norms and standards and promote best practices in humanitarian response.
Key Topics
- Humanitarian Assistance Overseas:
PRM supports efforts to protect and assist refugees and vulnerable immigrants around the world. We maintain our enduring humanitarian commitments by working to assist refugees and other displaced people as close to their homes as possible until they can safely and voluntarily return. More information on our overseas humanitarian assistance by region»
- Refugee Admissions:
In FY 2021, the United States expects to resettle up to 15,000 refugees. More information on the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program»
- Policy Issues:
Through humanitarian diplomacy and close work with foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), PRM supports protection and assistance to ease the suffering of the most vulnerable around the world, seeks durable solutions to their plight and contributes to broader USG and international efforts to resolve conflicts that cause displacement. The U.S. leads the world as the largest single humanitarian donor. We expect others to help share in the burden and responsibility of assisting refugees and other displaced people. More information on our specific policies»
Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programs
Through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), the United States sponsors qualified U.S. citizens for employment in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Junior Professional Officer (JPO) program and in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) JPO Program. The Bureau sponsors and funds these programs to demonstrate the U.S. Government’s commitment to helping refugees, victims of conflict, and vulnerable migrants around the world as well as to support U.S. citizen employment in the UN. Learn More about JPO» JPO FAQ»
Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS)
U.S. citizen college students can make a real difference in the work of the U.S. government through the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS). VSFS harnesses the expertise and digital excellence of U.S. citizen students to move the work of their government forward on multiple fronts. Since 2009, thousands of VSFS eInterns have expanded the efforts of the U.S. government around the world – from dorm rooms to libraries and coffee shops, to wherever the students happen to be. As one of the dozens of government agencies participating in VSFS programs, PRM partners with eInterns to monitor media reports, develop social media projects focusing on refugees and conflict-affected people. U.S. students can apply to VSFS projects each year from July 1-31 on USAJOBS.gov . Learn More about VSFS» VSFS FAQ»