Refugee Cap Increased to 62,500

President Biden has increased the annual refugee cap for the United States to 62,500 individuals per year.

This change comes after several immigrant and refugee advocacy groups put pressure on the president to follow through on his campaign promise to increase the maximum number of refugees who may be admitted to the United States each year.

The cap had previously been set at 15,000 by the Trump Administration – a historically low number. President Biden has now increased that number to 62,500.

In an encouraging statement, President Biden also expressed that he would like to increase the refugee cap next year to 125,000 people. This would represent a slight increase over the maximum number of refugees allowed to be admitted to the United States during the final year of the Obama Administration, when the cap was 100,000.

Increasing the refugee cap is one of many necessary steps towards creating a just, compassionate, and functional immigration system in the United States. We celebrate this change and proudly support the refugee community here in Washington State.

If you or a loved one would like to begin an immigration case, or discuss your current immigration status, please call our office at (425) 374-1681 to schedule a consultation with Brittan or Mary Beth.

We are currently conducting consultations via telephone and video conferencing in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

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