Immigration Program
In 1998, the Board of Immigration Appeals recognized Catholic Social Services as an accredited provider of immigration services and our staff members are accredited by The U.S. Department of Justice.
Services provided in multiple languages include:
- Refugee Support Services (RSS)
Catholic Social Services has offered this program for many years. Catholic Social Services helps refugees find and maintain employment, preferably within a year of being enrolled in the program. We also address barriers to employment such as social adjustment, English-language barriers, day care for children, etc. Refugees may be kept in the program for up to five years when they are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
- Refugee Support Services (RSS) – Ukraine
Similar to the Refugee Support Services program, Catholic Social Services helps paroled Ukrainians find and maintain employment in the United States, preferably as soon as they are enrolled in the program. Catholic Social Services also addresses barriers to employment such as social adjustment, English-language barriers, day care for children, etc. Ukrainians are only paroled in the United States for two years, which means that those who are seeking to live more than two years can apply for Asylum or Temporary Protective Status. This program started in October 2022.
- Resettlement and Replacement (R & P)
This program is funded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The program resumed locally in October 2022. Catholic Social Services welcomes families referred to the agency due to trafficking and torture, along with Congolese, Cuban/Haitian entrants, Indochinese parolees, Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants, unaccompanied children, Burmese refugees in Thailand, Sudanese refugees in Chad, Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, just to name a few. Refugees are kept in the program for 90 days and then moved to the RSS program for longer case management.
- Immigration Program
This program offers individuals and families from other countries affordable immigration legal services. Our program is recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice to practice family-based immigration and provide accurate advice and low-cost fees. We advise clients through the complex legal processes that lead to lawful immigration status and citizenship in the United States. Services include legal representation, permanent residency, U.S. citizenship, Know Your Rights presentation, immigrant integration, etc. This program resumed in November 2022.
- Parishes Organized to Welcome Immigrants and Refugees (POWIR)
This program is funded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and supports newcomers through integration. Integration is the process where newcomers and their children achieve economic mobility and social inclusion in their new communities. This program was resumed in October 2022.
If you need help with an immigration legal matter, our intake sessions are the first step.
Scranton – 600 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, PA 18509
570-207-2283, ext. 2121
Bring all documents related to your case.