Eligibility Criteria

The U.S. Refugee Program helps people who are in danger or fear future persecution. To be considered for resettlement, applicants must:

• Be South African nationals
• Be of Afrikaner ethnicity or a recognised racial minority in South Africa
• Be able to describe either a past experience of persecution or a fear of future persecution.

Important: This is Not Normal Emigration

You are not applying for a job, visa, or university placement.

This is a resettlement program for protection.

Once accepted, you will receive help to start a new life in the U.S.

What is Persecution?

Persecution means being hurt, threatened, or treated unfairly because of who you are. This includes your ethnicity (such as being white), religion, political beliefs, or the group you belong to. It does not mean you must have been physically attacked. 

Persecution can also include:

• Being excluded from job opportunities
• Being denied education or access to services
• Being unfairly treated by the government in business
• Being afraid of violence against you erupting 
• Facing social or legal discrimination.

Race Laws

In South Africa, more than 140 laws currently exist that exclude or disadvantage people based on skin colour. This ongoing legal discrimination is part of the persecution that many minorities face today.

Threats of Violence

Also, for example, the “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” song being sung by large masses of people at events and in schools are a direct threat of future violence against white South Africans, particularly farmers.

Understand Past Persecution vs a Well-Founded Fear of Future Persecution

So when the form asks about “past persecution,” it includes the current, ongoing unfair treatment that has already begun – not just past violence or threats. If you feel unsafe or unfairly treated now and fear it may get worse, that is a valid criteria for eligibility.