Refugee & Immigrant Services

The Jewish community understands what it is like to leave one’s home and resettle in a foreign land. That historic experience fuels our desire to help refugees and immigrants make a successful transition to self-sufficiency. Our culturally diverse staff is recruited directly from the communities we serve.

Contact us at ris@jfsseattle.org or by phone.
South King County Office: (253) 850-4065
Eastside Office: (425) 643-2221

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• Resettlement
  Refugees from all over the world are supported and encouraged as they integrate successfully into their new environments. Learn more with our Refugee Resettlement FAQ.
• Language Classes
  English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes are offered at varying levels.
• Intensive Case Management
  We provide comprehensive, long-term case management to refugee and asylees who face additional barriers to stability including single-parent households, members of the LGTBQI community, and those with complex medical and mental health needs.
• Women’s Empowerment Programming
  Recognizing the increased cultural, social and systemic barriers that immigrant women face, RIS’ Women’s Empowerment Programming promotes gender equity through a three-pronged model that provides individualized case management, education workshops and social support through peer networking.

• Employment Services
  We assist with job readiness skills, employment counseling, and job placement and retention support. Comprehensive case management is provided to remove barriers to employment and includes services such as low-income housing applications, assistance with medical appointments and referral services.
• Career Re-entry Services
  We support refugees and asylees who have international professional experience as they work to return to their career field in the United States. Individualized case management and career guidance is coupled with coaching and support from volunteer mentors.
• Workshops
  We provide workshops to support the economic integration of refugees and asylees. Workshop topics include professional career re-entry, financial literacy, preparing for retirement and more.

• Citizenship Services
  We provide assistance with naturalization applications as well as classes to prepare for the citizenship exam.
• Immigration Legal Services
  We provide assistance with legal services including adjustment of status (i.e. green card) and family reunification applications.
• Asylum Support Program
  We provide legal assistance and case management support to those seeking asylum to ensure that they are able to fully realize their legal and social rights through the asylum process. Limited support is available to other migrants of humanitarian concern, including victims of labor or sex trafficking, victims of crime and survivors of torture. Learn more with our Refugee Resettlement FAQ.

• Funders
  JFS serves individuals and families from King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. Most programs are offered at no charge to participants and are made possible by generous funding from:

  • HIAS (formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society)
  • Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance
  • City of Seattle
  • City of Bellevue
  • City of Kent
  • City of Kirkland
  • City of Redmond