/
Get Help
If you are a refugee seeking assistance, consult the UNHCR Help page for the country in which you are located.
If you are a refugee seeking sponsorship in the U.S., please note that sponsorship programs are on pause due to recent policy changes. Click here to learn more.
We are unable to respond to direct requests for help. We identify refugees in need in the locations where we work and rarely act on third-party or self-referrals. If you need help in your asylum country, please check country-specific information here and contact your local UNHCR office or NGOs. For refugees or their relatives in the U.S., please contact the agency that originally sponsored the case. We’re unable to respond to inquiries about these cases.
No, our resettlement work focuses on helping refugees abroad, not in the U.S. Our Boston office is our headquarters, and we do not offer client services there. Other agencies specialize in helping refugees who have already arrived in the U.S.
Click here to find a list of agencies assisting refugees in Massachusetts.
For assistance in other states, please visit
Refugee Council USA and Welcome.us.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is no longer operational due to recent policy changes. We will update this page if this changes.
Are you a refugee seeking to reunite with your family members? Please explore our related FAQs below.
RefugePoint’s Family Reunification Navigation Assistance Program in Kenya is pleased to invite requests for assistance from refugees in Kenya seeking to reunite with their parent(s), spouse, adult child(ren), or sibling(s) who reside in destination/third countries. Third countries means countries that are outside of Kenya that are not the country of origin for the refugees who are seeking reunification. Third countries include countries where loved ones have been resettled or secured a durable solution through education, labor mobility, or sponsorship pathways.
RefugePoint will assist eligible refugees in exploring family reunification visa options, provide information regarding reunification or other complementary pathways opportunities, and help eligible applicants navigate the process of completing the necessary paperwork and processing steps. This may include providing guidance and/or referrals to connect refugees to legal service providers where needed. Refugees in Kenya and their parent(s), spouse, adult child(ren), or sibling(s) abroad will need to meet the legal criteria for the visa programs offered by the destination/third countries.
PLEASE NOTE: This is *not* a new pathway for family reunification. RefugePoint will merely help refugees in Kenya understand their legal rights and navigate existing visa pathways offered by destination/third countries. Refugees may also apply on their own for these existing visa pathways.
If you are a refugee outside of Kenya seeking to reunite with family in the U.S. or another country, please click here.
Refugees in Kenya with the following family members in destination/third countries are invited to send requests for navigation assistance:
Refugees in Kenya meeting the above requirements are invited to send requests for assistance in receiving family reunification navigation support to familyreunification@refugepoint.org
Please provide the following information, and attach the requested documents:
Proof of refugee status in Kenya (Refugee ID, Refugee Recognition Letter);
Proof of registration with UNHCR/DRS;
Details of the family member(s) in the third country including name, relationship, contact, and country of residence for each;
Documents proving the relationship with the relative/s in the third country (e.g. birth and/or marriage certificate);
Proof of legal status of the relative(s) in destination/third country (e.g. residency card, passport etc.);
Contact information of the refugee(s) in Kenya
The information refugees share with requests for assistance sent to familyreunification@refugepoint.org will be used by RefugePoint to screen cases and determine which requests require which assistance. The data and documents shared with RefugePoint will be stored securely, and will only be shared internally within RefugePoint if necessary. If there is need for the information to be shared externally, then RefugePoint will seek verbal or written consent from the client first.
If the request for family reunification navigation assistance appears to potentially meet eligibility requirements for an existing visa pathway, a staff member of RefugePoint will contact you. Please be patient as demand for these services is expected to be high. Please do not send multiple requests for the same case. If a viable visa route is identified, the visa application requirements will vary, and will be determined by the visa programs available for family reunification to the destination/third country. RefugePoint does not set or control these requirements. Processing timelines by the destination country will also vary, and will depend on many factors: the speed of application filing by the anchor/host relative in the destination country, the pace of the government’s review and approval/denial of the application (considering any application backlogs), and the speed in completing other required processing steps. Typically, successful visa applications can take from many months up to several years. RefugePoint does not set or control processing timelines.
Please be informed that RefugePoint does not charge for its services, and will not accept any money, gifts or other compensation in exchange for its services. An offer of money, gifts or favors will be considered a fraud attempt and will disqualify the applicant.
While RefugePoint’s services are offered free of charge, the governments that offer visa programs may charge application fees, biometric processing fees, health screening fees, and DNA testing fees. There may also be other associated costs, such as flight costs, which are typically paid by the anchor/host relative. As part of the application process, the destination country may require the anchor/host relative to demonstrate adequate financial resources for supporting the relative reuniting with them.
RefugePoint staff will do their best to provide accurate information regarding these costs as part of the navigation assistance it provides. However, RefugePoint is unable to provide any guarantees regarding costs. It is possible that unanticipated costs may arise, or that destination/third countries may change their fees at any point in time.
In some cases, refugees in Kenya may be required to travel to Nairobi to complete interviews and other steps required for application processing. Financial assistance may be available from RefugePoint to assist with costs of related transportation and short-term accommodation, but is not guaranteed. A RefugePoint staff member will provide more information on these.