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Your Employment Rights
You
have the Right to Work. Don’t Let Anyone Take It Away.
When
refugees and/or asylees gain legal admission to the United States one
of their priorities is to obtain employment. Refugees/asylees
want to become productive members of their new home, support their families
and assist relatives left behind in their homeland or in refugee camps.
Securing a good job in the US can be challenging, especially for new
immigrants. Often a refugee or asylee may experience difficulties
when applying for a job because the employer may unknowingly request
more documents than is necessary under the law. The following
information will explain your rights and provide information on how
to seek help if you feel you are being discriminated against in your
attempt to find a job.
Refugees
and Asylees in the United States have the right to work.
When you start a new job, your employer is required to verify your work
eligibility by looking at your documents and completing the I-9 form.
Some employers accidentally discriminate against refugees and asylees
because they do not understand the law.
It
is a good idea to protect yourself by knowing your rights. The
I-9 Form requires you to demonstrate
1)
your identity, and that
2)
you are legally authorized to work in the United States
The
important thing to know is that you can choose which documents
to show your employer. Your employer cannot demand that you show them
a “green card” or any other type of document. If
you do not have a green card yet, you may show your employer your
1)
State issued Driver’s
License or ID card to demonstrate your identity
2)
Social
Security Card to demonstrate your employment
eligibility. The Social Security Card must not have written on
it: “not valid for employment without INS approval.”
If it does, you must also show an INS document such as an I-94 with
refugee or asylee stamped on it.
It
is recommended that you use these documents as they will not expire.
If you show your employer an Employment Authorization Document (EAD),
you will need to re-verify the I-9 Form when the EAD expires.
You do not need to show the EAD again. You can choose to show your Social
Security Card and ID Card.
If
you experience problems with your employer regarding your documents,
you can get help. Please contact
or
Links:
Facts
about National Origin Discrimination
Facts
about Race/Color Discrimination
Facts
about Religious Discrimination
Questions and
Answers about the Workplace Rights of Muslims, Arabs, South Asians, and
Sikhs under the Equal Employment Opportunity Laws
Federal Laws Prohibiting
Job Discrimination Questions And Answers
Fact Sheets:
The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division provides a
brochure that describes Federal Protections Against National Origin
Discrimination and explains how to file a complaint and receive help.
You can download the brochure by clicking on a language below:
Cambodian
Chinese
English
Hmong
Vietnamese
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