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Refugee Support & Resources

Social Services Agency

County of Santa Clara

SSA has the Refugee Employment and Elderly Services Program. The program provides employment services to refugees including vocational English as a Second Language classes, job placement, job retention, computer labs, and other additional workshops. The elderly services include English as a Second Language classes, outreach to mainstream services, services to aid with independent living, and aid with naturalization. Social Services also can connect refugees with benefits and Medi-cal. Contact [email protected], Refugee Coordinator from Social Services Agency. 
More info on SSA

TB/Refugee Clinic at Valley Medical Center 

San José, CA

Provides health assessments to the newly arrived refugees, SIVs, and asylees.
More info on TB/Refugee Clinic

Pars Equality Center 

San José, CA and Los Angeles, CA

Pars supports immigrant communities to realize their full potential as informed, self-reliant, and responsible members of the American society. Pars Equality Center achieves its mission primarily by providing extensive social and legal services. Our multilingual staff including case managers and attorneys serve the needs of our community by providing a full range of professional social services and legal representation.
More info on Pars Equality Center

South Bay Afghan Islamic Community Center

San José, CA

Connect with local members and activities with the South Bay Afghani community.
More info on SBACCSJ

Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley

San José, CA

JFS of Silicon Valley has been an outstanding partner for our refugee and displaced residents and families.
Link

Catholic Charities

County of Santa Clara, San José, CA

Catholic Charities continues to provide support and resources for many local immigrant families. The have a special program that helps to resettles unaccompanied refugee minors.
Link

Afghan Coalition

Fremont, CA

Based in Fremont, this organization supports the Afghani community in the Bay Area, including with wellness programs.
View Afghan Coalition site
Wellness project

American Red Cross, Silicon Valley Chapter

San José, CA

The Red Cross continues to be a leading partner for helping families impacted by emergencies or natural disasters.
More info on American Red Cross

The County of Santa Clara Office of Immigrant Relations Refugee Resources

Refugee resources:


International Rescue Committee

The mission of the IRC is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Instability in Afghanistan is putting the lives of thousands of civilians at risk. Donate now to help the IRC support Afghan families and people in crisis worldwide.

View IRC site
Support in Afghanistan

Women for Afghan Women

Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is the largest women’s organization in Afghanistan, with over 850 local Afghan staff working tirelessly to provide support services to women, children, and families.

View WAW site
Support in Afghanistan

IRAP, International Refugee Assistance Program

For years, IRAP has been on the frontlines of the fight to bring vulnerable Afghans to safety through direct legal services, litigation, and advocacy.

View IRAP site
Actions for Afghans

Support for Ukrainian Families and Refugees

Resources for Ukranian San Joseans

Emergency and humanitarian assistance

The Office of Senator Alex Padilla is currently providing humanitarian casework assistance if you or your immediate family have been affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and need humanitarian assistance. 

Please complete the form below. For any questions about how to complete it, please email the office:  [email protected]

Agency assistance form (Select “Citizenship and Immigration Services” under the “What Can I Assist You With?” menu

The American Red Cross is accepting cases for their Restoring Family Links program. If you have lost contact with a family member who is still within Ukraine, please contact Hawley Rising, American Red Cross Caseworker at 408-935-9760 or at [email protected]. If you have lost contact with a family member who has fled Ukraine and are in a neighboring country, contact the Red Cross Restoring Family Links national helpline at 1-844-782-9441 or complete an inquiry form.

The United Nations Refugee Agency has set up dedicated websites for Ukrainian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries: Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and in any other country.

Immigration legal assistance and information

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Ukraine has been designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months due to the invasion by Russia. To qualify, Ukrainian nationals must have continuously resided in the United States as of March 1, 2022, and must apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within 180 days (until August 28, 2022). TPS applicants may also apply for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) allowing them to work lawfully in the United States. Every individual case is different, and you are highly encouraged to schedule a consultation with a qualified immigration professional to help discuss the options that are available in your circumstances. If you are interested in finding immigration legal assistance for TPS or other immigration applications, use the link below.

Search for providers

The Office of Racial Equity hosted an informational webinar on TPS for Ukrainians on March 9, 2022 - the webinar was recorded and available. For more resources, please visit the dedicated Ukraine page on the Office of Racial Equity website.

Ukrainian nonimmigrant visa applicants may apply anywhere they are physically located and can schedule an appointment. Follow instructions on the respective embassy website to apply. 

View list of embassy websites


News links