Refugee Health Community Partners and Sponsors
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Refugee Health
Refugee Health Community Partners and Sponsors
A brief overview of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Refugee Health Program (RHP), the Minnesota Refugee Health Assessment, and information regarding health requirements for humanitarian parolee arrivals. This page is for community partners and sponsors assisting newcomers with health care needs. Clinical screening guidance can be found at Refugee Health Care Provider Resources.
On this page:
About the MDH Refugee Health Program
About the Refugee Health Assessment
Who is eligible
Health insurance and other benefits
Scheduling a Refugee Health Assessment
Health requirements for humanitarian parolees
Welcome Corps frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Resources for newcomers and sponsors
Contact us
About the MDH Refugee Health Program
The Minnesota Department of Health Refugee Health Program works to promote and enhance the health and well-being of newcomers in Minnesota. We do this through:
- Ensuring timely health assessment, treatment, and referral for all new refugee arrivals to the state.
- Educating health care professionals on best practices in refugee health.
- Offering technical assistance, education, and resources to local, state, and community partners.
- Providing leadership and guidance to refugee health professionals in other states; and promoting public health practices and policies that further our mission.
Minnesota Refugee Health Program (PDF)
One page flyer describing the mission of the Minnesota Department of Health Refugee Health Program and how to connect with our program.
For more information, visit Refugee Health Program: About Us.
About the Refugee Health Assessment
The Refugee Health Assessment (also known as the Domestic Medical Exam or Refugee Health Screening) is an important part of resettlement. This health examination is to help arrivals be as healthy as they can be and get connected to health care, and it has NO effect on immigration status. The Minnesota Refugee Health Program and partners are available to coordinate the health examination for qualified newcomers.
The Refugee Health Assessment is a special medical appointment for people that are newly arrived to the United States. The Minnesota Department of Health Refugee Health Program trains the health care providers who do these clinic visits to provide the best care possible to newcomers to the country. The health care providers will also refill medication and help ensure newcomers have a primary doctor and can go to specialty doctors if needed (like a heart doctor or orthopedist). Typically, a Refugee Health Assessment takes 1-2 clinic visits.
A Refugee Health Assessment involves many different things that are not usually done by health care providers during normal clinic visits. This includes testing for and treating illnesses that are more common in different countries and reviewing immunization and medical records from other countries.
A Refugee Health Assessment is a very important step to make sure newcomers are able to successfully settle in the United States, since it is hard to live, work, and play when you are not healthy. This visit provides the best care for people who are new to the country by health care providers who have been specially trained. Health care providers in Minnesota have done thousands of these visits and enjoy helping new Americans be as healthy as they can be.
Health care providers should be trained by the Minnesota Department of Health to do these assessments. If you call your local doctor, they may not know what this assessment is and may not have been trained. We have many providers around the state who do these visits, and local public health clinics help coordinate the visits. If you are a refugee health care provider interested in providing Refugee Health Assessments, please contact us at refugeehealth@state.mn.us.
No. This visit is only to help new arrivals stay healthy and has no effect on immigration status.
No. A green card (adjustment of status) exam is done for people who are eligible to become permanent residents, normally after they have been living in the United State for at least a year.
Yes. These clinic visits are covered by Medical Assistance (Minnesota Medicaid). New arrivals should apply for insurance through MNSure as soon as possible. We suggest working with a free MNSure navigator (MNSure Assister Directory) to complete the application.
Who is eligible
The following table includes information regarding eligibility for the refugee health assessment and Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) benefits and health requirements by immigration status. If you have a question about eligibility, please reach out to us at refugeehealth@state.mn.us.
Benefit eligibility is complex. Please review the policy letters referenced in the table for details and clarification.
| Status | Eligible for ORR-funded benefits* | Immigration-required Tests to Maintain Parole (TB, vaccines) | Eligible for Refugee Health Assessment | Refer to MDH through health referral database** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amerasian entrants1 | Yes | ━ | Yes | Yes |
| Asylee2 | Yes | ━ | Yes | Yes |
| Certified Victim of Human Trafficking3 | Yes | ━ | Yes | Yes |
| Cuban entrants4 | Yes | Maybe5,6 | Yes | Yes |
| Family Reunification Parole | ||||
| Cuba6,8 or Haiti7,8 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras (and family members)8 | No | No | No | No |
| Haitian entrants4 | Yes | Maybe5,7 | Yes | Yes |
| Humanitarian Parolee | ||||
| Afghans9 | Maybe | Yes10 | Maybe | Yes |
| Nicaraguans11 | No | Yes5 | No | No |
| Ukrainians12 | Maybe | Yes13 | Maybe | Yes |
| Venezuelans11 | No | Yes5 | No | No |
| Other parolees | No | No | No | No |
| Refugee (through reception and placement and Welcome Corps)14 | Yes | ━ | Yes | Yes |
| Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)15 | Yes | ━ | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Protected Status (TPS)16 | No | ━ | No | No |
Statuses in the table are listed alphabetically.
*Includes medical assistance if other eligibility requirements met, including income and residency. If not eligible for Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) benefits, please refer to county services for assistance in applying to other benefits.
**New Arrival Notification and Screening Referral
1ORR: Who We Serve - Amerasians
2ORR: Asylee Eligibility for Refugee Resettlement Program Benefits
3ORR: Fact Sheet: Victim Assistance
4ORR: Benefits for Cuban/Haitian Entrants
5USCIS: Vaccine Attestation: Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans
6USCIS: The Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program
7USCIS: The Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program
8USCIS: Family Reunification Parole Processes
9ORR Policy Letter 22-01: Afghan Humanitarian Parolees and Unaccompanied Afghan Minors Eligible for ORR Benefits and Services; ASA-Eligible Afghan Populations
10USCIS: Afghan Parolee Vaccination Status
11ORR Dear Colleague Letter 23-13: Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans
12ORR Policy Letter 22-13: Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees Eligible for ORR Benefits and Services
13USCIS: Uniting for Ukraine Vaccine Attestation
14ORR: Benefits for Refugees
15ORR: Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Holders from Iraq and Afghanistan
16USCIS: Temporary Protected Status
Health insurance and other benefits
Refugees and certain humanitarian parolees are eligible for the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement's Refugee Benefits and should apply for health insurance, cash, and food assistance at the local county social services office (DHS: Minnesota tribal and county directory) or MNsure (health insurance). If the person or family you are helping does not qualify for insurance, they may be able to receive a free health screening with assistance from the Minnesota Department of Health Refugee Health Program.
Scheduling a Refugee Health Assessment
Minnesota has a large network of clinics that can perform Refugee Health Assessments. We will work with the local public health office (county or regional public health office) in the newcomer’s county of residence to help coordinate this visit. You cannot schedule this visit independently and must work with our office and local public health in your county.
To connect with local public health, please fill out a health referral on our confidential referral system:
New Arrival Notification and Screening Referral
How the process works
Sponsor/supporter fills out the New Arrival Notification and Screening Referral form
Minnesota Refugee Health Program refers newcomer to local public health
Local public health reaches out to sponsor/supporter
Local public health works with sponsor/supporter and clinic to schedule Refugee Health Assessment
Health requirements for humanitarian parolees
Humanitarian Parolees may have health requirements associated with their parole status within 90 days of arrival. For more information on these requirements for newcomers, please visit:
Health Requirements for Arrivals with Humanitarian Parolee Status
- Ukrainian
- Cuban & Haitian
- Nicaraguan & Venezuelan
- Clinic resources: Tuberculosis testing and free or low cost vaccinations
Welcome Corps frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Welcome Corps is a program that empowers everyday Americans to welcome refugees and support them in building new lives in communities across the United States. The Welcome Corps program is free for both sponsors and refugees. You should not pay money for any reason. If you or someone you know hears of fraud or is asked to pay money to access the program, please report it to fraud@welcomecorps.org.
Welcome Corps offers live Application Support Sessions weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. CT. On demand sessions are also available. One-on-one application support is also available in English, Pashto, Dari, Swahili, Spanish, and French. Sign up for one-on-one support on Calendly: Welcome Corps Application Support.
For the application question, "List one local healthcare location in your community where refugees can get the Initial Medical Screening (Refugee Health Assessment) after they arrive in the U.S.?"
Please write the following:
"Per the State Refugee Health Coordinator’s guidance in Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Refugee Health Program and the local public health department in the county where the refugee will live coordinate the refugee health assessments. These health departments will determine the location of the assessment after the refugee arrives. This assessment cannot be scheduled independently by sponsors. To initiate the refugee health assessment process, I will fill out a health referral on the MDH Refugee Health Program’s confidential New Arrival Notification and Screening Referral system. More information is available at MDH: Refugee Health Community Partners and Sponsors. Additional questions may be directed to refugeehealth@state.mn.us."
In Minnesota, most refugees are eligible for Medical Assistance (Minnesota Medicaid). Refugees can complete a MNsure application to enroll in Medical Assistance. Sponsors or refugees should connect with a free MNSure navigator, who helps complete the application, as soon as possible after the refugee arrives: MNsure Assister Directory. Applications can also be filled out at DHS County and Tribal Nation Offices.
It is important that refugees establish ongoing primary health care after completing the refugee health assessment. Some clinics that conduct refugee health assessments can continue seeing refugees after their refugee health assessments. If that is not possible, refugees can seek primary health care at a clinic of their choice that accepts Medical Assistance (Minnesota Medicaid). Options include their sponsors’ or family members’ clinic, clinics near their residence, or clinics recommended by their health plan. There are resources on Refugee Welcome Collective: Minnesota Health Resources for accessing ongoing health care.
Resources for newcomers and sponsors
Minnesota resources:
- Alight: Become a Welcome Corps Sponsor
Private sponsor organization assisting sponsorship groups in Minnesota. - Minnesota DHS: Refugee Programs
Information about Refugee Resettlement Programs Office at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), resettlement network services, health insurance, and food and cash assistance.- Refugee Immigrant and Refugee Helpline:
1-800-814-4806 or dhs.rpo.helpline@state.mn.us - Family Assisters (PDF)
DHS Refugee Resettlement Programs Office-funded community-based organizations connect families to community resources, including English classes and employment, housing, benefits applications, and immigration assistance.
- Refugee Immigrant and Refugee Helpline:
- Refugee Welcome Collective: Minnesota Resources
Minnesota-specific information for Welcome Corps newcomers and sponsors about accessing cash and food assistance, health care, English classes, employment assistance, and other resources. - Resettlement Agencies
Local, federal, and international organizations supporting eligible newcomers.
National resources:
- CORE Resources for Community Partners and Sponsors
Cultural orientation toolkit and other resources for community partners and sponsors. - HIAS: Welcome Circles
Private sponsor organization assisting sponsorship groups in Minnesota and across the U.S. - Refugee Welcome Collective
Sponsors, community members, and newcomers can find resources and training on newcomer sponsorship programs. - Settle In
Resources for newcomers on life in the U.S. and the U.S. resettlement process. Information is available in 12 languages. - Welcome Corps
Information about the U.S. Department of State’s Welcome Corps program, a private sponsorship program through which Private Sponsor Groups can welcome refugee newcomers.- Switchboard: Welcome Corps Support Line
Provides Welcome Corps private sponsor groups with on-demand technical assistance with supporting Welcome Corps arrivals. Call 212-551-3100 or email WCSL@rescue.org.
- Switchboard: Welcome Corps Support Line
- Welcome.US
Sponsors and community members can find introductory information about the newcomer sponsorship programs.
Contact us
Minnesota Department of Health Refugee and International Health Program
- Email: refugeehealth@state.mn.us
- Phone number: 651-201-5414