Simplified Forms Help Refugee Kids Access Care Programs
Published Date: 4/9/2026
Notice
Summary
The Office of Refugee Resettlement is updating and extending the forms used to help unaccompanied refugee minors apply for or withdraw from their special care program. These changes make the forms simpler, faster, and easier to understand, with translations available in several languages. Case managers and helpers will use these improved forms starting soon, with public feedback open until June 8, 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Simpler, Translated URM Forms
The Office of Refugee Resettlement revised the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) Program application and related withdrawal/declination forms to make them simpler and faster. Changes include reducing open-ended text box questions by 67 percent, changing question formats for quicker responses, cutting unnecessary questions, and providing translations into Spanish, French, and other languages as appropriate (the English version remains the authoritative federal text).
Reduced Time Burden for Respondents
ORR expects the revised forms to cut average burden hours per respondent by 33 percent and to reduce estimated total annual burden hours by 48 percent. The agency estimates 350 respondents for the URM Program Application at 1.00 hour per response (350 hours) and 40 respondents for the Withdrawal/Declination forms at 0.20 hours per response (8 hours), for an estimated total annual burden of 358 hours.
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