Immigration Intern – Spring 2025

Background: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading non-sectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection, and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict.  The Suburban Washington Refugee Center, where the IRC’s Silver Spring resettlement office is located, has resettled more than 2,000 new refugee arrivals, providing them a fresh start and opportunities to use their greatest resources—their motivation, their skills and their experiences—to become independent and self-sufficient new Americans.  Currently, the IRC Silver Spring resettles and/or provides assistance to over 700 refugees and asylees each year. 

Scope of work:  IRC’s Immigration Department in Silver Spring, Maryland, provides high quality, low-cost immigration services, including filing applications for adjustment of status (i.e., green cards), work Authorization, naturalization, and family reunification for refugees, asylees, and Victims of Trafficking immigrants and other immigrants. 

Responsibilities: 

• Responsible for going through client immigration documents and assisting clients with requirements for consultations and application sessions with legal staff.
• Answer client questions regarding immigration services, and, when necessary, refer clients to the appropriate IRC staff member.
• General administrative support, including tracking, filing, and mailing relevant documents, applications, and notices of action.
• Under the guidance of the supervising Immigration Services Manager, assist in putting client information updates in Lolly Law database.
• Assist clients with document translation, authentication, presentation and completion.
• Provide special assistance to clients with particular needs.
• Promote the IRC’s immigration department through online and local networks.
• Research immigration issues, polices and programs
• Build partnerships with local agencies to improve systems of providing immigration services.

Learning Objectives: 

• Gain Exposure to local refugee and asylee community.
• Understand the various immigration processes and procedures refugees and asylees encounter.
• Gain understanding of online databases such as Lolly Law.
• Experience working in a multicultural office environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Working towards a college degree related to international relief, humanitarian work or refugee law related subjects. Must be current student or within 12 months of schooling.*
• Passion to work with diverse and limited-English speaking refugees (second language proficiency a plus, Spanish strongly preferred, also seeking French, Dari, and Pashto)
• Interest and/or work experience on U.S Immigration law and outreach knowledge (Prior experience in immigration is a plus).
• Excellent research, language, database management, and record keeping skills.

TO APPLY

Click Apply Now at the top of this page. Please attach a resume, cover letter and list of (at least) three references to your application. The deadline to apply is January 6, 2025.

This position is for Spring 2025 and requires a minimum commitment of 4 months and 15-24 hours a week. 35 hours per week preferred. Ability to work in-person required.

Spring 2025 Interns are expected to begin their internship term by attending an in-person intern orientation on January 27, 2025 from 9:15AM-3:30PM. 

We currently offer internships during the following semesters:

Spring: January – May

Summer: June– August

Fall: September – December

Internships are typically posted 2-3 months prior to the anticipated start date.

Note: Internships with the IRC in Silver Spring are unpaid. Spring 2025 interns may be eligible for per diem reimbursement at the rate of $15/day to offset the costs of food and travel. For information on scholarship opportunities, contact your university or the IRC Silver Spring intern coordinator at Michalina.Kulesza@Rescue.org.

*Candidates applying not enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and outside of 12 months from graduation are welcome to apply.  These candidates will be processed as volunteers. 

To protect our clients, the IRC requires all selected applicants to complete background checks. We ask that you make a $30 donation to help us cover the associated costs. Currently, 87% of our funding goes directly to programming to support our clients, and your help to cover this cost will ensure that no funding is directed away from serving our clients. Instructions will be provided after you have been selected to intern or volunteer. 

IRC leading the way from harm to home. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

If you need assistance in the application or hiring process to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact Talent Acquisitions at IRC.Recruitment@rescue.org. As required by law, the IRC will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with a known disability.