Annual Survey of Refugees

OMB Control No: 0970-0033	ICR Reference No: 202006-0970-011
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201812-0970-002
Agency/Subagency: HHS/ACF	Agency Tracking No: ORR
Title: Annual Survey of Refugees
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 11/02/2020
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 06/30/2020
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	11/30/2023	36 Months From Approved	04/30/2022
Responses	3,000	0	4,000
Time Burden (Hours)	1,275	0	1,100
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The Annual Survey of Refugees helps The ACF Office of Refugee Resettlement meet its congressional reporting requirements, as specified in The Refugee Act of 1980 (Section 413 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, [8 U.S.C. 1523]). This ICR requests additions to the survey instrument intended to maximize the utility of the data collection, including for secondary analysis. The information collected through the Annual Survey of Refugees generates national population estimates of refugee labor force participation, public benefits receipt, English language acquisition, and conversion to legal permanent residency to meet Congressional reporting requirements. The ASR has the potential to be a valuable source of information about the experiences of refugees during their first five years in the United States. To increase the utility of this routine data collection and improve the value of the ASR for the body of knowledge on ACF programs, the redesigned instrument described in this ICR is intended to collect richer information about a variety of factors that social science research indicates are related to refugee outcomes in self-sufficiency and well-being.

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Authorizing Statute(s): PL: Pub.L. 96 - 212 413(a) Name of Law: Refugee Act of 1980, Section 413(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Sec. 413 [8 U.S.C. 1523]

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	84 FR 34395	07/18/2019
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	85 FR 38897	06/29/2020
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title Form No. Form Name ORR-9 Annual Survey of Refugees Introduction Letter and Postcard

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	3,000	4,000	0	-1,000	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,275	1,100	0	175	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: The number of respondents used in the burden calculation was reduced from the previously-approved 2,000 respondents to 1,500, to reflect what can be reasonably accomplished with the resources the agency has available for this information collection. The target of 1,500 respondents was reached for ASR 2017, 2018, and 2019. The burden associated with the ASR was increased from 0.5 to 0.80 hours, to reflect estimates of the burden from the revised instrument for a household averaging 2 eligible adults. This marginal increase in individual burden is expected to substantially increase the utility of the data collection for ORR programmatic use and secondary research use to improve understanding of the factors associated with resettlement outcomes.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,039,367

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Molly Buck 202 205-4724 [email protected]

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
		(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
		(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
		(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
		(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
		(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
		(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
		(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
			(i) Why the information is being collected;
			(ii) Use of information;
			(iii) Burden estimate;
			(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
			(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
			(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
		(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
		(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
		(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date: 06/30/2020

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