OAR 461-145-0455: Program of Initial Resettlement (PIR), Reception and Placement (R&P) and Welcome Corps Grants

(1) A Reception and Placement (R&P) grant is a payment made by the United States Department of State through a national refugee resettlement agency to a local resettlement agency, refugee sponsor, or refugee. An R&P grant is provided to the resettlement agency to help with the costs of initial resettlement of a refugee in the United States. The resettlement agency provides a part of this grant to the refugee, usually in the refugee's first three months after arrival, for the refugee's initial resettlement needs and not for ongoing living expenses. (2) The Welcome Corps is an equivalent program to R&P. A Welcome Corps grant is money raised by a private sponsor group on behalf of a refugee. A Welcome Corps grant is used to help with the costs of initial resettlement of a refugee in the United States. The private sponsor group provides a part of this grant to the refugee, usually in the refugee's first three months after arrival, for the refugee's initial resettlement needs and not for ongoing living expenses. (3) Program of Initial Resettlement (PIR) is an equivalent program of R&P. PIR replaced R&P on January 1, 2026. A PIR grant is a payment made by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) through a national refugee resettlement agency to a local resettlement agency, refugee sponsor, or refugee. A PIR grant is provided to the resettlement agency to help with the costs of initial resettlement of a refugee in the United States. The resettlement agency provides a part of this grant to the refugee, usually in the refugee's first three months after arrival, for the refugee's initial resettlement needs and not for ongoing living expenses. (4) In the Refugee Assistance (REF), Refugee Assistance Medical (REFM), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, an R&P, PIR or Welcome Corps grant is excluded from consideration as income or a resource for purposes of determining program eligibility or benefit levels, except as provided in OAR 461-140-0070. (5) In the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), any amount paid directly to a SNAP household from an R&P, PIR or Welcome Corps grant is counted as unearned income. For an in-kind payment made directly to a provider by the resettlement agency, see OAR 461-145-0280. (6) For Medicare Savings Programs (see OAR 461-001-0000) and Oregon Supplemental Income Program Medical (OSIPM), an R&P, PIR or Welcome Corps grant determined to be available to the refugee is considered unearned income.