The Office of New Americans was created under § 63.2-209.1 in 2020 as an office within the Department of Social Services. The Office of New Americans (ONA) incorporated the existing Office of Newcomer Services into a new office specifically to assist immigrant integration within the Commonwealth on an economic, social, and cultural level.

Statutory Responsibilities of ONA and Report Mandate

• Implement a statewide strategy to promote the economic, linguistic, and civic integration of New Americans in the Commonwealth.

• Work with localities to coordinate and support local efforts that align with the statewide strategy to promote the economic, linguistic, and civic integration of New Americans in the Commonwealth.

• Provide advice and assistance to New Americans regarding (i) the citizenship application process and (ii) securing employment, housing, and services for which such persons may be eligible.

• Provide advice and assistance to state agencies regarding (i) the coordination of relevant policies across state agencies responsible for education, workforce, and training programs, and (ii) the dissemination of information to localities and immigration service organizations regarding state programs that help New Americans find and secure employment, housing, and services for which they may be eligible.

• Educate localities and immigration service organizations on health epidemics and unlawful predatory actions, such as human trafficking, gang recruitment, and fraudulent financial and other schemes, to which communities of such persons may be especially vulnerable.

• Serve as the primary liaison with external stakeholders, particularly immigrant-serving and refugee serving organizations and businesses, on immigrant integration priorities and policies.

• Partner with state agencies and immigrant-serving and refugee-serving organizations and businesses to identify and disseminate beneficial immigrant integration policies and practices throughout the Commonwealth.

• Manage competitive grant programs that replicate beneficial practices or test new innovations that improve the effectiveness and efficacy of immigrant integration strategies; and

• Advise the Governor, cabinet members, and the General Assembly on strategies to improve state programs to support the economic, linguistic, and civic integration of New Americans throughout the Commonwealth.

Additionally, Item 340.F. of the 2022 Appropriation Act directs the Department of Social Services to provide an annual report on the activities of the Office of New Americans by December 1.

Major Activities & Outcomes for Report Period

• As part of a statewide strategy to promote economic, linguistic and civic integration of New Americans, the ONA developed a strategic plan, and as part of this, commissioned extensive research to assess the needs and barriers to integration experienced by the New American population. This research has rendered visible gaps in services and areas of Virginia without service providers, and formed a foundation that ONA can build on to create a statewide directory of service providers and continue to connect people with organizations and promote integration across the Commonwealth.

• The ONA conducted extensive outreach into New American communities, in the form of health and resource fairs, educational trainings, cultural events, as well as administration of programs specifically serving youth and older refugees. This has entailed working with localities across the state and creating networks of stakeholders that come together to solve problems and develop solutions.

• The ONA’s refugee programs funded citizenship classes, vocational training, job placement services, and other civics training to thousands of New Americans through grants to resettlement agencies. The immigrant services office works with a coalition of nationwide groups to create career pathways guides and employment tools to help immigrants get training and certification, especially in needed fields such as education, mental health, and healthcare fields.

• The ONA worked with various state agencies, including the Departments of Education, Behavioral Health & Developmental Services, Health Professions, and Health to assess needs in the immigrant and refugee communities, ensure that refugee youth’s needs are met, collect and disseminate information among immigrant communities, and devise ways to help pave pathways for licensing and employment training.

• ONA coordinated dozens of Covid vaccine clinics, health screening clinics, resource fairs, and other events around the Commonwealth attended by local organizations and individuals. The purpose of these events is to educate immigrants on health-related issues and connect them with trustworthy organizations providing legitimate services, which in turn minimizes the risk of fraud and other unlawful actions. The office also plans to develop a series of educational webinars to educate service providers and the public about unlawful and fraudulent activities to which New American communities are especially vulnerable.

• Positioning itself as the primary liaison with stakeholders in immigrant and refugee policy in Virginia, ONA created a clearinghouse in which all service providers will have the ability to keep their own listings current, find other providers, and in which individuals will be able to look for providers in their area. Additionally, the ONA has created networks of stakeholders, including the regionally-held Virginia Community Capacity Initiative as well as other informal networks who come together to discuss topics, raise issues, and solve problems that affect their work and the integration of immigrants in Virginia.

• Partnerships ONA developed with state agencies, as well as immigrant and refugee serving organizations have strengthened the Office’s role as subject-matter experts on policy and practice in Virginia. The statewide needs assessment study completed in 2022 has provided needed data on unmet needs, and the office has begun designing programs to meet those needs. An example, the office partnered with the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services in a federal grant application to provide needed mental health services to Afghan veterans. ONA also works to educate and liaise with local social services offices to ensure that refugees receive benefits they are eligible for, and shares policy guidance resources with other agencies to ensure the even flow of information about eligibility for New Americans.

• ONA continues to administer competitive grants for federal funds to agencies who provide innovative and effective refugee services. With more capacity, ONA will look forward to managing further competitive grants for non-refugee immigrant serving organizations.

The accomplishments and activities of the ONA have promoted the linguistic, civic, and economic integration of immigrant and refugee populations in the Commonwealth. This was done in the last year against a backdrop of unprecedented arrivals of Afghan and Ukrainian newcomers, as well as in the context of a newly expanded office with minimal capacity on the Immigrant Services side. In partnership with stakeholders statewide, including resettlement agencies, service providers, organizations large and small, university researchers, and immigrant communities themselves, the ONA built capacity, conducted outreach, education and research, provided direct services, administered federal funds, and promoted integration for New Americans across Virginia.