About UNHCR :
UNHCR’s Protection and Solutions Unit (PSU) serves asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons in
the territory of the United States (U.S.), promoting protection in law and policy, as well as engaging in the U.S. resettlement policy and local integration issues. The PSU’s resettlement staff also supports UNHCR’s Caribbean Unit by managing refugee resettlement operations out of the Caribbean states and territories. The PSU informs government officials, attorneys, and NGOs about international standards of refugee protection and protection for stateless persons. Staff regularly meets with partners to discuss U.S.-specific issues related to refugee protection and statelessness provides comments on proposed legislation and regulations, submits amicus briefs on select legal issues, engages with the U.S. government to provide technical assistance or advice to promote consistency between U.S. policy and international standards, and conducts training and public presentations to a range of audiences. Throughout all these endeavors, UNHCR maintains close communication with government partners in a range of U.S. agencies to ensure that our cooperative relationship is maintained.
Organizational Unit: Protection and Solutions Unit, UNHCR Multi-Country Office Washington
Duty Station: Washington, D.C.
Position Title/Type: PSU Intern (Individual Case Team-Detention Hotline or Resettlement)
Duration of the Internship: Between 12 weeks and 6 months
Expected Start Date: 1 May 2023 (flexible)
Application Period: 2 March to 2 April 2023
Application Link: https://unhcr.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/details/PSU-Intern_JR2313719
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Answer and respond to individual queries from asylum seekers, refugees, stateless people, and
other persons of concern to UNHCR, primarily through the Detention Hotline, but also through
email, letter and voicemail communication;
• Conduct interviews in Spanish with refugees to obtain basic protection information;
• Conduct Country of Origin and other research to support individual asylum cases;
• Conduct policy research on domestic and regional asylum and stateless procedures;
• Provide counseling on individual resettlement queries from congressional offices, NGOs and
resettlement agencies through writing to UNHCR country offices;
• Observe and report on relevant meetings and conferences with government agencies and various
NGOs working in the field;
• Open and maintain individual case files in UNHCR’s case management data;
• Conduct other projects as needed to further assist persons of concern to UNHCR.
Minimum Qualifications Required:
• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or J.D. degree, either obtained or in-process (assignments
may vary depending on intern’s background).
• Strong interest in the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons, other protected
individuals. stateless individuals, international relations, human rights, or humanitarian response.
• General technological proficiency a plus.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize with minimal supervision. Attention to detail required.
• English language (fluency required); Fluency in Spanish (preferred for IC team, required for
resettlement team); Fluency in French (preferred for the resettlement team). Additional language
skills highly desirable.
Terms of Internship:
• Candidates may apply for both the Individual Case Team or the Resettlement Team internship
position. In their application, candidates can indicate if they have a preference for working with the
Individual Case Team or the Resettlement Team. If no preference is indicated, the candidate will
be considered for both teams. Candidates will be selected to work with only one team.
• UNHCR offers full-time and part-time internships. Interns are responsible for their housing, their
legal stay in the United States, health insurance, and any other related documentation.
• The hiring office will provide interns who do not receive financial support from a third party (e.g.,
the university or government grant) a Food and Local Transportation Allowance (FLTA), calculated
in USD and normally payable in local currency via bank transfer.
• The monthly amount of the Allowance is 70% of the monthly salary of the GS level 3 step 1 for the
Washington, D.C. duty station (which is equal to $2,196 per month for a full-time internship). The
Allowance for part-time internship is prorated. Please also note that the FLTA is not considered as
source of income, and UNHCR will not provide any tax-related documents such as W-2 forms.
• An internship does not create any expectation or entitlement to employment with UNHCR at the
conclusion of the internship.
How to Apply
• To be considered for any one of these positions, candidates must complete their application
through the UNHCR jobs portal.
• All vacancies are posted to UNHCR’s careers portal
(https://unhcr.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/External). Filter by location country and select “United
States.” Select the internship job announcement, and then click “Apply” to complete your
application. If you have never submitted an application via our new career portal, you will be
requested to register as a new user and create an account. Applications will not be accepted by
email. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• UNHCR encourages applications from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of
race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The
agency values diversity, inclusiveness, and gender equity and strives to achieve full adherence to
these principles in its policies and organizational culture. For more information on UNHCR’s
commitment to diversity and inclusion, please see the page at this link.
• For more information on UNHCR’s work, please visit our website.
