Data

Links to Accurate Information about Immigrants and Refugees

Citizenship/Naturalization

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) 

Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

General Immigration-related Statistics

Immigrants and Racial Equity

Immigrants and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Immigrants and Crime

Immigrants and Use of Public Benefits

Immigrant Integration

Unauthorized/Undocumented Immigrants

Seattle City Council requested that OIRA conduct a study to explore the feasibility of establishing services in the city of Seattle for internationally-educated immigrants and refugees who are seeking professional occupations in the U.S. This 2017 report examines the state of the immigrant and refugee workforce and explores a range of issues including underemployment, the occupational and wage structure of the Seattle-King County workforce, and changing patterns of job mobility.

Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges (2017)

(To download the document, right-click, then select, "Save link as..." and then save to your computer.)

Through an analysis of existing data, community-centered focus groups, and a series of one-on-one interviews, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) commissioned this report titled, "Voices of Seattle's East African Communities." Consultant Aileen Balahadia facilitated this community-driven process with these goals:

  1. To inform and guide OIRA and the City of Seattle in order to better analyze policy and to improve services and support to the city's diverse East African communities.
  2. To inform and guide community-based organizations (CBOs) serving East African individuals in their ability to more efficiently and effectively serve their communities, particularly in today's nonprofit climate.
  3. To educate and inform community, public, and private partners of the current issues and opportunities in East African communities.

The 2016 report serves as a common framework from which both the community and the City of Seattle can work towards collective action. The white paper will inform city departments as they develop unique workplans specific to East African community needs. 

Cover of the East African report.

The entire 78-page report.
Cover of the East African report executive summary.

The 8-page executive
summary of the report.

(To download the documents, right-click, then select, "Save link as..." and then save to your computer.)

This updated data snapshot of Seattle's immigrant and refugee community lists a number of important statistics regarding the city's new arrivals and new Americans.

Icon for the Immigrant and Refugee Data Sheet Snapshot

(To download the data sheet, right-click, then select, "Save link as..." and then save to your computer.)

The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) worked with Latino Decisions in 2016 to develop and launch the Seattle Votes Survey campaign, which anonymously collected civic engagement data from 5,566 immigrant and refugee residents, the first such data for any city in the U.S. and one of the largest data sets in the country. The reports and links to data are below:

Report on the entire dataset:
Seattle Votes Survey Results: Immigrant Civic Engagement in Seattle-King County (2016)

Reports disaggregated by immigrant/refugee community subsets:
Seattle Votes Survey Results: Asian American Community

Seattle Votes Survey Results: East African Community

Seattle Votes Survey Results: Latino Community 
NOTE: As of June 4, 2018, the Latino Community report is revised from the original version. Tania Hino's interview contained incorrect information in the original report.

Seattle Votes Slideshow Presentation:
OIRA Presentation Seattle Votes 2018 FINAL.pdf

(To download any of the above documents, right-click, then select, "Save link as..." and then save to your computer.)

Seattle Votes Survey raw data:
data.seattle.gov/Community/Seattle-Votes-Survey-Data-from-5-224-immigrant-and/y5cf-gy2p

Released in 2015, the City of Seattle Immigrant Voting Task Force Report examined the issues that affect civic and political participation by immigrant communities in the City of Seattle. The City is working to ensure that immigrant residents are part of our vibrant democracy and is using innovative and community-driven ideas to overcome challenges to civic participation. This inclusive approach is highlighted in the creative and practical recommendations developed by the Immigrant Voting Task Force. This report led to the Seattle Votes Campaign, see above.

Immigrant Voting Task Force Report

(To download the document, right-click, then select, "Save link as..." and then save to your computer.)

Immigrant and Refugee Affairs

Hamdi Mohamed, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 1616, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94573, Seattle, WA, 98124
Phone: (206) 727-8515
oira@seattle.gov

Newsletter Updates

Subscribe

Sign up for the latest updates from Immigrant and Refugee Affairs

The mission of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is to improve the lives of Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities by engaging them in decisions about the City of Seattle’s future and improving the City’s programs and services to meet the needs of all constituents.