unaccompanied refugee/entrant minor (UR/EM)

A designation established in 1978 by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to develop a category of rights and protections for refugee children who come to the United States without parents or guardians. To qualify for the benefits in this status, the individual must be younger than age 18, have no immediate relative in the United States, have legally entered the United States, and otherwise meet the criteria of being a refugee.