By Sharon Lieberman, Lieberman Law, LLC, New York and New Jersey immigration attorney practicing immigration law in all 50 states and worldwide
On May 21, 2026, President Trump signed an Emergency Presidential Determination nearly tripling the number of refugees from South Africa that the United States will admit in Fiscal Year 2026, from 7,500 to a new ceiling of 17,500. The Determination was published on May 27, 2026, as Presidential Determination No. 2026-14. It applies to Afrikaners from South Africa, facing persecution or other humanitarian concerns.
If you are from South Africa, read below to see what this new policy actually does, in plain terms, and where it leaves you.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED
President Trump just raised the number of refugees from South Africa the U.S. will admit using emergency provisions of U.S. immigration law, section 207(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA §207(b)) by more than 10,000 to a new total of 17,500. That is nearly three times the amount originally decided on.
WHY THE SOUTH AFRICAN ADMISSIONS NUMBER WENT UP
The reason is clearly stated: it is due to a recent rise in racially motivated violence by the South African government and by leaders of major political parties in South Africa. On that basis, President Trump determined that an emergency exists now, and decided that bringing in more South Africans (Afrikaners) is justified, that it could not be done under the old 7,500-person limit, and that the current humanitarian crisis meant that the limit had to rise to 17,500.
IF YOU ARE IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
The U.S. government has decided that, due to racially motivated discrimination against certain South Africans, it is in the national interest to urgently admit more South Africans to the U.S. as refugees. If you are an Afrikaner facing persecution or threats on account of racial discrimination, according to the Determination, you may be eligible for refugee status in the U.S.
CAN YOU APPLY FROM INSIDE SOUTH AFRICA?
Yes. This is the unusual part, and it works in your favor.
Normally, a refugee is someone who has already left their home country. You cannot usually ask for refugee status while still living where you were born. This Order changes that for you. It uses a special provision, section 101(a)(42)(B) of the immigration law, to say that Afrikaners from South Africa can be treated as refugees and processed for the United States while still inside South Africa.
So you do not have to flee first. You can be considered for refugee admission into the U.S. from where you are.
I LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA, IS THIS PROGRAM FOR ME?
This program is not open to everyone in South Africa. The 10,000 added places go specifically to Afrikaners from South Africa that are described in a separate, earlier order called Executive Order 14204. That order, from February 7, 2025, points to a specific trigger, the 2024 South African Expropriation Act 13. South African Expropriation Act 13, still in effect, allows the South African government to seize the agricultural property of ethnic minority Afrikaners without paying for it.
The U.S. issued Executive Order 14204 to respond to this South African property confiscation, along with what it claims are South African government policies and rhetoric that incite violence against Afrikaner landowners. The U.S. government views property confiscation by the South African government to be the strongest example of unjust racial discrimination that would allow an Afrikaner to seek refugee status in the U.S.
So, if you are an Afrikaner in South Africa who has faced that kind of discrimination, this refugee pathway to the U.S., often called the Afrikaner refugee program, is built for you. If that does not describe you, this particular order does not open a door for you.
I’M FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND AN AFRIKANER, I BELIEVE I QUALIFY, HOW TO APPLY?
To be eligible, you must meet all five of these conditions:
- You are a South African national.
- You are of Afrikaner ethnicity, or you belong to a racial minority in South Africa.
- You can describe a past personal experience of persecution, or a fear of future persecution, based on your race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
- You are at least 18 years old, or you are being referred together with a parent.
- You are living inside South Africa. The program does not provide for processing South African nationals from outside the country.
You can apply online by following this link: Refugee Admissions Program South Africa.
ONCE I APPLY WHAT HAPPENS?
Submitting the questionnaire does not mean approval.
If you meet all five criteria, the step that puts you in line is the USRAP Online Intake Questionnaire which the U.S. Department of State now uses to consider people for referral into the refugee program.
The Questionnaire has a key part to pay attention to: the Statement about past persecution or fear of future persecution required for every principal applicant (typically the head of the family). This is the basis on which the U.S. state department will decide whether you have a strong claim for persecution and should be fast-tracked for eligibility.
Because so many people have applied, you may wait a long time before you hear anything. Silence is not rejection, and it is not approval. It is the reality of a long queue.
This is exactly why the persecution claim deserves real care before you submit, not after. You want to be as specific, detailed and factual about the persecution you describe.
DOES COMPLETING THE ONLINE FORM GUARANTEE I GET ADMITTED TO THE U.S. UNDER REFUGEE STATUS?
No, and it is important you understand this before you spend money or trust anyone who promises otherwise.
The order makes every admission subject to other rules that are still fully in force:
- You will face the strictest identity verification applied to anyone seeking entry to the United States (Executive Order 14161).
- Refugee entry remains suspended unless the State Department and Homeland Security both decide your admission serves the national interest and does not threaten U.S. security and welfare (Executive Order 14163).
- Your case is handled under the Afrikaner resettlement order itself (Executive Order 14204).
- A separate entry restriction (Proclamation 10998) still applies to certain foreign nationals.
Keep in mind there is still a cap of 17,500. That’s higher than the 7,500 for 2026, but still a cap.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU ARE ADMITTED TO THE U.S. AS A REFUGEE?
For Afrikaners admitted under this program, you will be connected to resettlement agencies or partners of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Once you are in the U.S., after one year (1 year) of physical presence as a refugee, you may be eligible to apply to adjust your status to Legal Permanent Resident, also known as getting a green card, using Form I-485.
With five years of continuous residence after being admitted as a refugee, you should be able to apply for U.S. citizenship.
WHERE TO GET HELP YOU CAN TRUST
I am a U.S. immigration attorney representing immigrants in New Jersey and New York, as well as across all 50 states. The free steps in this process should stay free. Avoid anyone trying to charge you to apply for refugee status. The harder steps such as applying for legal permanent resident status, applying for U.S. citizenship, are where the right legal help protects you and your family and everything you are working toward.
Make sure you only work with an attorney who is licensed in the U.S. and in good standing. You can verify online whether the attorney’s license is active or not by asking for the STATE they are licensed in as well as the BAR ID NUMBER. Only work with licensed attorneys.
If you are an Afrikaner in South Africa with questions about this order or your own situation, reach out.
⚖️ Lieberman Law, LLC
📧 sharon@liebermanlawgroup.com
📞 (551) 209-1906
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. This post is general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it or contacting Lieberman Law, LLC does not create an attorney-client relationship. No attorney-client relationship is formed until you and the firm sign a written agreement. Immigration law and government policy change frequently, and the rules described here may change after this post is published. For advice about your own situation, consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney.
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