Ready to Work & Asylum News

Free Help with English and Job Skills

Ready to Work is a free program for adults who want to improve their English skills and find better-paying jobs. The program consists of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, computer literacy instruction, and case management to help participants build their careers. Classes are offered in three locations in North, South, and West Seattle and are three hours long, four days per week. Ready to Work is administered by the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, which offers many other helpful resources for the Seattle-area immigrant community.

If you’re interested in participating in Ready to Work, call any of the numbers below for more information. Interpreters are available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Somali, and Amharic. 

North Seattle – (206) 782-2050 
Southeast Seattle – (206) 695-7553 or (206) 805-8950 
West Seattle – (206) 588-4901

Asylum News:
On September 11, 2019, the United States Supreme Court allowed President Trump’s asylum ban to go into effect while the issue continues to be litigated in the lower courts. The asylum ban requires that immigrants who intend to seek asylum in the United States must first request protection in a “safe third country” they pass through. For the majority of Central American immigrants, this means that they must seek asylum or similar protection in Mexico, and they may only request asylum in the United States once Mexico denies protection. 

This new asylum rule went into effect on July 16, 2019 – meaning that any Central American immigrant who applied for asylum between July 16 and September 11 is now ineligible for asylum. However, it is possible they may still seek protection under the Convention Against Torture. 

President Trump’s asylum ban is illegal and violates immigration laws written by Congress. For more information, you can read more here. (Story in English)