Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) is a local non-profit organization that serves the needs of the immigrant community in Columbus as well as elsewhere in Central Ohio. In a larger context, it is an affiliate of Church World Service (although it is not a church), and it works with the US State Department to help resettle refugees.
CRIS is served by about 50 members who speak dozens of different languages.
Refugee resettlement is not all that CRIS does, however — in fact, it provides such a comprehensive range of services to immigrants that it has definitely taken its place as one of Ohio’s most prominent organizations serving this population.
It provides immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers with various assistance including:(but not limited to) parenting classes, occupational training, ESL classes, and health programs.
Organizational History
CRIS’s beginnings were humble. It began as a program offered by the Buddhamamaka (Buddhist Devotees) Society, Inc., an organization which was itself founded in the 1980s by Laotian refugees.
In 1995 the Buddhamamaka established CRIS in order to fill the gap that was opened by the closure of two local refugee resettlement programs.
CRIS grew rapidly and opened its second office in 1999 with the help of the United Way and the Columbus city government. Its affiliation with the Church World Service (CWS) began in 2001. CRIS now maintains three offices in the Columbus area, and many people expect further growth.
Some of the Services Offered by CRIS
Following is a brief overview of some of the refugee, asylee and immigrant-related services offered by CRIS.
The CRIS Refugee Resettlement Program
CRIS maintains an indirect contractual relationship with the US State Department to resettle refugees from all over the world in the Columbus area. In fact, many CRIS staff members who provide resettlement services to refugees are former refugees themselves.
A major portion of the value provided to refugee families by CRIS consists of teaching them necessary survival skills (not limited to English language skills) rather than simply offering handouts.
Employment Classes
The CRIS Employment Services helps refugees prepare for participation in the local workforce so that they can eventually become self-sufficient. CRIS offers daily classes on various aspects of American culture, especially as it relates to the workplace.
Since the language of instruction is English, these classes also function indirectly as ESL classes. Some of the topics include:
- Corporate culture: Dress, communication, etc.;
- Child care skills;
- Financial management;
- Goal setting, especially as it relates to career management; and
- The job search (how to fill out a job application, how to interview, etc.)
Individual employment counseling
CRIS maintains employment counselors who work with individuals on a one-on-one basis to make sure they achieve their goals by applying what they learned in class to the outside world.
CRIS’s employment counselors assist their clients with writing job applications, preparing for interviews, arranging child care services and transportation, and providing various other forms of support.
ESL Classes
Formal English language training classes are held daily. In these classes, unlike other classes offered to refugees by CRIS, learning the English language itself is the primary goal of instruction) in the form of ESOL (English to Speakers of Other languages) classes. Real money online gambling is gaining popularity among Australian players. In this case you should remember a few essential factors like staying secure and bankroll management. Experts at Casinomech.com made a list of the top Australian real money casinos after examining their certificates, deposit methods, and games providers.
Contact
CRIS’s administrative offices are open Monday to Friday during business hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm). Walk-ins are welcome — normally, no appointment is necessary. Its main office is located at 1925 East Dublin-Granville Road, Suite 102, Columbus, Ohio 43229, and its telephone number is (614) 235-5747.
Contact your immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio should you have any questions and read more information about immigration in Columbus now.
Although not every college and university in Ohio have established a special office dedicated to serving international students, many have done so. The following are descriptions of the activities of the international student offices at some of those universities.
Ohio State University
The total faculty and staff at The Ohio State University numbers over 65,000, making it the largest university in the US in terms of population on a single campus.
The university hosts over 6,000 international students and The Ohio State University Office of International Affairs is responsible for assisting this community. If you are an international student at The Ohio State University, the Office of International Affairs’ job is to make you feel at home.
In addition to serving international students, the Office of International Affairs serves the wider student community (including international students) by developing study abroad and international exchange programs, and by offering grants and scholarships for research abroad.
The Office of International Affairs has even begun opening offices abroad.
Capital University
About 100 international students from around two dozen countries are enrolled at Capital University. The Capital University Center for Global Education advises and assists these students in adjusting to the US and campus life.
The Center for Global Education is also responsible for developing study abroad programs for both US and international students, and for organizing international exchange events, and it arranges for the transfer of faculty between Capital and universities located overseas.
The office is open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. You can also meet with our staff for a special appointment if you make arrangements in advance.
Franklin University
Franklin University hosted about 300 international students from over 70 countries. It serves its international students through the Franklin University Office of International Students and Programs (OISP).
“International students” includes (i) students whose presence in the US is based on a non-immigrant visa such as an F visa (ii) online international students, and (iii) any student who takes part in one of the OISP’s international cooperation programs. The OISP also helps prospective students navigate the admissions process.
Franklin University highly values its international students because they provide a unique perspective. As an international student at Franklin University, you will also be exposed to a unique perspective — most of the American students hold full-time jobs and squeeze in classes when they can.
Ashland University
Ashland University hoists several hundred international students from about 30 different countries. Its International Student Services (ISS) publishes an International Student Guidebook that touches on just about every major topic that is of special concern to international students including bank accounts, health insurance, and apartment leases, among other topics.
Columbus State Community College offers International Student Services (ISS) to its international, DACA, and immigrant students. It also issues a periodic International Student Newsletter for its relatively small international student community.
Columbus State Community College’s international student services aim to preserve a supportive and healthy environment for its international community, as well as to provide vital support services such as admissions advice.
Devry University Columbus
Devry University, a national university with one of its campuses located in Columbia, offers its Devry University Columbus International Student Programs deal with the needs of international students.
Ohio universities located outside of Columbus that offer International Student Services include the following institutions, among others:
Contact your immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio should you have any questions and read more information about immigration in Columbus now.
Columbus enjoys the distinction of hosting over 20,000 Bhutanese-Nepali refugees, the largest such population of any US city. The majority of these refugees are members of a minority ethnic group, the Lhotshampa, that originated in Nepal. These people moved to Bhutan long ago, but in 1990 the Bhutanese government expelled the Lhotshampa people from Bhutan in retaliation for the participation of some of them in pro-democracy protests.
Many of the Lhotshampa people fled to Nepal, where they were trapped — they could neither obtain Nepalese citizenship nor return to Bhutan. Instead, they spent years or even decades in refugee camps in Nepal. Some of these individuals were granted refugee status and migrated to the United States, eventually settling in Columbus.
Special Characteristics of the Columbus Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Community
Despite their refugee status in the US, many Bhutanese-Nepali is highly educated people who worked in white-collar occupations before they were expelled from Bhutan. They tend to maintain large households, averaging about 8 people, which includes members of their extended family such as grandparents. The community itself is far from monolithic — it includes various different religions, languages, and subcultures.
The Columbus Bhutanese-Nepali community looks to continue growing in the future, both for economic reasons and out of sheer momentum. Columbus is increasingly attractive to Bhutanese-Nepali refugees because of the large pre-existing Bhutanese-Nepali community, which provides a strong social support system that often includes members of the immigrant’s own extended family. Another driver of immigration is an emerging economic opportunity.
Support Group: Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO)
The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) was founded in 2009 as a Columbus area 501(c)(3) organization (the same tax designation that covers churches and charities). The BCCO’s mission is to help Bhutanese-Nepali refugees adjust to life in Columbus. The BCCO offers resettlement assistance to recent Bhutanese-Nepali refugees as well as a limited number of Lhotshampa refugees who fled to Pakistan instead of Nepal after expulsion from Bhutan.
The BCCO aims to build bridges between the Bhutanese-Nepali community and other communities through cultural exchange activities, language skills training, and other means. At the same time, full assimilation is not its goal — instead, the BCCO seeks to preserve the community’s original languages, cultural values, and traditions.
Obstacles Facing Bhutanese/Nepali Refugees in Columbus
Many unusual obstacles face the Bhutanese-Nepali community in Columbus. Those who spent the longest in refugee camps often face mental health issues such as PTSD, for example. Although many of the community members were highly educated when they were expelled from Bhutan, since the community did not have access to good schooling in the refugee camps, some of the younger members of the community face educational obstacles as well. Online gambling for real money is very popular among Indian citizens. In this case gamblers ought to know several crucial factors like safety and money management. Professional casino experts made a list of the best online gambling sites for real money by examining their bonuses and promotions, deposit and withdrawal options, and games.
Another obstacle faced by these refugees is the increasingly anti-immigration climate washing over the nation in response to Trump administration initiatives. This climate has resulted in some community members being ostracized and discriminated against. This kind of treatment tends to bind immigrant communities ever more tightly together, which only strengthens the invisible walls that separate the refugee community from the wider Columbus community.
Hope for the Future: The Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee Entrepreneurship Boom in Columbus
The Bhutanese-Nepali community and other Columbus immigrant communities such as the Somali community have experienced an economic boom over the last few years, especially in the Northland area. The rate of entrepreneurship is extremely high, and some of the refugees possess strong business skills that were honed in the harsh environments of Nepalese refugee camps. The economic vitality is building hope out of what once was an uncertain future.
Contact your immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio should you have any questions and read more information about immigration in Columbus now.
The City of Columbus offers many fine options when it comes to immigration attorneys. Before reading this article, here you can read about how to choose a good lawyer. And Below please find a rank-ordered list of the Top 10 Columbus immigration attorneys.
Immigration Attorneys in Columbus
Richard Thomas Herman
Richard Thomas Herman is the founder of Herman Legal Group, an award-winning immigration law firm that is widely recognized as the best in Ohio. The firm garnered national recognition as well when it was designated “Best Law Firm” in the immigration law category by the U.S. News & World Report. Richard himself has published extensively in media outlets such as The Huffington Post.
Herman Legal Group offers legal consultations. The attorneys of Herman Legal Group represent clients throughout the nation and even overseas from offices in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, and Canada.
Fatin Askar
Fatin Askar Ms. Askar earned her law degree from Capital Law School in Columbus in 1998, and her business degree (with honors) from Youngstown State University. She has practiced immigration law for over a decade now, focusing on issues such as deportation/removal proceedings. In addition to working with the USCIS and the Ohio Immigration Court in Cleveland, Ms. Askar has appealed cases to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bano Mohammad-Itayim
Bano Mohammad-Itayim is an immigrant himself who understands the challenges of the immigration process through first-hand experience. His practice is devoted primarily to (i) preparing family-based green card petitions, (ii) fighting deportation in immigration court, and (ii) asylum matters.
Payam Yazdani
Payam Yazdani Paym’s practice is all immigration law and only immigration law. He provides a broad range of immigration law services including employment-based immigration, family-based immigration, and deportation/removal litigation. We litigate immigration cases in court and provide assistance to employees, employers, and individuals.
Cynthia Vivekandam
Cynthia Vivekandam obtained her law degree from the well-respected DePaul University College of Law. As a student, she served as a Public Interest Scholar focusing on immigration and public interest law. Since her husband is a citizen of India who immigrated to the US, she has family on both sides of the world. Her immigration practice includes (but is not limited to) deportation. removal defense, asylum, family-based immigration, adjustment of status, waivers of inadmissibility, U visas for crime victims, VAWA petitions, etc.
Roxi Liming
Roxi Liming: Ms. Liming’s law practice is focused on both immigration and labor/employment law. She advises individuals and SMEs on legal issues and represents clients all over the world. She assists businesses with work authorization documents for their employees as well as E1/E2, H-1B, J-1, K-1, K-3, L-1A/1B, O, P, and R petitions.
Erin Brown
Erin Brown is a Columbus Ohio Immigration lawyer who thoroughly understands immigration law. She frequently deals with the adjustment of status cases, naturalization and citizenship issues, and complications related to registry, documentary requirements, and consular processing, among other services. She attended Cleveland Marshall College of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor (law degree) and won the CALI Award for Excellence in Business Immigration Law.
Kimberly Harrison-Donaldson
Kimberly Harrison-Donaldson has been a member of the Ohio State Bar since 2003. Kimberly holds both a Juris Doctor (law) and an MBA degree from The Ohio State University. She has helped hundreds of immigrants obtain employment-based visas, family-based visas, green cards, and citizenship.
Aleksandar Cuic
Aleksandar Cuic received his Juris Doctor (law) degree from the Cleveland Marshall School of Law and has been admitted to practice law by the Ohio State Bar. He also earned an MBA from Cleveland State University. Aleksandar focuses on litigation matters such as removal/deportation defense. He also frequently handles family-based immigration matters including immigrant visas, consular processing, and naturalization, and citizenship.
Jane Lee
Jane Lee advises her immigration clients on employment and family-based immigration issues. Ms. Lee is a native of Taiwan who immigrated to the US together with her family in 1988. She is fluent in Mandarin-Chinese. Jane holds a Juris Doctor (law) degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and has been admitted to practice law by the Ohio Bar Association.
The Northland area of Columbus, Ohio is composed of about 25 individual neighborhoods bounded by Cleveland Avenue, Karl Road, Busch Boulevard, Dublin-Granville Road and Morse Road.
For a long time now the area has been known as an economically struggling area. That perception, as well as the reality behind it, has started to change in recent years as Columbus’s immigrant entrepreneurs revitalize the area.
Times Past: The Decline and Fall of the Northland Area
The Northland area was a boomtown in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s — the 25 square mile zone was a popular shopping and dining destination. Its centerpiece, the Northland Mall on Morse Road, was a popular open-air shopping center in the 1960s that became a mall in 1975 when the entire area was enclosed.
Northland remained popular until the late 1990s when catastrophe struck in the form of a one-two-three combination that floored the Northland Mall. The first blow was the opening of The Mall at Turtle Crossing in 1997. The second blow was the opening of the Easton Town Center in 1999. The death blow was the opening of Polaris Fashion Place in 2001.
The Mall Falls
With shoppers heading elsewhere, Lazarus, Sears, and JCPenney all abandoned the Northland Mall. When it finally closed in 2002, it took almost the entire Northland economy with it. Northland became a place to avoid — a ghost town of high crime and boarded-up storefronts.
Only a few small businesses dared to remain in the area, a disproportionate percentage of which were immigrant- or refugee-owned. Click here to see the roller-coaster history of the Northland Mall in photographs.
The City Steps In – and Out
Afraid that the area would soon become a dystopian no-man’s land where even the police feared to tread, the City of Columbus tried to help. Grants were distributed, tax incentives were instituted, and special commissions were created.
None of this assistance made any decisive difference. Nevertheless, Northland’s economy continued to sputter along, due mainly to the efforts of immigrant entrepreneurs.
Revitalization
Even as the Northland Mall was closing, immigrants and refugees were opening up small shops and restaurants along Morse Road. A group of Somali refugees opened up the Global Mall only 5 blocks away from the old mall site. It was these developments that provided the Northland area with its economic lifeline during its darkest days. Over the past few years, however, Northland’s recovery has been picking up steam.
The Contribution of the Local Refugee Community
A lot of Northland’s growing economic vitality can be attributed to the entrepreneurial energy provided by the local refugee community.
The Columbus refugee community is large and diverse, with thousands of Somalians sharing the city with the nation’s largest group of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees. Many shop owners have spent years in refugee camps overseas, where they opened in-camp shops and built strong business skills.
If you want to witness the local source of this economic energy, visit the Jubba Value Center Mall, for example, where numerous Somali entrepreneurs have opened up thriving shops.
Keep in mind that almost all of the new prosperity that you will see in Northland these days was built by independent-minded refugees, who relied on their own skills rather than on government aid.
Enter “Elevate Northland”
By 2018, the rest of Columbus was taking notice of Northland’s immigrant-driven economic miracle, and outside help started coming in again Elevate Northland, a community development corporation, was formed that year to open doors to public and private funding.
Traditionally, community development corporations have been used to solve housing problems. Elevate Northland, however, is dedicated to developing small businesses and sparking tourism.
The vision of Elevate Northland, as well as of many of the immigrant entrepreneurs that power the area’s economy, is to help turn Northland into an international district so that ethnic restaurants and shops located there will draw tourists (and money) from elsewhere in Cleveland as well as out of town.
The Results — So Far
The statistics are unequivocal — citywide, immigrant entrepreneurship rose by 41.5 percent between 2007 and 2012 alone, just as the Northland revival was picking up steam. By contrast, native-born entrepreneurship declined by about 1.2 percent during the same period. Since then, immigrant entrepreneurship continues to greatly outpace native-born entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, the refugee community alone (not including other immigrants) has opened over 900 businesses in Columbus, which businesses collectively employ over 20,000 people.
Who would have thought that business skills homed in the harsh refugee camps of Bhutan and Nepal would redound to the economic and cultural benefit of the people of Columbus, Ohio? Although only time will tell how far the miracle will go, the reasons for optimism are piling up.
Contact your immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio should you have any questions and read more information about immigration in Columbus now.
Following is a small sample of some of the nonprofit organizations in the Columbus area that are dedicated to assist immigrants, refugees and asylees:
Avanza Together
Avanza Together helps fight deportation proceedings against immigrants with no criminal record, with a particularly strong emphasis on preventing families from being torn apart through deportation.
It employs an advocate to help families navigate their way through deportation/removal proceedings by helping with transportation, offering interpretation services, advocating on behalf of these families, and providing social service resource referrals. Other services provided by Avanza Together include:
- Raising legal defense funds;
- Offering seminars that advise immigrants of their legal rights; and
- Organizing community-building opportunities among the Columbus immigrant community
The Columbus Literacy Council (CLC)
The Columbus Literacy Council (CLC) Many, if not most immigrants arrive in Columbus with only a rudimentary or even a non-existent knowledge of the English language. Even Spanish is not spoken or used as often in Columbus as it is in many other cities of the same size or larger.
The CLC offers free literacy classes for adults including English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses, citizenship courses (because a rudimentary knowledge of English is required for citizenship and even Spanish classes.
Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS)
Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2000 and originally dedicated to serving Ethiopian immigrants. It now assists immigrants from dozens of countries with a variety of matters that frequently challenge new arrivals to Columbus.
ETSS programs assist with integration into the wider Columbus immigrant community and provide services such as:
- Education assistance and academic skills training;
- After-school tutoring;
- Job training and placement;
- health care referrals (including mental health);
- Family matters;
- ESL training;
Staff members speak over 30 languages, and ETSS maintains over a dozen locations throughout the Columbus area.
Fugees Academy Columbus
Fugees Academy Columbus is a private, non-profit academy that provides full-time schooling for refugee children from 6th grade to 12th grade.
It was founded by Luma Mufleh, the daughter of Syrian refugees. All Fugees Academy students are refugees — in fact, it is the only school in the United States that can make this boast. The school maintains campuses in Columbus, Cleveland, and Clarkston, Georgia (near Atlanta).
Tuition is free of charge, and the results have been spectacular — a 100 percent college enrollment rate so far.
Fugees Academy has also won a Renewal Award, given out by the Renewal Project to only 10 schools out of 3,000 candidates. Additionally, since Fugees Academy started out as an after-school soccer program in 2006, and it still maintains a strong emphasis on athletics.
Muslim Family Services (MFS) of Ohio
Muslim Family Services (MFS) of Ohio serves the various needs of Columbus’s Muslim immigrant community. Its stated mission is to “empower families to lead self-sufficient and self-fulfilling lives…” It is to this end that MFS directs the wide variety of services that it offers.
MFS provides the following services, among others:
- Financial assistance with basic needs;
- Mediation and conflict resolution;
- Resettlement support;
- Assistance with document preparation, including immigration-related documents;
- English language training;
- Job skills training;
- Funeral services; and
- Various other services.
The Bridge
The Bridge is dedicated to serving the needs of refugees and homeless people. Their services include:
- Preparation for naturalization and citizenship;
- Tutoring grades 2 to 12;
- Hosting a food pantry and a soup kitchen;
- Sponsoring a free legal clinic;
- Hosting recovery groups; and
- Other activities
Contact your immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio should you have any questions and read more information about immigration in Columbus now.
Arguably, Columbus’s first wave of “African immigration” was a domestic migration from the South during the Great Migration beginning in about 1900, when millions of African-Americans moved north and west to escape bleak economic prospects and racial segregation in the South.
Nowadays, however, Columbus is experiencing a second wave of immigration — this time directly from Africa.
The number of sub-saharan Africans living in Columbus is rising rapidly. Columbus hosts the nation’s second-largest population of refugees from Somalia, for example, as well as large populations of immigrants and refugees from Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Liberia, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Ohio hosts over 100,000 sub-saharan African immigrants, while the sub-saharan African community in Columbus numbers in the tens of thousands.
Columbus’s African Immigrant Population and the 2020 Census
The US conducts a nationwide census every 10 years, and one is being held in 2020. The results matter, because population distribution determines the allocation of over $1.5 trillion in federal government benefits. As such, groups and cities that are undercounted could miss out on benefits that otherwise would have been theirs.
The problem with the African immigrant community is that many of its members are undocumented and, understandably, fear they will be deported if they reveal their names and address in the census. In fact, the census is not used to determine whether someone’s presence in the US is illegal.
The reason why, of course, is that to do so would encourage undocumented immigrants to hide from the census, thereby defeating its purpose.
The Columbus Mayor’s Office is orchestrating an effort to encourage vulnerable groups, including undocumented African immigrants, to participate in the census. Actions taken by the Trump administration in the past, however, including targeting many local Mauritians for deportation, have made it difficult for government officials to win back the trust of the African immigrant community.
The Ohio Government’s New African Immigrants Commission
New African Immigrants Commission (NAIC), a division of the Ohio state government, was formed in 2008 but only became active in 2017 when six commissioners from the Ohio African immigrant community were appointed.
A full NAIC commission numbers 11, and the final 4 members were not appointed until 2018. All members of the commission are required to be of sub-Saharan African origin, and they must be either US citizens or green cardholders.
The NAIC supports the development of policies and programs that meet the needs of African immigrants in Ohio, and it advocates on their behalf. According to the Ohio statute that created this organization, some of its duties and powers include:
- Collecting and distributing information;
- Conducting hearings, conferences, investigations, and studies on problems facing the sub-Saharan African community in Ohio; and
- Receiving grants and gifts from public and private sources.
Somali Group Takes Matters into Its Own Hands
Tired of the Ohio state government’s foot-dragging on actually appointing members to the NAIC, in 2017 a group of Somalis formed SomaliCAN, an advocacy group headquartered in Columbus.
Although SomaliCAN is somewhat focused on immigrants from Somalia, it makes a point of not limiting its mission to this group — instead, it advocates for all immigrants. Its activities have declined since the NAIC has become active.
Contact your immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio should you have any questions and read more information about immigration in Columbus now.
Introduction
As the 14th largest city in the United States, you would expect the Columbus immigration scene to be vibrant and full of life.
And it is, with over 150,000 people, or about 8 percent of the total population of Columbus, having been born overseas. Ultimately, of course, nearly all Columbus residents can trace their ancestry back to an immigrant.
Columbus, Ohio is one of those rare midwest success stories, a “Rust Belt” town that avoided the industrial decline of almost all of its neighbors. Much of that has to do with its robust population growth compared to other Rust Belt cities that are losing population. Immigrants power Cleveland’s population growth — over 80 percent of its new residents are foreign-born.
Columbus Immigration: Contributions of Immigrants to the Local Economy
Contrary to the rhetoric of many politicians, immigrants more than “pull their weight”, in the US as a whole and in Columbus in particular. Some of the more revealing facts about the immigrant contribution to the Columbus economy are listed below:
- Immigrant-led households earn over $4 billion every year, most of which is spent in Columbus.
- Immigrant-led households possess over $3 billion in available spending power.
- Immigrants pay nearly $400 million every year in state and local taxes.
- Immigrants pay about $800 million every year in federal taxes.
- Normally, about 70 percent of Columbus immigrants participate in the labor force — greater than the participation rate of native-born citizens.
Columbus Immigration: A History
Before the US Civil War (1860-1865), most immigrants to Columbus were from northern and western Europe, with German immigrants being the first to settle in what is now the South Side of Columbus.
Columbus Immigration After the Civil War
After the Civil War, however, the demographics of Columbus began to change. The most pronounced demographic change was internal — many blacks from the South came to settle in Columbus during what is now known as the Great Migration.
Starting about the time of the Great Migration and continuing into the late 19th century came a new wave of immigrants, mostly from eastern and southern European countries such as Italy, Greece, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Poland.
Many of these immigrants were culturally distinct from the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) mainstream that had comprised previous waves of Columbus immigration.
20th Century Columbus Immigration
Like many of the earliest immigrants to the US, many Columbus immigrants during the early 20th century came to escape religious persecution in their homelands. Unlike earlier immigrants, however, they tended to be Catholic or Jewish.
In the late 19th century, the “melting pot” idea prevailed — immigrants were expected to give up their former language and customs (not necessarily their religion) to become Americans.
By the dawn of the 20th century, the melting pot idea was beginning to lose traction. During this process, many immigrants came to see themselves as bicultural — Polish-Americans, Irish-Americans, etc.
These immigrants retained the cultural practices of the Old Country (and taught them to their children) while learning English and identifying as Americans at the same time.
Immigrants began to greatly value contact with immigrants from the same country, and ethnic enclaves populated primarily by particular ethnic groups began to multiply and expand.
Large and influential numbers of Hungarian and Jewish immigrants played particularly influential roles in building Columbus as it exists today.
Late 20th century and early 21st century Columbus Immigration
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 dismantled many racist and nationality-based restrictions on immigration and thereby made visas available to a wider variety of people.
After this statute revolutionized immigration law, Ohio began to see a much wider variety of immigrants. This transition mirrored the national trend. Today, immigrants from at least 143 different countries call Columbus home.
Snapshot: Current Statistics for Columbus Immigration
According to the George Mason Institute for Immigration Research:
- Most immigrants to Columbus are relatively new, with 60 percent having arrived since 2000 (compared with 40 percent for the US as a whole). Most have already obtained green card immigration status or citizenship — only a few are still in the process of seeking permanent residence.
- Columbus’s foreign-born population, approximately 8 percent of the total population, is significantly smaller than the foreign-born population of the US as a whole, which is about 13 percent and rising rapidly.
- The unemployment rate among local immigrants is only 6 percent, slightly lower than the average for Columbus residents as a whole.
- The top five birth countries among Columbus’s foreign-born population are India (13 percent), Mexico (11 percent), China (6 percent), Somalia (6 percent); and Ghana (4 percent).
- The percentage of Columbus’s foreign-born population who were born in Mexico (11 percent of all immigrants) is far lower than the Mexico-born immigrant population of the rest of the US as a whole (27 percent of all immigrants). The percentage of immigrants born in India (13 percent) is far higher than the percentage of Indian immigrants in the rest of the US (5 percent).
- Nearly 20 percent of local immigrant adults aged 25 and older possess an advanced degree (a master’s, doctoral or professional degree), and over 40 percent possess at least a bachelor’s degree. Columbus immigrants tend to be significantly more educated than immigrants to the rest of the United States as a whole.
The Columbus, Ohio City Hall
The address of the Columbus, Ohio City Hall is 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215. The Mayor’s Office is located in City Hall and can be reached by telephone at (+1 )(614)645-7671.
Columbus Immigration Facilities
The Columbus, Ohio USCIS Field Office
The USCIS maintains a Columbus Field Office at 395 E. Broad Street, Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43215. The USCIS also maintains an Application Support Center for fingerprinting and certain other activities) at 50 W. Broad St., Leveque Tower, Suite 650, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Green card applications cannot be turned in to this facility.
Immigration Court
There is no immigration court in Columbus. The only immigration court available in Ohio is located in Cleveland.
ICE Offices
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) maintains no field offices in Columbus or any of its suburbs.
ICE Immigration Detention Centers
Immigration detention centers hold immigrants who are suspected of violating US immigration law (such as illegal entry to the United States) or who are awaiting removal/deportation proceedings. ICE maintains no immigrant detention centers in Columbus; however, immigration detention centers located in the state include:
Butler County Correctional Complex
Address: 705 Hanover Street, Hamilton, OH, 45011
Morrow County Correctional Facility
Address: 101 Home Road, Mt. Gilead, OH 43338
Bedford Heights City Jail
Address: 5661 Perkins Road, Bedford Heights, OH, 44146
Seneca County Jail
Address: 3040 S. State Route 100, Tiffin, OH 44883
Geauga County Safety Center
Address: 12450 Merritt Road, Chardon, OH, 44024
Strictly speaking, none of these facilities are ICE facilities — they are local correctional facilities with which ICE has established contractual relationships to house immigrants.
Foreign Consulates in Columbus
A consulate functions as a regional embassy of a foreign country where you can, for example, renew your passport. As a second- or third-tier US city by population, Columbus hosts only one foreign consulate — the Honorary Consulate of Austria, located in the Daimler Building at 1533 Lake Shore Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43204.
The closest place where you are likely to be able to contact your home country’s consulate is Chicago, which hosts dozens of consulates.
Nonprofit Immigrant Assistance Groups in Columbus
Columbus hosts a great variety of public and private organizations that serve immigrants, including the following:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Immigrant Health Toolkit provides information concerning the health of immigrant children including clinical care, access to resources, legal assistance, and more.
Avanza Together helps immigrants who are at risk of removal/deportation. It places particular emphasis on keeping families together and on providing important community information to immigrants.
City of Columbus New American Initiative is designed to help immigrants and refugees obtain information about, and access to, local benefits and programs offered by the city of Columbus, regardless of their immigration status.
Columbus Literacy Council (CLC) Many immigrants arrive in Columbus with little or no knowledge of English, no local contacts, and no information about benefits that are available to them. The CLC offers free adult education literacy programs and GED preparation classes, as well as vocational assistance.
Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) provides immigrants, refugees, and asylees with a variety of services including resettlement assistance, parenting classes, job training, English language classes, health programs, and immigration information, among other programs.
Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS) provides programs dedicated to English language skills, job training, job placement, academic skills training, after-school tutoring, and family support. Click here for a list of locations in Columbus.
Franklin County Department of Job & Family Services (JFS) provides information about certain public assistance programs such as food assistance, medical care, job training, child care assistance, and emergency assistance.
Fugees Academy Columbus is a formal school that is dedicated exclusively to refugees 11 years of age and older. It provides its students with educational and athletic opportunities, as well as hope and self-confidence.
LSS 211 Central Ohio (formerly known as HandsOn Central Ohio) is an information and referral service that connects needy Columbus immigrants with available government and community resources. Someone is available 24/7.
Muslim Family Services (MFS) of Ohio is a social agency that assists Columbus’s Muslim community. It provides information as well as referrals to programs that can meet basic economic needs, immigration information, assistance with document preparation, English language classes, and many more programs.
Noor Islamic Cultural Center (NICC) hosts various activities geared toward the Columbus Muslim community as well as the wider immigrant community. It offers certain forms of information, financial assistance, health services, and more.
Office of Opportunities for New Americans helps immigrants assimilate into American society by offering employment listings, ESL classes, and various forms of education and training.
Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS) Ohio Refugee Services Program is aimed at refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian immigrants, and victims of human trafficking. The program coordinates federal funding for various food, medical and social service assistance programs.
Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) offers new, low-income refugees medical coverage under certain circumstances where they are ineligible for other programs such as Medicaid.
The Bridge offers adult English language, citizenship, and GED prep classes, as well as tutoring for school-age children. Also offers a soup kitchen and a free legal clinic.
US Together Columbus Office offers refugee resettlement services such as ESL and other classes, financial assistance, employment assistance, interpreting, and other services.
Vineyard Community Center offers an early childhood center, after-school and summer programs for children, free health care and legal services, ESL and GED prep courses, career assistance, and many other programs and services.
Diverse Religious Institutions and Houses of Worship in Columbus, Ohio
There are nearly 2,000 religious organizations in the greater Columbus Ohio metro area, not all of which could be classified as houses of worship. Although most of these organizations identify as Christian, Columbus hosts religious organizations representing every major world religion and more.
Following is a list that represents some of this religious diversity:
- Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple & Cultural Center of Ohio
- Columbus KTC Buddhist Center
- Guru Nanak Religious Society (Sikh Temple)
- Beth Jacob Synagogue
- Catholic Diocese of Columbus
- Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
- St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church
Ethnic Festival: The Ohio Chinese Lantern Festival
The Ohio Chinese Lantern Festival is probably the most prominent ethnic festival held in Columbus. Although canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis, this folk culture festival is normally held at the Natural Resources Park at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds.
The attractions of the Ohio Chinese Lantern Festival include breathtaking light sculptures, professional acrobatic performances, a Chinese marketplace, art and handicrafts, various Chinese cultural performances, and a delicious selection of food and beverages.
Offices of International Student Affairs for Major Columbus Universities
Columbus is home to a number of institutes of higher education, many of which include a significant international student population. The international student offices listed below exist to serve their respective international student populations.
- The Ohio State University Office of International Affairs
- Franklin University Office of International Students
- Ashland University International Student Services
- Capital University Office of International Education
- Columbus State Community College
- Otterbein University
- Devry University of Columbus International Student Programs
Ethnic Grocery Stores in Columbus
Columbus can boast of dozens of ethnic grocery stores. Following is some information about a few of them:
- Saraga International Grocery, 1265 Morse Rd: A wide selection of foods and spices from all over the world.
- Luc’s Asian Market Groceries, 3275 Sullivant Ave: Thai, Filipino and Vietnamese food.
- Asian Groceries & Sea Food Market, 3581 Refugee Rd: Supermarket, Asian restaurant, and smoothie and juice bar.
- International Market Foods, 3120 Olentangy River Rd.: the Indian grocery store.
- Berekum African Market, 1977 Morse Rd.: African supermarket with meats, condiments, snacks, drinks, etc.
- La Mega Michoacana, 2175 Morse Rd: a Latino grocery store with a wide selection of fresh produce.
- Nellai Marts (Bombay Bazaar), 58 Dillmont Dr.: Indian grocery with a wide selection of items.
- Carfagna’s, 1405 E Dublin Granville Rd.: Italian grocery selling meats, fish, prepared foods, and specialty items.
- La Michoacana, 5445 Bethel Sawmill Center: Mexican and Latin American groceries.
- Sunrise Asian Supermarket, 1841 W Henderson Rd: Asian grocery with raw fish, poultry, beef, fresh vegetables, herbs, rice, noodles, etc.
The Columbus Sister Cities Program
The Columbus Sister Cities Program is a non-profit cultural initiative that forms bonds between Columbus and other cities throughout the world. Sister cities cooperate with each other in cultural, artistic, educational, governmental, informational, and commercial programs. Currently, Columbus maintains 10 sister city relationships:
- Accra, Ghana
- Ahmedabad, India
- Curitiba, Brazil
- Dresden, Germany
- Genoa, Italy
- Hefei, China
- Herzliya, Israel
- Odense, Denmark
- Seville, Spain
- Tainan City, Taiwan
Things to See and Do in Columbus
Columbus offers a wide variety of interesting and refreshing options for your leisure time, whether you prefer daytime activities or nightlife. Some of the highlights are listed below:
- German Village and the Brewery District is a quaint pedestrian district just south of downtown. It is filled with shops, brick houses, restaurants and — you guessed it — breweries. Tourists and locals alike find the area’s charm mesmerizing.
- The Short North Arts District is a neighborhood located directly north of downtown that is filled with art galleries, theaters, boutiques, hip bars, and restaurants. Like the German Village, the area is best explored on foot.
- Once an ethnic enclave of its own, Italian Village is a burgeoning nightlife zone filled with craft beer breweries, live houses, pubs, bakery-cafes, and pizzerias.
- Inniswood Metro Gardens offers more than 100 acres of forest trails and streams to explore.
- Indian Run Falls, located in the Columbus suburb of Dublin, is a natural gorge with hiking trails, scenic observation platforms, and a bridge over a waterfall.
- If you need more space, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park offers more than 7,000 acres of forest, prairies, and wetlands for you to explore.
- Watch the nationally-renowned Ohio State Buckeyes pulverize an opponent on the football field during football season (autumn).
- Visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to hand-feed a giraffe or view some of the other 9,000 animals representing 650 species from every corner of the planet, even beneath the waves.
Time is Precious — Take Action Now
The Herman Legal Group represents clients who need services related to immigration law in OH as well as throughout the United States and even overseas. Our immigration attorneys and staff speak over a dozen languages, and we have been helping immigrants for more than a quarter of a century now. Herman Legal Group is well-known as the preeminent OH immigration law firm.
Contact us 24/7 by calling us at +1-216-696-6170 or (+1)(614) 300-1131, by filling out our information form online, or by dropping in at our Columbus office located at 6660 North High Street, Suite 3E, Worthington, Ohio 43085, so that we can schedule you a consultation. Quite simply, we are the best immigration lawyers in Columbus, Ohio.