Understanding Travel Loans

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides vetted and accepted refugees with transportation to the United States. The cost of transportation, referred to usually as the Travel Loan, is a penalty- and interest-free debt for refugees to pay after their arrival.

Terms

Length: The repayment period varies in length from three to nine years, depending on the amount of debt. Approximately, 90% of all repayments are finished within three to four years.

Repayment: The debt is interest- and penalty-free. Refugees typically begin repaying their loans 6 months after arrival. Learn more about repayment.
 

Promissory Notes

Refugees who accept travel loans are required to sign a promissory note prior to departure, committing themselves to repayment of the debt within a determined period after arrival to the United States. A promissory note is signed by every refugee 18 years and older. This note confirms the refugee’s agreement to make regular monthly payments to the sponsoring agency.

Anatomy of the Promissory Note

The Barcode embeds the following information:

• USRAP Case Number
• Billing Agency code
• Promissory Note Loan Number
• Departure Date
• Promissory Note Loan Amount
• Proflight Number
• Principal Applicant Name (Last Middle First)