Terms & Definitions

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Newcomers


“Newcomer” is frequently used as an umbrella term for immigrant students in their first years of U.S. schooling.

Under California education code, newcomers are defined as students who are between the ages of 3 and 21, were not born in a U.S. state, and have not attended schools in the U.S. for more than three full academic years.

The state definition mirrors the federal “immigrant student” definition, and is used for data reporting funding allocation.

Newcomers have a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, legal statuses, home languages, cultural identities, and prior schooling experiences. More than 90% of newcomers are English Learners.

At the local level, districts may use their own criteria in providing services to newcomers. Some districts consider students “newcomers” for more or less than the state standard of three years. Others consider students born in the U.S. who have spent most of their childhood in a foreign country to be newcomers.

Academic Groups

  • An English Learner (EL) is a student who speaks a language other than English at home and has not yet demonstrated academic proficiency in English.

    ELs are identified through a home language survey at enrollment and an initial English language proficiency assessment. Schools are required to provide ELs with daily supplementary English language development (ELD) instruction and to reassess their proficiency on an annual basis.

    The EL population represents a wide spectrum of English proficiency—from students with no English skills to those refining advanced academic language. In California, the majority of ELs are U.S.-born children who speak and understand English but need support in developing academic grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing. By contrast, newcomer students often enter school as non-English speakers and make up only a small portion of the overall EL population.

    ELs are identified through a home language survey at enrollment and an initial English language proficiency assessment. Schools are required to provide ELs with daily supplementary English language development (ELD) instruction and to reassess their proficiency on an annual basis.

    In California, English learners across the language spectrum are often referred to with the term “Multilingual Learners.”

  • Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) have been classified as ELs for six or more years and have not yet demonstrated advanced academic proficiency in English.

    While many LTELs have strong oral English skills, they continue to struggle with the academic language needed for reading complex texts, writing analytically, and mastering subject-specific vocabulary.

    In California, LTELs represent a significant portion of the EL population and are tracked as a distinct subgroup in achievement data. Most are U.S.-born students who have progressed socially and orally in English but continue to need targeted support in advanced literacy and academic English. 

    Since newcomers are students in their first three years in U.S. schools, by definition they cannot be LTELs. However, former newcomers who arrive in elementary school may ultimately join the category if they do not receive adequate support.

  • Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) have experienced disruptions in their schooling prior to enrolling in U.S. schools and are below-grade level in home language literacy.

    This group includes students who may have missed several years of formal education, had inconsistent access to schooling, or attended schools with limited resources or instruction. They may have limited familiarity with U.S. classroom expectations and academic structures. They are likely to benefit from a tailored approach to acculturation, academic skills development, and English language instruction.

    There is no standard state or federal definition for SLIFE. Some states with official definitions use specifiers including student age, time in U.S. schools, and/or number of years behind grade-level in home language literacy.

    For informational purposes, the California Department of Education describes the group as Students in grades four through 12 who have experienced disruptions in their education in their native country and/or the United States, and/or are unfamiliar with the culture of schooling.

  • Students with Adequate Formal Education (SAFE) have received high-quality, consistent schooling prior to enrolling in U.S. schools.

    SAFE arrive with literacy and numeracy skills in their home language, age-appropriate content knowledge, and experience in structured classroom settings. They typically adjust more quickly to U.S. schools because they can draw on a strong academic foundation while acquiring English.

    However, SAFE may still face challenges in language development, cultural adjustment, and navigating new educational systems, and require ELD if they have not tested as initially English proficient.

    SAFE is a far less commonly used term than SLIFE and does not have state or federal definitions. It functions for some practitioners as a useful counterpoint to SLIFE in describing the backgrounds of newcomer students.

Legal Statuses

  • Refugees have been granted permission to immigrate to the U.S. from their country of origin based on past persecution or a fear of future persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

    Refugee is often used as a blanket term to refer to anyone who is escaping their home country, but there is also a strict legal definition. Under international law, a refugee is someone who has fled their home country due to persecution based on their race, religion, nationality and particular social group.

    In the U.S., a refugee is defined as someone who arrives through the U.S. refugee resettlement program. They have applied for protection outside of the United States, undergone security and medical screenings, and are approved for resettlement before they leave their country of origin to travel to the U.S. The President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions each year.

    Once admitted, refugees receive structured support including cultural orientation and short-term financial and medical assistance through federally funded resettlement agencies. Refugees are eligible to work upon arrival, may apply for a Social Security number, and can petition to bring immediate family members.

    After one year in the U.S., refugees are eligible to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident (green card) status.

  • Asylum seekers have fled their home country and are requesting protection within the United States, either at a port of entry (such as a border crossing or airport) or after entering the country.

    Unlike refugees, asylum seekers apply for protection from inside the U.S. or at its borders. Their cases are pending until reviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or the federal immigration courts. They must prove that they have a well founded fear of persecution in their home countries based on their race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership in a particular social group, and that their home government is unwilling or unable to protect them. 

    As their cases progress, asylum seekers may face long waits, limited work authorization, and uncertainty about their legal status. Some live in the community while their cases proceed, while others may be detained or placed under alternative supervision programs. The asylum seeking process can range from months to years, depending on the availability of federal immigration officials.

    If an asylum claim is approved, the individual becomes an asylee.

    • Asylees, California Department of Social Services

    • Asylum, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services

  • Asylees have been granted permission to remain in the U.S. after immigrating without status, having successfully demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country based on their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and political opinion.

    Asylees are protected from being returned to their home country, are authorized to work in the United States, may apply for a Social Security number, may request permission to travel overseas, and can petition to bring family members to the United States. Asylees, like refugees, are eligible for certain federal benefits and services designed to support integration, though access to resources may differ based on state and local programs.

    After one year in the U.S., asylees may apply for Lawful Permanent Resident (green card) status, and eventually for U.S. citizenship.

    • Asylees, California Department of Social Services

    • Asylum, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services

  • Unaccompanied children (UCs) are children who cross the border into the United States under the age of 18, without lawful immigration status, and without a parent or legal guardian accompanying them.

    This group may also be referred to as Unaccompanied Youth, Unaccompanied Minors, or Unaccompanied Alien Children. 

    Immigrant children who come to the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian are classified as “unaccompanied” and, after initial detainment in Customs & border Protection holding facilities, are transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is responsible for the care and custody of unaccompanied children in federal immigration custody.

    ORR is required to  provide shelter, education, and basic care while working to place the child with an appropriate sponsor—most often a parent, relative, or family friend. The majority of unaccompanied children in ORR custody are seeking to join or reunite with family who are already present in the United States.

    Some unaccompanied children request asylum after arriving in the United States, meaning they are both minors and asylum seekers. Some unaccompanied children are eligible for other forms of immigration relief, such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Their cases move through the immigration court system, and outcomes vary depending on legal representation, country conditions, and available forms of relief. UCs often face unique educational, social, and emotional challenges due to trauma, interrupted or limited schooling, family separation, and uncertainty about their legal situation.