Sec. 403. Pre-arrival English language and work orientation training for approved refugee applicants
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The Secretary shall establish overseas refugee training programs to offer to refugees described in subsection
(b)optional English-as-a-second-language and work orientation training before departure for the United States. Refugees described in this subsection are refugees who have been— approved for admission to the United States; conditionally approved for admission to the United States; or selected at the discretion of the U.S. Refugee Admission Program. In designing and implementing the programs referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with or enter into a contract with 1 or more nongovernmental or international organizations that has— direct affiliation with the United States refugee resettlement program; and appropriate expertise in developing curriculum and teaching English as a second language. The Secretary shall ensure that training programs under this section— are offered to refugees as strictly optional; occur within applicable processing times; and do not delay or prevent the departure for the United States of any refugee who has been approved for admission to the United States. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that training programs under this section are fully and consistently operational in not fewer than 3 refugee processing regions. Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate committees of Congress that such training programs are fully and consistently operational in not fewer than 5 refugee processing regions. The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the implementation of this section that includes— an assessment of— the quality of English-as-a-second-language curricula and instruction; and the benefits to refugees of the work orientation and English-as-a-second-language training programs; and recommendations on whether such programs should be continued, broadened, or modified. Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings of the study under paragraph (1). Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a refugee to participate in a training program under this section as a precondition for the admission of the refugee to the United States.