Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Basic Food Employment and Training

The ORIA BFET program offers culturally and linguistically appropriate employment and training services to refugees and immigrants who receive federal food assistance.

Washington state’s SNAP employment and training program is known as the Basic Food Employment and Training program. The ORIA BFET program offers the same services as the general BFET program to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate employment and training services to refugees and immigrants. ORIA works with the state’s BFET program to help refugees and immigrants who haven’t become naturalized (obtained U.S. citizenship) get the services they need. 


Services 

  • Job search assistance 

  • Job search training 

  • Basic education (computer skills, reading, writing, math, high school equivalency - formerly GED, English as a second language) 

  • Vocational education 

  • Case management 

  • Job retention services 

  • Support services 


Eligibility 

You might be eligible to receive ORIA BFET services if you are: 

  • Age 16 or older 

  • Receiving federal food assistance 

  • A refugee or immigrant

  • Not a U.S. citizen

  • Not receiving TANF or Refugee Cash Assistance


Service providers 

If you are receiving Basic Food benefits and want to enroll in the BFET program, you can contact one of the service providers listed on our interactive resource tool. 

If you are a low-income resident who is not receiving Basic Food benefits, you can apply for this benefit to help with food security and start the process for BFET services. To check if you qualify and apply for these services, you can use the "See if I Qualify" tool on Washington Connection site.