Geographic Area of Chargeability [Immigration] Law and Legal Definition
Geographic area of chargeability refers to regions into which the world is divided for the initial admission of refugees to the U.S. They are: Africa, East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and South Asia, and the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Annual consultations between the Executive Branch and Congress determine the ceiling on the number of refugees who can be admitted to the U.S. from each area.