Governments establish how they decide a person's legal standing and rights in accordance with their own legal systems regarding refugee status. UNHCR may offer advice as part of its mandate to promote refugee law, protect refugees, and advocate for governments to adopt a rapid, flexible, and liberal process, recognizing how difficult it often is to document persecution. If the responsibility is handed over to UNHCR in the host country, your asylum application will be processed by UNHCR.

Refugee Status Determination (RSD) is a process where people who need international protection are recognized as refugees by the United Nations or a country. It's effectively a decision that says, "Yes, you are a refugee, and you have rights under the law to be safe." RSD helps you get the rights you deserve. It's like a key to open doors to safety and help. Sometimes it's for one person, and sometimes it's for a group of people. The United Nations does RSD in places where governments of certain countries might not be able to do it.