Standards & Guidelines
The Oregon State Bar has adopted standards and guidelines that delineate a set of benchmarks or measures for immigration practitioners and the organizations that employ them, as well as a non-exhaustive enumeration of examples of how one might go about complying with those measures. They are not rules or requirements, but explanations, examples, and tools to benefit experienced and new advocates to the field.
The standards and guidelines, drawn significantly from the American Bar Association’s Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid, are meant to provide a framework for immigration practice and to facilitate the provision of high-quality immigration legal services in Oregon. They do not account for all possible circumstances of immigration practice. They do not supplant the professional judgment of an attorney or accredited representative or the requirements set forth in the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct.
OSB Legal Services Program, Immigration Practice and Performance Standards and Guidelines (Feb. 2023)
FAQ's
Equity Corps of Oregon (ECO) basics
What is Equity Corps of Oregon?
The Equity Corps of Oregon (commonly known as “ECO”) is a network of organizations that provide immigration legal services to Oregon’s immigrant and refugee communities. Community-based organizations, legal service providers, navigators, the Oregon State Bar, and many others are working towards the same goal of building community resilience through legal representation. ECO is a project of Oregon Worker Relief.
Oregon Worker Relief (OWR) is a community-based organization that creates and manages systems and funds to promote immigrant participation in the collective prosperity of Oregon. OWR uses a form of participatory governance in which impacted individuals and stakeholders directly govern and implement. Oregon Worker Relief has had great success with its model, including several different funds and programs. Because Oregon Worker Relief is made up of a network of many organizations, it is attentive to conflicts of interest that might arise in the participatory governance framework. Organizations that participate in governance are not excluded from seeking contracts or grants. Instead, such organizations who are seeking funding or contracts must declare a conflict of interest and must recuse themselves; they are then excluded from all aspects of relevant decision-making.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Are ECO and Oregon Worker Relief the same?
No. Oregon Worker Relief administers portions of ECO. Any of the organizations that are part of the Oregon Worker Relief network can participate in guiding and making policy for ECO.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What is SB 1543?
In 2022, Oregon enacted Senate Bill 1543, known by its short title, Universal Representation. It is a permanent law that creates a community-governed and administered fund for the purposes of providing access to legal services for immigration matters. The law mandates certain standards and processes while leaving implementation to the fiscal agent. The fiscal agent is selected by the Oregon legislature. In 2022 and 2023, the Oregon legislature selected Oregon Worker Relief as the fiscal agent.
The overall objective of the law is to serve as many eligible individuals as possible so that immigrant Oregonians can thrive in Oregon for the benefit of everyone’s collective prosperity. Oregon is more prosperous because of the economic, cultural, intellectual, and artistic contributions made by its immigrant communities.
Oregon Worker Relief balances the community’s high need for immigration legal services with limited financial resources and the acute immigration attorney shortage. In advocating for and designing ECO, the community made clear that Oregon Worker Relief must create a culture of yes. Before ECO, immigration legal services were so tightly rationed by providers that many people seeking services were simply shut out entirely or, equally bad, experienced a perpetual referral shuffle to nowhere. This system gave a few community members services but left most of the community unserved. The community mandated that OWR change that and so now, ECO has adopted a culture of yes. By using a simple prioritization process and focusing limited resources on where the most impact can be made, most people in the community can get effective and meaningful services.
Oregon Worker Relief has designed ECO to avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach. People in the community have different needs at different times and have consistently preferred having a range of choices and options. The community Oregon Worker Relief serves through ECO is not a monolithic entity, but rather a complex and diverse range of individuals, families, and sub-communities with differing legal needs, capacities, and resources. Oregon Worker Relief is always working to improve existing strategies and develop new responses.
Within the ECO network of providers, there are organizations and providers who are organized to provide extensive individual representation over a broad range of immigration matters while others may offer only limited-scope representation, short-term advice, or pro se assistance.
ECO brings legal services directly to communities and allows for facilitated access to the broad range of different services available through the program. Examples include walk-in legal clinics, mobile clinics around the state, attorneys at community-based organizations, and a large number of full-service providers with specialties in many different areas of immigration law.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Standards, Guidelines, and Best Practices
Section (2)(2) of SB 1543, Oregon’s universal representation law, mandates that OWR encourage the use of best practices in developing, implementing and providing services. Under section (2)(4) the Oregon State Bar (OSB) was required to adopt standards and guidelines for the provision of immigration legal services. The OSB adopted the standards in February 2023, called the Immigration Practice and Performance Standards and Guidelines.
The OSB’s standards are the most relevant standards that Oregon Worker Relief uses in administering ECO. In addition, Oregon Worker Relief relies on the American Bar Association (ABA) Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid (2021), the ABA Standards for Programs Providing Civil Pro Bono Legal Services to Persons of Limited Means (2013), and the Vera Institute of Justice Advancing Universal Representation, Module 3: Implementing the Vision at the Local 7 State Level (2021). Most importantly, though, Oregon Worker Relief relies on the voices and insights of the impacted community in building and improving the program.
Providers are required to abide by the relevant Rules of Professional Conduct, or in the case of Accredited Representatives, the standards of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Recognition and Accreditation program.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What does it mean that Oregon Worker Relief is the fiscal agent?
Oregon Worker Relief administers Section (2)(2) of the statute and its related provisions. This includes enrollments & referrals, contracts, grants, reporting, convenings, and compliance. Oregon Worker Relief administers the program by taking direction from the community. Separately, the Oregon State Bar administers Section (2)(4) of the statute and its related provisions.
For the day-to-day operations of the program, Oregon Worker Relief contracted with Innovation Law Lab to act as a clearinghouse under Section (2)(2). As a clearinghouse, Innovation Law Lab does not set policy. Rather, Innovation Law Lab executes referrals, verifies invoices, issues payments, provides technical assistance, and coordinates access to the different the technology systems needed for the operation of program. Innovation Law Lab is directed and governed by Oregon Worker Relief’s policy guidance and decisions.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What is the role of ECO’s Advisory Committee?
Section (2)(5) creates an advisory committee to guide the implementation of ECO, separate and apart from the fiscal agent and the Oregon State Bar. The advisory committee convenes to provide recommendations, guidance, and input into the administration of ECO. The advisory committee is required to meet periodically and make recommendations relating to the coordination of services, standards and guidelines, the development of best practices, and other matters related to universal representation. The Advisory Committee is different than and separate from Oregon Worker Relief (the fiscal agent) and the Oregon State Bar.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What kind of long-term investments has Oregon Worker Relief made into ECO?
Oregon Worker Relief has made specific and meaningful investments in the infrastructure of its service delivery model by funding capacity building for new lawyers and technology systems.
Oregon Worker Relief has invested in programs that, over time, will build up the provider network and create meaningful opportunities for new lawyers and accredited representatives—particularly individuals with lived experience of migration—to work directly in the community. These investments leverage private philanthropy with public dollars to maximize the impact.
The Immigrant Justice Fellowship provides new and emerging lawyers with a fully funded position at an Oregon nonprofit to provide immigration legal services through ECO. It is a competitive process. Up to 6 or more new and emerging attorneys are selected each year for one-year, renewable, fellowships. Oregon Worker Relief supports community-based organizations, particularly those who are new to legal services, and law graduates in the application and matching process. Though the Fellowship is open to members or future members of the bar of any state, preference may be given to Oregon State Bar members and applicants in the selection process. The details of the fellowship are posted on ECO’s website. Oregon Work Relief accepts applications for new host organizations on a rolling basis. Prospective organizations must be culturally competent Oregon-based nonprofits with the ability to provide close attorney mentorship and supervision; they must also be members of the Oregon Worker Relief network.
The Colibri Fellowship for DOJ Accreditation is a groundbreaking professional fellowship designed for individuals working at community-based organizations to achieve partial or full Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation to provide immigration legal services. The fellowship equips future non-attorney legal representatives to enhance the capabilities of community-based legal aid organizations. To be eligible, a prospective fellow’s employer must be a member of the Oregon Worker Relief network. The details of the fellowship are posted on ECO’s website.
Legal Services Capacity Grants support community-based organizations (CBOs) in creating legal infrastructure (including policies, protocols, practices, libraries, and other systems) and applying for recognition through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Recognition & Accreditation Program. These grants work hand-in-hand with the Justice and Colibri fellowships. Non-lawyer staff may receive stipends for trainings that equip them to capably and competently provide affirmative and defensive immigration services. Through the capacitation of CBOs to support and provide legal services via the US DOJ Recognition/Accreditation program, more ECO participants will be served, thus improving overall individual and community outcomes.
Community skill-building & resource development grants fund CBOs to perform periodic outreach and facilitated workshops to ECO members across a range of different cultural communities throughout the state. Skill building is encouraged across a whole of range of activities, including leadership development, immigration processes, substantive law, accessing legal systems, and more. With this funding support, ECO members can learn and share skills and knowledge that help improve successful individual and community outcomes.
Oregon Worker Relief has made long-term investments in operational funding with an emphasis on technology and tools available to improve the client and community experience in receiving legal services through ECO’s network. These investments are an integral part of Oregon Worker Relief’s long term strategy to create and maintain a robust, strong, community-centered system. Such systems allow ECO to thrive and continue to make a positive difference and ensure the overall health and effectiveness of the program.
Oregon Worker Relief has invested in technology and overall infrastructure to effectively manage the program. It has designed intake and referral systems to direct community members to appropriate and effective services while simultaneously investing in long-term capacity building to expand the types and availability of legal services. Under this clearinghouse model, Oregon Worker Relief works to get the most impact out of the available resources — both funding and legal service providers. Oregon Worker Relief’s systems complete timely and equitable screening and intake of new clients, refer matters to practitioners, and initiate legal assistance, especially for time-sensitive legal matters. Oregon Worker Relief uses technology to promote easy and efficient case management, supervision, and effective communication both within the provider community and with ECO members. Oregon Worker Relief knows that outdated and ineffective systems ultimately cost more in lost time and wasted effort and thus investments in core technology and administrative infrastructure make the greatest positive impact.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Is the information provided by individuals to ECO confidential?
Yes. All information provided by an individual seeking ECO benefits is protected by attorney-client privilege and may not be shared. Moreover, Oregon Worker Relief uses encryption and strong security with its technology to prevent unauthorized access.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What are the benefits for a community-based organization of participating in the ECO network?
Participating organizations have access to a range of benefits, including technical and strategic support in developing and managing legal service programs; access to technology platforms that allow for direct navigation of community members to receive legal services; access to grants and contract opportunities to further the goals of ECO and universal representation; and the ability to participate in the policy-making and shaping of ECO and universal representation.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
How can an Oregon community-based organization support ECO?
Joining the ECO is easy and comes with many benefits and opportunities. Generally, community-based organizations must be based in Oregon, serve Oregon’s immigrant or refugee population, agree to abide by the values of Oregon Worker Relief and participate in the governance of Oregon Worker Relief. Organization membership in Oregon Worker Relief is free. In most circumstances, legal service providers should contact the Oregon State Bar’s Legal Services Program as they can participate in ECO via Section (2)(4) funding.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Is it free to join ECO?
Yes! Any community-based organization serving or working with the immigrant or refugee population in Oregon can join at no cost. Interested organizations can apply for free membership to join the Oregon Worker Relief network.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
How can an organization start providing navigation services?
ECO provides training to community-based organizations who want to navigate individuals into ECO for legal services. Pueblo Unido, a key partner in the ECO network, provides a comprehensive training every few months that covers core knowledge about how to navigate, how to screen for ECO eligibility, how to use the technology platforms, how to avoid the unauthorized practice of law, and more. ECO provides capacity grants to organizations who want to begin navigating and provides funding for ongoing work as a navigating organization.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
How can an organization start providing immigration legal services?
ECO supports and funds community-based organizations to create new legal service programs, particularly in geographic areas where there are no existing ECO Clinics or legal service providers or to organizations serving underserved cultural communities. Creating a new legal services program is an important and complex endeavor. ECO can provide consultation, funding, guidance, and support through the process. Typically, an organization can expect the pathway to launching a new legal services program to take at least 6 months. Most organizations will take 12-18 months to have a successful launch. There are several policies and protocols that each ECO organization must have in place and particular trainings that must be completed All organizations should work through the U.S. DOJ-recognition and accreditation program.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
How do organizations participate in the Immigrant Justice Fellowship program to host an attorney fellow?
Qualified community-based organizations can participate in the Immigrant Justice Fellowship program. To qualify, the organization must have strong managerial and financial controls, adopt policies and protocols necessary for a successful hosting experience, and have previously received at least one grant from ECO for capacity-building or navigation services. The fellowship program solicits graduating law students and new lawyers to apply for the fellowship each fall. In December, offers are made to successful applicants to start a fellowship in the fall of the following year. Hosting decisions are made as part of the offer. This means that an organization must participate in the fall matching process in order to host a fellow in the following year.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
ECO Membership
What does it mean to be a member of ECO?
ECO is a membership-based initiative. As a member of ECO, an Oregonian has access to the range of legal services offered throughout the ECO network. Unlike a traditional legal services model, ECO allows members to choose among providers and find the provider that works best for them, including full-service private and nonprofit providers, legal clinics, or a combination of different providers.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Who is eligible to become an ECO member?
ECO membership is limited to individuals who live in Oregon; who have a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines; and who need help with an immigration legal matter. Even if an individual is eligible, OWR only approves membership applications when there is enough capacity to serve the individual.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
How can an individual enroll in ECO?
Enrollment applications can be started by calling the statewide ECO Call Center, connecting with a participating community navigator, or working with an ECO provider.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What is a Navigation?
A navigation is the process of completing the enrollment application. All ECO navigations are completed by community navigators, who are members of the ECO network trained in trauma-informed interviewing techniques, the eligibility criteria for ECO, and culturally appropriate communication. Navigators complete enrollment applications and guide individuals through the ECO membership process. Most navigations take under 30 minutes.
Navigation happens only once, at the beginning of the process, to enroll in ECO. Once enrolled, the ECO member is eligible for ECO throughout the entire immigration journey. If there are changes in eligibility such as moving away from Oregon or if the individual is no longer income qualified, then ECO benefits might cease.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Is there a wait list to join ECO?
ECO is a popular program because of its extensive and helpful benefits. Under law, ECO can only serve individuals up to its reasonably measured capacity. More people apply to become members than ECO can admit and so there is a waitlist (often referred to as the “queue”). It is not uncommon for organizations or programs to have waitlists. Oregon Worker Relief only allows approval of ECO membership when there is the capacity to provide legal services for that person. The wait time varies depending on the urgency of the matter, with wait times ranging from under one day to six months or more. Oregon Worker Relief has invested heavily in creating additional capacity by training new lawyers and accredited representatives, supporting the creation of new legal clinics, expanding the panel attorney roster, and deploying technology.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Is ECO required to serve everyone?
ECO strives to serve as many people as reasonably possible. The statute requires that providers use best practices and serve individuals up to reasonably measured capacity. More capacity means more people can be served. ECO has invested in building more capacity.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
ECO Benefits
What are the benefits of ECO?
ECO provides free immigration legal services to those who need them. Once enrolled in ECO, a member is eligible for all the services and benefits available to enrollees. In addition to access to the many lawyers within the ECO network, members can access the Client Service Fund for support with filing fees, expert witness fees, and similar items; the forensic provider network for forensic evaluations to support member immigration applications; and mutual aid support groups and skill-building sessions to learn about the law and its impacts.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What happens after an application for enrollment is submitted?
After submission, enrollment applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility. Most applicants have a needs assessment (sometimes called a “Long Term Options” assessment or an “Advice and Assessment”) to support in making a referral for services.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026
What is a Needs Assessment?
ECO screens individuals for up to 64 different forms of immigration benefit and relief applications, including asylum, work authorization, a range of family reunification petitions, citizenship, and more.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Can ECO members pick their lawyer?
ECO members can choose to work with any lawyer affiliated with the ECO program within the referral guidelines. Keep in mind that the lawyer must be affiliated with ECO as a panel attorney or under contract with the Oregon State Bar, they must be taking new cases, and the provider must be eligible to receive the specific type of referral.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026
If a lawyer does not have capacity or is not taking new clients, what happens?
The ECO member may have to find a different lawyer or ask ECO to find an available attorney. If the ECO member only wants to work with that particular lawyer, they will have to wait for the lawyer to begin taking new cases again. Keep in mind that if there are important deadlines in the case, waiting could harm chances of success.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Can ECO find a lawyer to help?
Yes. ECO members can choose their own lawyer or choose to have ECO find them a lawyer. It can be hard to find lawyers. ECO can make referrals for you to a provider. Under SB 1543, ECO sends referrals; providers are not mandated to accept but must respond to those referrals. ECO has many tools available to find a lawyer. ECO provides an online directory of providers affiliated with ECO.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Are ECO legal services free?
Yes. All ECO legal services are free of charge.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Who can go to an ECO clinic?
Any ECO member can attend an ECO clinic, though a referral may be required for certain clinics. ECO clinics are an important place to get free legal services. Some of the ECO clinics are “prioritized clinics” which require a referral in order to access the clinic. Clinical providers can also make referrals to help members with additional needs in their immigration case. More and more clinics are being added to the ECO network as the program continues to expand. A list of clinics is available on the ECO website.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
What is an ECO clinic and what kind of services are available at the ECO clinics?
ECO clinics are places where immigration lawyers provide a range of services including work authorization; preparation of asylum applications, motions, and applications with the immigration courts or immigration agencies; needs assessments; and more. Some clinics provide both limited-scope and full-scope services.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Can ECO provide support with my DACA filing fees or Advance Parole?
Yes. ECO provides a full range of services to DACAistas including legal representation and filing fee support for DACA renewals and advance parole applications. Filing fee support is subject to funding limitations.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026
Why does ECO use a prioritization system to provide services?
ECO uses a prioritization system because there are not enough lawyers and accredited representatives to help everyone at the same time. By some estimates, Oregon needs several hundred more immigration lawyers to meet the current need; prioritization allows the small number of lawyers to serve the highest number of community members. ECO gives higher priority to cases when an individual is detained, is at risk of imminent removal, has a key milestone approaching in their case, or has other relevant factors that create urgency in their case.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
How does prioritization work?
ECO reserves some capacity throughout the representation system for priority referrals. For example, ECO has several prioritized clinics that provide legal services only to individuals who have an imminent or key milestone in their case. Prioritization increases the chance that more people’s needs will be met. ECO also has non-prioritized capacity. ECO Operations ensures that priority cases get referrals as quickly as lawyers are available. ECO Operations also completes enrollments and relevant paperwork for non-prioritized cases.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026
What is ECO doing about the shortage of immigration lawyers in Oregon?
As a system, ECO uses a mixed model of clinics, nonprofits, and private lawyers so that the community has access to as many immigration providers as possible. This improves client choice — a member’s ability to pick their own lawyer or have ECO find the first available lawyer for them. ECO provides funding to community-based organizations so they can start new legal services programs and hire lawyers, including clinics, throughout the state and within different cultural communities. ECO provides funding to community-based organizations so they can get licensing called “recognition and accreditation” and from the U.S. Department of Justice so that they provide legal services with specially trained non-lawyers called “accredited representatives.” ECO, through its fiscal agent, Oregon Worker Relief, awards fellowships to new lawyers, particularly lawyers from Oregon, for one or two years to create new opportunities and strengthen the immigration legal community. ECO works with the Oregon State Bar to develop trainings, standards, and other resources to continually improve access to immigration justice and immigration legal resources.
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Eligibility & Referrals
Basics
ECO facilitates and funds legal services to its members. Any Oregonian in need of immigration legal services with a qualifying income can become a member. Enrollment is free. During the enrollment process, the law requires ECO to determine eligibility. Oregon Worker Relief looks at three requirements: (1) does the individual seeking services reside in Oregon; (2) does the individual have a household income below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines; and, (3) is the individual seeking immigration legal services?
Last updated on: 1/22/2025
Referrals
ECO generates prioritized referrals for legal services that are sent to the ECO provider network. Priorities are Detained, Imminent, Dispositive, and Important. ECO Operations uses the ECO Services Chart when making referrals.
If an individual is Detained, the referral is transmitted immediately. If an individual has an Imminent, Dispositive or Important priority, ECO Ops will transmit the referral when capacity is likely available. Capacity is considered, as a general matter, to likely be available if providers have sufficient capacity reported on the most recently available capacity-report and, in the last cycle, did not decline a referral. Referrals at higher priority are prioritized and transmitted before lower priority. To prevent the provider network from becoming saturated with referrals, ECO Ops bundles referrals so that they are transmitted in an orderly fashion. For example, if there were 100 eligible referrals, ECO Ops may bundle the referrals in cohorts of 25 and transmit over four cycles. Data suggests that when the network is saturated with referrals, fewer referrals overall are engaged. Right now, referrals are sent daily, weekly and monthly. ECO Ops makes a reasonable calculation of provider availability by looking at reports providers submit on their current cases, the number of cases and types of cases allowed under different contracts, and the availability of funding. Under law, providers are required to respond to prioritized referrals. The available capacity is often very limited because of there are not enough providers to meet the demand for immigration legal services.
For Panel providers, a referral is generated only when an ECO Clinic, OSB Clinic, or OSB Contract Provider does not have capacity to accept the referral.
For individuals in non-detained removal proceedings, ECO often, but not always, generates and transmits referrals based on the date of the merits hearing. If a merits hearing occurs within the biennium funding period, ECO assigns an Imminent priority and transmits the referral. An individual’s circumstances may vary warranting a different priority category.
Because of limited provider capacity, not all referrals are accepted and frequently a case may be referred more than once in order to find a provider with capacity to accept it. ECO Ops makes referrals based on the best available information and all providers are required to verify facts and law including due dates, timelines, and milestones.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026
ECO Services Chart
ECO Ops publishes from time to time the ECO Services Chart which describes available services, eligible provider types, and referral timing. ECO Ops follows a simple process when generating referrals.
Step 1. Confirm ECO Membership. Referrals are made for ECO-eligible individuals.
Step 2. Confirm availability of service. that the individual is seeking a service offered through ECO
Step 3. Identify the priority. Priorities are Detained, Imminent, Dispositive, and Important.Definitions are provided below.
Step 4. Determine Referral Timing. Referrals are generated using the ECO Services Chart. After identifying the service, find the column for appropriate provider-type (ECO Clinic, Panel, OSB Clinic, OSB Hx). When “No” appears, referrals for the particular service are not generated for that provider type. “Yes” means referrals, regardless of priority, are generated as a matter of course for that provider type and do not require a capacity assessment. If a priority category is listed, referrals for that provider type are generated only when both conditions are met: the client’s priority meets or exceeds the listed category, and capacity is likely available.
For Panel providers, in addition to the other criteria, a referral is generated only when an ECO Clinic, OSB Clinic, or OSB Hx Provider does not have capacity to accept the referral.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026
Case Weight Tiers & Capacity
Oregon State Bar uses a matrix called the Case Weight Tiers in determining capacity for OSB Contract Providers. Providers report against the matrix from time to time with their capacity information. ECO Operations uses this information to reasonably estimate capacity and to determine referral timing. ECO Operations generates referrals to OSB Contract Providers using the points from the Case Weight Tiers. OSB Clinics measure capacity in hours; ECO Operations generate referrals based on an hours estimate for services.
Last updated on: 7/25/2026
After Hours & Urgent Legal Action
Providers may only bill ECO for services provided or receive case credit after a referral is engaged. When an emergency happens and a provider is taking urgent legal action on behalf of an ECO Member after hours without a referral in place, send an email to the ECO Helpdesk (clearinghouse@equitycorps.org) with as much information as you have as soon as you become aware of the situation and actively begin the urgent legal action. If ECO Operations generates a referral to you for the case, often times it is sufficient to authorize the referral as of the time and date of the receipt of the email. Providers should be aware that sending the email does not guarantee a referral.
Last updated on: 7/25/2026
Immigration Legal Services
Definitions
Oregon Worker Relief generally uses the definitions here to administer the ECO program.
When a definition relates to a person, Oregon Worker Relief is mindful that no one can be known solely through their immigration status. Most people seeking to live elsewhere will feel that the experience of leaving their countries doesn’t fully capture who they are. They might identify as a teacher, doctor, artist, passionate football fan, father, sister, son, or mother. A person’s legal status cannot express the full identity and personality of an immigrant, refugee, asylum seeker, or migrant.
Who is an immigrant? An immigrant is any person who is not a citizen of the United States who has come to live in the United States.
Who is a refugee? A refugee is a person who has fled their own country because they are at risk of serious human rights violations and persecution. Their own government cannot or will not protect them from those dangers. Refugees have been granted international protection and, if in Oregon, was formally resettled in the United States (which is different than an asylum seeker).
Who is an asylum seeker? An asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Because seeking asylum is a human right, everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.
Who is a migrant? There is no internationally accepted legal definition of a migrant. Some migrants leave their country because they want to work, study or join family, for example. Others feel they must leave because of poverty, political unrest, gang violence, natural disasters or other serious circumstances that exist there. Migrants who are not fleeing persecution are still entitled to have all their human rights protected and respected, regardless of their immigration status.
A Full-Service Provider also called a Holistic Provider offers a broad range of full-scope and limited-scope immigration legal services for varied and different thematic case types such as asylum, removal, family-based, DACA, and Temporary Protected Status, among others.
A Clinical Provider offers full-scope and limited-scope immigration legal services for specific, predefined case types. In contrast to a Full-Service provider, a Clinical Provider often services fewer types of legal cases.
Full-Scope Legal Services means the scope of representation includes the adjudication of the benefit or proceeding.
Limited-Scope Legal Services means the scope of representation includes a portion of case but does not include representation through the adjudication of the benefit or proceeding.
Defensive Matter means an application or remedy that is adjudicated by an immigration judge.
Affirmative Matter means an application or remedy that is adjudicated outside of removal proceedings.
Integrated Pro Se means an ECO member’s application or remedy is prepared by the individual after guidance and training through an ECO provider and the application or remedy is tracked by ECO’s clinical services providers.
Early & Continuous Representation means, in a defensive matter, representation begins at the earliest moment in the removal proceeding and continues until there is a final outcome.
Detained means the individual is in immigration detention.
Imminent means a merits hearing scheduled within the funding period.
Dispositive means a circumstance will occur at a fixed time within the next 180-days that may have outcome-determinative impacts. To illustrate, an individual who is turning 21 and may age out of an immigration-remedy or an individual with a one-year filing deadline for an asylum benefit have been considered dispositive events.
Important means the Detained, Imminent, or Dispositive categories do not apply.
Referral Cycles. Referrals are transmitted on specific dates which are approximately every two weeks. The dates are published on the ECO website. Off-cycle referrals are referrals that are transmitted on other dates and frequently consist of detained and imminent priorities.
Referral. A referral authorizes a provider to bill ECO under the ECO Legal Services Fund for services within the scope of the referral or allows a contractor to receive case credits or hours (for OSB Clinics) under an OSB contract. A referral does not speak to or address the formation of an attorney-client relationship or, in the absence of a referral, prevent a provider from engaging in representation.
Scope means Full Scope or Limited Scope. Full Scope referrals include the adjudication of the benefit sought; Limited Scope is representation that is not full-scope.
ECO Clinic means a clinic designated by OWR as an ECO Clinic because it follows the ECO Clinical Model for delivering services. ECO Clinics provide services via Intake Clinics, Open Clinics, Workshops, Member Inquiries (drop-in clinics), and Rapid Response. They also receive cases via Referral outside of the clinical model.
OSB Clinic means an OSB contractor that has an OSB clinical contract but may not follow the ECO Clinical Model.
OSB Contract Provider means an OSB contractor with a holistic contract. The abbreviation OSB Hx may be used at times.
Panel Provider means providers who have contracted with ECO to provide representation to ECO participants. Generally, panel providers are only eligible to receive certain detained, imminent, or dispositive referrals for which a clinical referral or an OSB holistic provider is not available.
ECO Services Chart means a chart published from time to time by ECO Ops describing the legal services offered through ECO.
Last updated on: 7/24/2026