In the United States, the term refugee is defined under the Immigrant and Nationality Act (INA), codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, 8 CFR 208. The definition, in line with the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, identities a refugee as a person who has fled his country of origin because of past persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based upon race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. If a person meeting this definition is not located in the U.S., he may qualify for the U.S. Refuge Program, provided that he meets the admissibility criteria. If such a person is located in the U.S. he may be eligible to apply for asylum under the U.S. Asylum Program; such a person would legally be considered an asylum seeker, not a refugee. In the U.S., refugee applications and asylum requests are handled through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a wider mandate in protecting displaced persons than the USCIS enjoys. For this reason, some individuals may fall under the UN protections for refugees but fall short of U.S. eligibility.