Support for sponsors

Not all sponsors are eligible to request free travel on behalf of the newcomers they are sponsoring.

• A sponsor must have a confirmed sponsorship with the newcomer family through Welcome Connect.
• The newcomer family must meet determined criteria that indicates they have a financial barrier for traveling to the U.S. Currently, this is defined as having a group size of 4 or more.

Eligibility criteria may be redefined as the program evaluates changing beneficiary and sponsor needs. Additionally, a sponsor who has already opted in for the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund Matching Grants program is not eligible to apply for travel assistance as well. See more information in the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund Matching Grants section.

Accessibility: To encourage, support, and make resources available to the greatest number of people possible, the following accessibility considerations apply:

• Sponsors are eligible to receive a matching grant for one beneficiary household (i.e., one “match”).
• Sponsors who connect with a beneficiary on Welcome Connect are eligible to choose to apply for either free flights (for all family members) or fundraising matching grants ($1,000 per person for up to three people). Sponsors who opt to receive free flights for their beneficiaries are excluded from receiving grants.

Start the matching grant application process:

• Be sure to begin your application within 45 days of matching on Welcome Connect.

Right now, if you are sponsoring a family of four or more that you connected with through Welcome Connect, you are eligible for free flights. When everyone in the beneficiary group has received travel authorization from the U.S. government and is ready to travel to the U.S., you can request free travel.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Ensure all the beneficiaries have received their travel authorization.*

Step 2: Gather the required information for each traveler.

Step 3: Complete the booking request form on Welcome Connect Travel.

Step 4: Receive your travel itinerary.

• It may take anywhere from a few days to a few months for all beneficiaries to receive their travel authorization, so you may have to wait to submit a booking request.

Eligibility requirements to receive a matching grant from the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund include:

Welcome Connect: Sponsors seeking funding must have matched with the newcomer whom they are supporting via Welcome Connect and have submitted an I-134A form on their behalf. They must also begin the grant application within 30 days of matching on Welcome Connect.

GoFundMe: Sponsors seeking a matching grant must have a GoFundMe fundraiser connected to the Welcome.US partner page (the maximum reward is $1,000 per beneficiary for up to three beneficiaries). If you already have a GoFundMe fundraiser that was not set up on the Welcome.US partner page, please email [email protected] so we can recognize it as an eligible fundraiser and migrate your link onto our partner space.

Community Involvement: Sponsorship is best done as a community effort. To encourage community involvement, fundraisers must have received a contribution from at least five people to be eligible to receive grant funds.

Accessibility: To encourage, support, and make resources available to the greatest number of people possible, the following accessibility considerations apply:

• Sponsors who can comfortably cover the costs of sponsorship with their own means or by independent fundraising are asked to refrain from applying for additional support so that those who need additional support the most may access it.
• Sponsors are only eligible to receive a matching grant for one beneficiary household (i.e., one “match”).
• Sponsors who connect with a beneficiary on Welcome Connect are eligible to choose to apply for either free flights (for all family members) or fundraising matching grants ($1,000 per person for up to three people). Sponsors who opt to receive free flights for their beneficiaries are excluded from receiving grants.

When sponsoring a newcomer through Welcome Connect, you can apply for a matching grant through the Welcome.US Sponsor Fund, within 30 days of matching with the beneficiary. Fundraise for the resettlement needs (i.e., housing, household goods, transportation, etc.) of the beneficiary on GoFundMe, and the Sponsor Fund will match up to $1,000 per beneficiary for up to three beneficiaries per household, with a total award of up to $3,000.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Confirm your sponsorship on Welcome Connect.

Step 2: Create a fundraiser on GoFundMe using this link.

Step 3: Register, complete the questionnaire, and provide your GoFundMe link on the application portal. Do this within 30 days of matching on Welcome Connect.

Step 4: Start fundraising.

Step 5: Welcome the beneficiary when they arrive.

Step 6: Complete the final application stage on the application portal. This should be done within 90 days of beginning your grant application.

Once you have completed these steps, you will go through a background check to receive your matching funds.

After reviewing eligibility criteria and launching your fundraiser, you can start the matching grant application process. Fill out the questionnaire, confirm your eligibility, and provide the link to your GoFundMe. Be sure to begin your application within 30 days of matching on Welcome Connect.

Have questions about the process? Please email us at [email protected], and a Sponsor Coach will be happy to assist you!