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Interested in partnership or recruitment opportunities? Email us at [email protected].
Join the Welcome Corps
You can help refugees seeking safety build new lives in the United States.
About the Welcome Corps
The Welcome Corps, launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2023, empowers Americans to help refugees from around the world build new lives in the U.S. while providing a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship. Americans form sponsor groups, fundraise, and commit to supporting refugees during their first three months in the U.S. Together, sponsors secure housing, enroll children in school, and connect refugees with job opportunities.
Sponsorship is something you do together
You don’t need to be an expert in refugee resettlement to get involved. Everyday Americans can sponsor refugees, serving as friends, neighbors, and guides as newcomers settle into their new communities. You can form a sponsor group through your book club, church, service organization, or with friends and family. American citizens and permanent residents must be over 18 and live in the same community to form a sponsor group. The Welcome Corps experts offer guidance and support every step of the way.
Who is eligible to be sponsored?
Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home countries due to persecution or violence. Sponsors can apply to be matched with a refugee or refugee family they don’t know (yet!) or apply to sponsor someone they know.
All refugees who come through the program undergo thorough security vetting before coming to the United States.
You can sponsor refugees from around the world
Interested in helping a refugee from a specific country or region? Explore these resources.
Sponsor someone you know
If you have friends or family members who have been displaced, you can apply to sponsor eligible refugees you know.
Learn moreSponsor refugees from Latin America
You can be a bridge to safety for Latin American refugees displaced due to conflict and violence.
Learn moreSponsor refugees from Afghanistan
Discover how you can help our Afghan allies establish a new beginning in the U.S.
Learn moreHow to apply
Get started
- Form a group. Reach out to friends, family, church members, or others in your network to form your 5-person sponsor group.
- Decide who to sponsor. You can be matched with a refugee you don’t know yet — indicating the number of people you can support and preferences for language or nationality. Or you can sponsor someone you already know.
- Plan and fundraise. Review the core services sponsors commit to providing, and make a plan for how you’ll work together to support newcomers. Begin fundraising the minimum of $2,425 per refugee.
- Apply. Create an account on the Welcome Corps site and begin your application.
Application support
Need assistance with your Welcome Corps application? Sign up for an application support session.
Navigating sponsorship options
How is the Welcome Corps different from humanitarian parole?
Refugees entering the U.S. through the Welcome Corps have refugee status, allowing them to work upon arrival and apply for permanent residency after one year, with eligibility for citizenship after five years. Humanitarian parole is open to Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Ukrainians, and Venezuelans. The program grants individuals temporary parole status for up to two years with no automatic path to citizenship. Individuals may apply for work authorization and seek asylum or another status for permanency in the U.S.
Can sponsors apply for the Welcome Corps if they’ve already applied for humanitarian parole?
Yes, sponsors can apply to multiple immigration programs simultaneously. Once a refugee or refugee family is accepted into the U.S. under one program, any other applications will be canceled.
Questions about whether sponsorship is right for you? Join us for a live information session.
The Welcome Corps, launched by the U.S. Department of State in January 2023, is implemented by a consortium of non-profit organizations with expertise in refugee resettlement and welcoming. Welcome.US aims to raise awareness, inspire key communities, and amplify their stories.
Welcome.US cannot answer questions about your application.
