State Department Launches Welcome Corps to Facilitate Private Sponsorship of Refugees

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference at the State Department in Washington on Dec. 22, 2022. Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Department of State, with the Department of Health and Human Services, on Jan. 19 announced the launch of the Welcome Corps, a private sponsorship program for refugees.

The program will allow Americans and groups to sponsor refugees who have arrived in the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). According to the State Department’s announcement, the program will facilitate resettlement and “make a difference by welcoming these new neighbors into their communities.” The government agencies assert the program will allow Americans to be “partners and guides” to refugees who are starting over in the United States and “help them realize their full potential.”

USRAP is a program administered by the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security that provides refugee protection to individuals who have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

How the Program Works

The Welcome Corps website explains the initiative, saying it is a program in which Americans greet newcomers by working in groups of at least five to secure and prepare temporary housing, welcome refugees at the airport, enroll children in school, and assist adults in finding jobs.

Most significantly, the group points out that the refugees have often left behind much more than just material possessions—they have also left behind friends, relatives, and the social networks that support well-being and potentially what brings them their sense of welcome, belonging, and inclusion. Communities can use this program to come together via these welcoming gestures, and make it easier for immigrants to acclimate to their new surroundings.

Afghan refugees rest in tents at a makeshift shelter camp in Chaman, a Pakistani town at the border with Afghanistan, on Aug. 31, 2021. AFP via Getty Images

The State Department called the Welcome Corps “the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in four decades,” saying it is “designed to strengthen and expand the capacity of the USRAP by harnessing the energy and talents of Americans from all walks of life desiring to serve as private sponsors—from faith and civic groups to veterans, diaspora communities, businesses, colleges and universities, and more.

“In the program’s first year, our goal is to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to step forward as private sponsors and offer a welcoming hand to at least 5,000 refugees from around the world,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the program announcement. “The Welcome Corps will build on the extraordinary response of the American people over the past year in welcoming our Afghan allies, Ukrainians displaced by war, Venezuelans, and others fleeing violence and oppression.

“In the face of unprecedented global displacement, the United States will continue to lead the international community in humanitarian response, including refugee resettlement,“ Blinken said. ”By launching the Welcome Corps, we build on a proud tradition of providing refuge and demonstrate the spirit and generosity of the American people as we commit to welcoming refugees in need of our support.”

Support From Outside Groups

Currently, more than 200 organizations have expressed their support for the Welcome Corps. Among them are, Airbnb.org, American Muslim Women Association of Arizona, American Red Cross, Bethany Christian Services, Blue Star Families, Catholic Charities USA, Church World Service, GoFundMe.org, Goodwill Industries International, Rotary International, Texas International Education Consortium, The Shapiro Foundation, The University of Tulsa, and YMCA of the USA.

Welcome Corps’ website offered comments from some of their partner organizations.

Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb and Chairman of Airbnb.org, spoke about the program.

“Ensuring newly arrived refugees thrive ... requires sustained community involvement and cooperation across governments, community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the private sector,” he said.

“We are thankful for the efforts of the U.S. government and Welcome.US in supporting a sponsorship program that will allow more Americans to welcome refugees with open arms, and Airbnb.org will continue to invest in its partners to help bridge the critical gap in housing needs for newcomers.”

Venezuelan nationals walk along the border fence to a waiting Border Patrol van after illegally crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico, in El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2022. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

General Secretary and CEO of Rotary International, John Hewko, said he believes the members of his club recognize how war, natural disasters, and civil upheaval are among the numerous factors displacing millions of people from their homes, towns, and nations as active and engaged changemakers within the communities they serve: “we applaud the call for expanded private support to welcome all newcomers.”

Who Is Eligible for USRAP

To be eligible for the program, individuals must be located outside the United States, have a special humanitarian concern, pass the security clearance process and be admissible to the United States under U.S. immigration law. Additionally, the USRAP prioritizes certain groups of individuals, such as religious minorities, women and children at risk, and individuals in urgent need of medical care.

USRAP will remove participants from the program if they are found to not meet qualifications. Not having a well-founded fear of persecution, for example, or if they fail the security clearance process and are deemed to be a security threat to the United States.

Participants who are found to be inadmissible to the United States under U.S. immigration law, such as those with a criminal record, may also be removed from the program, along with others who have provided false or misleading information on their application. Also, those who fail to attend required interviews or medical examinations may be removed.

USRAP is a discretionary program, and the decision to remove a participant is made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific circumstances of each individual.