The Welcome Corps is a new program from the federal U.S. State Department that allows Americans the opportunity to formally welcome and help integrate specific refugee groups newly arriving to the United States. The Welcome Corps is administered by a consortium of community-based organizations led by the Community Sponsorship Hub with funding provided by the U.S. government.

The Welcome Corps is NOT a program of the City of Seattle.

Our office has received feedback from local community members who have questions and misconceptions about this new program. So, we partnered with the Washington State Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance to organize a community information session about this new private sponsorship program for refugees.

We encourage you to watch the video below to learn more about The Welcome Corps and whether participating in this program is right for you.

The Welcome Corps Information Session

An opportunity to share information about the new program, dispel any myths that may be circulating in our refugee and immigrant communities, and answer direct questions about the process.

May 23, 2023

SPEAKERS:

• Sarah Peterson, Washington State Refugee Coordinator, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
• Hamdi Mohamed, Director, City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA)
• Beth Frank, Director, Community Sponsor Hub
• Jay Gairson, Immigration Attorney, Gairson Law, LLC

 

Resources Mentioned in the Information Session

For community members who want to learn more about The Welcome Corps and what is involved in sponsoring:

The Welcome Corps is currently focused on Phase 1 Matching, in which sponsor groups are matched with refugees in sub-Saharan Africa approved for resettlement to the U.S. As we have more information on Phase 2 Identification, we will update the website and share informational resources about that process. Current resources include the following:

• Watch an information session from Welcome Corps that provides an overview of the responsibilities of private sponsorship, how the Welcome Corps supports private sponsors, and how to apply to become a private sponsor.
• Attend an application support session for those that would like additional information about the application process.
• There are additional informational resources on The Welcoming Corps website, such as guidance and tip sheets, and we will continue to build these out over time. An updated Welcome Plan is also available on their website.
• The Welcome Corps also has refugee-facing information on their website here that they will continue to expand and update as they have more information about Phase 2 Identification.
• Also, this Welcome Corps Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) might answer any additional questions you might have.
• For general questions not answered in the above FAQ page on their website, you may reach out to Welcome Corps directly at contact@welcomecorps.org.

 

For organizations interested in learning more about Private Sponsor Organizations (PSO):

A PSO and recruitment organization information session recording is available here. For those who intend to apply to become an accredited PSO, you can email the PSO Application to: psoapplication@welcomecorps.org.

The Welcome Corps will schedule an initial orientation session for organizations intending to apply before the end of the month and on an ongoing basis for those that have emailed their intent to apply.

The Welcome Corps will have information on their website soon for organizations that want to be involved in the program, in particular through the role of a recruitment organization or Private Sponsor Organization.

 

For general questions not answered in the resources listed here, you may reach out to Welcome Corps at contact@welcomecorps.org.