Program Update
February 2024
Welcome Corps for Afghans
How does private sponsorship through Welcome Corps work?
The Welcome Corps lets everyday Americans support Afghan allies who bravely stood with our soldiers, aid workers, and diplomats for more than two decades. Honor their service by helping them reach safety and rebuild their lives in the United States.
You can play an important role in welcoming our Afghan allies to the U.S. by forming a private sponsor group.
These groups are made up of at least five U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (sometimes known as “Green Card holders”). They must be at least 18 years old and live in or near the same community. Sponsor groups provide core resettlement services for the refugee for first 90 in the United States including:
- Locating and facilitating affordable housing
- Assisting in the enrollment of children in school
- Helping refugees find jobs
- Helping to sign refugees up for federal and state benefits they qualify for
- Supporting refugees’ integration into their new communities
How do I sponsor an Afghan refugee?
There are three ways to sponsor an Afghan through the Welcome Corps:
1. Match with Afghan refugees you don’t yet know:
If you don’t have a specific friend or family member you want to bring to the United States, you can apply to be matched with an Afghan refugee already approved for resettlement to the United States. On your application, state your preference for being matched with Afghan nationals and/or Dari or Pashto speakers.
2. Sponsor Afghans you know who already have a case with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program or the Special Immigrant Visa program:
If the Afghan you know has a case with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) or the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, you can apply to sponsor them through the Welcome Corps. (The Afghan SIV applicant must first receive Chief of Mission approval to be eligible for Welcome Corps.)
Once the Afghans are ready for travel, they will be assigned to your sponsor group instead of a resettlement agency. This is available for Afghans no matter where they are currently living, including those who are still in Afghanistan.
For more information on eligibility for U.S. government relocation assistance for those remaining in Afghanistan, please visit: https://www.state.gov/afghanistan-inquiries/.
You will be asked to include their Immigrant Visa case number. This number is also known as the CEAC or KBL number. You must include it as part of the Welcome Corps application. The Immigrant Visa case number starts with 3 letters followed by 10 numbers. For example, KBL1234567890. This is not the NVC SIV Case Number.
3. Sponsor Afghan refugees you know who are outside of Afghanistan, but do not already have a U.S. Refugee Admissions Program or Special Immigrant Visa Case:
You can form a sponsor group of five Americans and permanent residents and apply to sponsor Afghan refugees who are outside of Afghanistan, do not already have a case with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program or Special Immigrant Visa program, and meet all of the program’s eligibility requirements. You will submit a referral on their behalf.
What are the eligibility requirements?
To be eligible for sponsorship through the Welcome Corps, refugees must meet the definition of a refugee under U.S. law and all of these criteria:
- They do not live in the United States.
- They live in a country where the U.S. government is able to interview sponsored refugee applicants and process their cases.
- They are at least 18 years old. Or, if they are a child, they must be referred with their parent or legal guardian. Without exception, anyone under 18 must be referred with their biological parent or legal guardian.
- They have not been previously denied resettlement to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Refugees sponsored through the Welcome Corps are screened and vetted via the same process as all refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Is this faster than other pathways?
No, the Welcome Corps is not necessarily a faster option. Privately sponsored refugees are subject to the same processing requirements as all other refugees.
Will Afghan refugees coming through the Welcome Corps be able to work and get benefits?
Yes. Sponsored refugees who come through this program are able to work upon arrival. They will also be eligible for resettlement benefits. The private sponsor group welcoming them to the U.S. commits to providing a set of core services.
Ready to apply? Explore the sponsorship requirements and and start your application.