The historic launch of the Welcome Corps builds on the incredible willingness of Americans ready to offer a warm welcome to those seeking safety, refuge, and belonging in the United States.

The Welcome Corps is a program launched by the U.S. Department of State, administered by a consortium led by the Community Sponsorship Hub with funding provided by the U.S. government.

The Welcome Corps creates opportunities for sponsors to welcome refugees in two ways.

• Through the first part of the program, sponsors are matched with refugees whose cases are already approved for resettlement under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Together, consortium members help identify refugee families that can benefit from the support of sponsors’ communities.
• The second way to sponsor through the Welcome Corps allows sponsors to identify a specific refugee individual or refugee family overseas whom they wish to sponsor and refer to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for consideration to be resettled in the United States.

The Welcome Corps creates new opportunities for Americans to take on the deeply rewarding and meaningful act of welcome. In addition to ensuring refugees are met with the support and resources to succeed in the United States, private sponsorship strengthens host communities as sponsors work together and build new relationships with refugees and each other.

Building on previous successes in public-private partnerships, like the Sponsor Circles Program and USCIS humanitarian parole pathways Process for CHNV and Uniting for Ukraine, the Welcome Corps expands resettlement capacity and diversifies a growing movement of welcome by inviting more Americans and institutions to participate.