Groups of Americans will now be able to sponsor refugees in the United States directly through a new program.
A new U.S. refugee sponsorship program was launched from the Department of State (DOS) last Thursday. Its main goal is to increase the number of refugees accepted into the country, while seeking to decrease government costs to do so.
Therefore, the new sponsorship program will consist of groups of at least five Americans pooling a minimum of $2,275 for each refugee who petitions, helping not only to get them into the country legally, but also to live comfortably here for at least their first three months of residency.
But how easy is it to get into the program and help a refugee come to the United States? What are the requirements to become a sponsor? At Jaskot Law, We answer all your immigration questions.
What is an immigration sponsor?
A sponsor is a citizen or permanent resident of the country who has enough financial resources to take care of the person making an application to immigration.
What are the responsibilities of an immigration sponsor?
In the case of the new refugee sponsorship program in the United States, the responsibilities of sponsorship groups are to pass a series of background checks, submit a form, create a support plan, and have the necessary money raised.
These groups of five Americans could be made up of religious groups, veterans, businesses, universities, immigration lawyers, among many others.
What does the program consist of?
Initially, the Welcome Corps program will seek to find at least 10,000 U.S. sponsors for 5,000 refugees in fiscal year 2023, which ends on September 30. Each group is allowed to sponsor more than one petitioner.
Joe Biden announced during his presidency the individual sponsorship program for refugees in the United States as part of his efforts to streamline and improve immigration law. Now, with this new group version of the program, the objectives remain the same.
The idea is to generate more support for refugees from the U.S. community. Hate speech and bigotry have been reaping since the Trump Era, and building policies that eradicate these exclusionary ideologies is critical. Therefore, working together to raise funds and help foreigners obtain refugee status can help with this ambitious task.
Among other measures put in place by the Administration, such as the various regulations related to humanitarian entry programs, Welcome Corps will bring in refugees through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, which accepts referrals from the United Nations, and U.S. embassies.
This new program is a great initiative on the part of the Biden Administration, and could make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people in difficult situations in their home countries. Therefore, the President’s decision to implement it despite criticism and opposition to his border policies is the right one.
At Jaskot Law, we expect a large wave of new refugees entering the country legally, safely, and humanely. If you have any doubts or questions about your case or legal status, you can contact our specialized team of immigration lawyers.
