An opportunity has been evolving over the past year that some of you in the US might find interesting. USCIS Form I-134A allows US residents (with qualifying income, approx. $30k/yr+) to sponsor families or individuals from specific countries (in flux—but presently Ukraine, Afghanistan, Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua) looking for US visas under humanitarian parole programs. Form I-134A contains scary language in which the sponsor agrees to take on financial responsibility for the newcomers. However, (a) many potential beneficiaries do not need financial support, (b) some of them, especially Ukrainians, are eligible for a wide range of public benefits, and (c) many legal commentators claim the language in the form is unenforceable.
A nonprofit backed by four former US presidents, https://Welcome.US, helps potential sponsors navigate the process and match with potential beneficiaries. Through them, my wife and I recently sponsored a family of three we had never met. It ended up costing nothing and being easier than expected. Every situation will be different but you can meet (video chat is common) the people you consider sponsoring before making a decision.
It’s not necessarily the very best use of your time and/or money, but if you’ve ever felt that US immigration/refugee policy is too restrictive, and you are well-situated to welcome newcomers and/or good at navigating government paperwork, here’s a chance to sort of take matters into your own hands. The newcomers aren’t immigrants per se; for the most part these are two-year temporary visas. But some of them may find paths to citizenship under other programs now or in the future.
I’m seeing this late, but I love it. Many of my favorite posts on the Forum are things exactly like this — people pointing out interesting opportunities to do good in a nuanced, balanced way. Thank you for sharing!
An opportunity has been evolving over the past year that some of you in the US might find interesting. USCIS Form I-134A allows US residents (with qualifying income, approx. $30k/yr+) to sponsor families or individuals from specific countries (in flux—but presently Ukraine, Afghanistan, Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua) looking for US visas under humanitarian parole programs. Form I-134A contains scary language in which the sponsor agrees to take on financial responsibility for the newcomers. However, (a) many potential beneficiaries do not need financial support, (b) some of them, especially Ukrainians, are eligible for a wide range of public benefits, and (c) many legal commentators claim the language in the form is unenforceable.
A nonprofit backed by four former US presidents, https://Welcome.US, helps potential sponsors navigate the process and match with potential beneficiaries. Through them, my wife and I recently sponsored a family of three we had never met. It ended up costing nothing and being easier than expected. Every situation will be different but you can meet (video chat is common) the people you consider sponsoring before making a decision.
It’s not necessarily the very best use of your time and/or money, but if you’ve ever felt that US immigration/refugee policy is too restrictive, and you are well-situated to welcome newcomers and/or good at navigating government paperwork, here’s a chance to sort of take matters into your own hands. The newcomers aren’t immigrants per se; for the most part these are two-year temporary visas. But some of them may find paths to citizenship under other programs now or in the future.
I’m seeing this late, but I love it. Many of my favorite posts on the Forum are things exactly like this — people pointing out interesting opportunities to do good in a nuanced, balanced way. Thank you for sharing!