Community sponsorship is an opportunity for interested individuals or community groups to directly support newcomers from countries outside the United States to integrate and thrive in communities across Minnesota. Sponsors provide connections to local resources, offer friendship and guidance, and play a crucial part in welcoming families into the community. Sponsors also collaborate with other organizations serving refugees to meet the needs of new arrivals and ensure newcomers are connected to all services and supports they are eligible for.
Community sponsors can email the Resettlement Program Office at dhs.rpo.outreach@state.mn.us or call 651-431-4605 to discuss available programs and services for newcomers.
There are several federally administered sponsorship pathways. The Resettlement Programs Office at the Minnesota Department of Human Services does not oversee these programs.
Welcome Corps empowers Americans to welcome families arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and supporting them to build new lives in communities across the United States.
The first step in participating in the Welcome Corps process is to learn more about becoming an approved sponsor. Applications from sponsors will be vetted to ensure they can provide the required support before being matched with an arriving family. For more information about the Welcome Corps program, please visit welcomecorps.org.
Uniting for Ukraine provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family outside the United States to apply for travel to the United States to live and work for up to two years. Ukrainians participating in the Department of Homeland Security administered Uniting for Ukraine must:
The first step in the Uniting for Ukraine process is for U.S.-based sponsors to file an I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, with the United States Citizen and Immigration Service for each person they seek to support, including minor children. The U.S. government will review the sponsor information provided to ensure the applicant can financially support the individuals they agree to support. See the Department of Homeland Security's Uniting for Ukraine.
Nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and their immediate family outside the United States who have applied to travel to the United States to live and work for up to two years. To participate, eligible beneficiaries must:
The first step in the process is for U.S.-based sponsors to file a Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service for each person they seek to support, including minor children. The U.S. government will then review the sponsor information to ensure they can financially support the individuals they agree to support. For more information on the processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services page.
Local resettlement affiliates welcome hundreds of individuals each year through the United States Refugee Admissions Program. They work with volunteers and groups to supplement their staff’s support and serve as guides through the resettlement process.
The first step in the process is to connect with a local resettlement affiliate to learn about the opportunities to volunteer as an individual or group to sponsor arriving families. For more information about current opportunities, reach out to one of the agencies listed below:
These links will redirect from the Minnesota Department of Human Services website. These links are provided as a convenience, and the department is not responsible for the content of these sites. Due to the frequent shifts and changes in refugee resettlement, no resource list is comprehensive.
