Refugee Eligibility Criteria

Refugee students must meet refugee eligibility criteria and program requirements. The Welcome Corps on Campus only accepts applications from refugee students currently living in Ecuador.  All refugee students resettled through the Welcome Corps on Campus must meet the definition of a refugee under U.S. law and all of these criteria:

• They are living outside their home county.
• They do not live in the United States.
• They live in a country where the U.S. government is able to interview sponsored refugees and process their cases.
• They are between 18-24 years old at the time of application.
• They are single (unmarried) with no children. Refugee students will not be able to bring family members with them to the United States. The broader Welcome Corps program provides opportunities for family sponsorship.
• They are enrolling in an associate or bachelor’s degree program.
• They are already registered on or before September 30, 2023, as a refugee or asylum seeker by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or by the host government.
• They have not been previously denied for resettlement to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Additional program criteria are announced in each application cycle, and criteria may vary by country of residence. Some academic institutions may require English language courses during the first semester or first year of study, prior to the student beginning academic coursework.

Suitably qualified refugee youth are invited to apply for the Welcome Corps on Campus. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about this opportunity.

The application period is open from November 29, 2024, through January 17, 2025. Applications will not be accepted after January 17, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (Ecuador local time).