The NGO website welcome.us It has collapsed this Wednesday minutes before the opening of the March application quota to take advantage of the immigration program designed by Washington to legally enter the United States through a sponsor.
“The Welcome Connect platform has technical difficulties. We are working to fix this and soon we will be online,” the page indicated from about 10 in the morning (Cuban time), an hour before the quota opens, which starts every 15th of the month.
The organization, founded in 2021 to support the requests of Afghan refugees, expanded its work in 2022 for Ukrainians and since last February it has also been working for Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians. In addition, it is endorsed by four former US presidents and first ladies: Barack and Michelle Obama, George and Laura Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.
Welcome.us puts potential sponsors in the US in contact with potential beneficiaries of the program who do not have an acquaintance who can endorse them in the country. The sponsors are backed by the government, which verifies the identity and background of the applicants.
“Our highest ambition is that every American community, and the nation as a whole, have the resources and the willingness to welcome newcomers, now and in the future”
“Our highest ambition is that each American community, and the nation as a whole, have the resources and the willingness to welcome newcomers, now and in the future,” they indicate on their website.
However, the organization, which defines itself as non-governmental and apolitical, claims that its modest size only allows it to accept a limited number of requests that it is capable of handling.
The avalanche of users who wanted to connect today has knocked down the page. Among the hundreds of people who have reacted to the situation, some regretted that there are those who try to simultaneously opt for this path and the government one. Others pointed out that the concentration of applicants of the four nationalities on the same day contributes to the collapse.
Last month, when the program began, a multitude of Cubans were unable to access it due to the restrictions of the embargo, which prevent access to some US pages. This time, most had followed the instructions to connect with VPN.
He eagerness of Cubans to find a sponsor was immediately after the launch of the parole aid from the United States earlier this year. The permit, also addressed to Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians, opens the door for up to 30,000 migrants enter legally if they have a resident in US territory who supports them financially and covers their health expenses for two years.
So far, according to State Department figures, about 10,000 Cubans have used the program.
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