MIAMI — People in Cuba cannot sign up on a U.S.-based online platform that matches them with potential sponsors for the Biden administration’s parole program because of the federal government’s decades-long financial restrictions and business regulations against Havana.
Welcome.US — a nonprofit that supports Afghans resettling in the United States and matches Ukrainians fleeing war with sponsors so they can migrate here — announced Wednesday it was expanding its services to people from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. People from those countries who have financial supporters can apply for a humanitarian program announced last month that grants a two-year parole so they can live and work in the United States.
Advocates have slammed the sponsorship prerequisite as a financial roadblock for many. Would-be migrants have also told The Miami Herald that they cannot apply for the parole program because they have no family or friends in the United States, or their loved ones here cannot shoulder the economic responsibility. The development from Welcome.US could help Haitians, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans without a U.S.-based network connect with willing strangers who can assist them to relocate through the federal government’s programs.
“In order to comply with U.S. trade controls, we are required to block access from U.S. embargoed countries. It appears that you are located in one of these countries,” reads a screenshot several people in Cuba provided to The Miami Herald. The webpage directs them to a technical support page for ServiceNow, an American software company.
ServiceNow, along with Bangalore-based tech company InfoSys and Goldman Sachs, are Welcome.US partners who created the “Welcome Connect” platform the nonprofit uses to match people. Kit Taintor, Vice President of Policy and Practice for Welcome.US, told The Miami Herald that its teams were searching for a fix.
“We definitely understand people’s frustrations. We’re actively working with our partners, including ServiceNow, to find a resolution that complies with U.S. law,” said Taintor, who added that the organization hopes to give relevant updates as they happen.
When The Miami Herald asked ServiceNow about the matter, the software company echoed Taintor’s comments.
“We are aware of the issue and are actively working with our partners to find a resolution that complies with U.S. law,” said ServiceNow in a statement.
Welcome.US began its work supporting refugees and migrants after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 and thousands of Afghans resettled in the United States. Last July, it launched its matching platform for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion to find sponsors for a U.S. government parole program that also requires a financial backer. More than 1,500 Ukrainians have found sponsors through Welcome.US, according to data provided by the organization.
“We recognize that there are Americans all across the nation who really want to be involved in active welcoming but may not have a pathway to do so, and so that’s why we’ve really dove into these sponsorship programs,” said Taintor. “We see the power of everyday Americans’ engagement in this in order to directly change the trajectory of somebody’s life.”
The organization also has a number of tutorials, guides and other resources to help would-be sponsors support resettlement efforts, ranging from home supply and pantry list checks to helping newly arrived migrants connect with available local and federal social services.
As of Feb. 14, there were more than 2,200 ongoing conversations between potential sponsors and people looking to come to the United States, according to Welcome.US, as well as more than 2,000 potential sponsors who had already completed profiles. Somebody who wants to sponsor a migrant can register on the platform at any time.
Meanwhile, Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans looking for a sponsor can sign up on the 15th of each month. Welcome.US said that this is to offer “the right balance of sponsors and beneficiaries” in the news release announcing the development on Wednesday. The limited spots filled up quickly on Wednesday after the platform opened for registration.
That’s when Cubans on the island ran into problems signing up. It remains to be seen when the Welcome.US matching platform will be available for people who are registering from the island.
Two Cubans — one who plans to come to the U.S. through the southwest border and another organizing an illegal sea voyage — recently told The Miami Herald they felt forced to migrate illegally and wished they had someone who could sponsor them in the United States for the parole program.
At least one of them wanted to sign up for the Welcome.US matching program on Wednesday, but was unable to do so because of the embargo. By the time he sent the link to register for potential sponsorship to a family member in Florida, there were no spaces available until next month.
