Access to decent employment opportunities for refugees in Kenya has long been a concern for organizations supporting displaced communities. Significant strides have been made to help refugees, such as simplifying access to work permits, providing business permits, and offering vocational skills development programs. These efforts have equipped many refugees with the skills and certifications needed to pursue sustainable livelihoods. However, Kenya's economic challenges persist, making it difficult for refugees to find stable jobs. As a result, many skilled refugees are now seeking better opportunities abroad, particularly in the United States, where they hope for improved employment prospects and a more secure future.
The Welcome Corps at Work (WCW) Program by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) connects skilled refugees in Kenya and Uganda to employers in the United States. The program is funded by the US government. WCW is implemented by the IRC in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB).
In this article, we provide information on how a skilled refugee living in Kenya can find and receive support to take up a decent job opportunity in the United States by following the steps outlined.
Information on how refugees living in Uganda can access this opportunity can be found HERE
An overview of the Welcome Corps at Work Program
The Welcome Corps at Work program has three main stakeholders;
- Skilled refugees - Someone who has specialized knowledge, qualifications or experience in a particular profession or industry e.g. Healthcare, housekeeping, hospitality & catering, construction, education, Information and communications technology (ICT), e.t.c.
- Employers in the US – companies in need of staff with different qualifications, skills or experience.
- Private sponsor groups. -These are groups of people or families in the US who provide Initial support for a minimum of 90 days once a refugee is resettled. Initial support includes housing, basic needs, connections to relevant services (health care, education), and support to adapt to the new community. They help to ease the resettlement process by providing financial, logistical, and social support to refugees.
Eligibility criteria for refugees to participate in the WCW program
The Welcome Corps at Work program is employer-led, meaning that a refugee is only considered for resettlement to the US based on having been offered a job by an employer. However, all refugees that want to be secure jobs and resettle in the US have to meet the following criteria:
- Must have arrived in Kenya before 30th September 2023
- Be registered as refugees by the government of Kenya with a valid Refugee ID, a waiting slip or mandate to prove their refugee status. (All the nuclear family members -including children under 21years- must also meet these criteria.)
OR
- Have a United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) case number
Any skilled refugee in Kenya who meets the above eligibility criteria is free to apply. English language qualifications and other certifications are determined by an employer because different employers require different English proficiency levels, and different qualifications.
How does the WCW program work?
Refugees who meet the criteria for the WCW program can register through the talent catalogue.The talent catalogue is a platform where one creates a profile and gives details about their skills and work experience.
Below are the steps that are followed to connect you to a job: Create your profile here: Register and add information on your skills, education and work experience.
- Job Matching: When a job is available, the job description will be uploaded on the talent catalogue. Once this is done, the system will go through the registered profiles and provide a list of profiles that match with the job description.
- Intake & Verification: IRC staff interview the matched candidates and this information is checked again by the program team for eligibility and also verified with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and/or the Department of Refugee Services (DRS) before the names and their CVs are shared with the employer.
- Employer Interviews: Employers select the candidates they want to interview. IRC supports candidates at this stage with interview preparation sessions, space to do the interview from, and internet if needed.
- Job offer and Resettlement: Successful candidates receive job offers. If they accept, IRC refers their cases to the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for resettlement. The resettlement process usually takes 1-2 years.
How to register in the talent catalogue
Create a profile using your email address and a password you will remember. To do this, click on this link: tctalent.org/?p=irc, then scroll down until you see the ‘register’ button.
Please note that the talent catalogue is in English language.
Click on the ‘Register’ button, enter your email address and create a password which you will remember. The talent catalogue will then prompt you to:
- Enter your general information such as your name, when you arrived in Kenya, your contact information and your individual number.
- Enter information about your occupation(s) (e.g. Healthcare- nursing: 3 years, Housekeeping: 1 year)
- Enter as much detail as possible about your work experience. Candidates are encouraged to write their job descriptions for the various jobs they have done in as much detail as possible.
- Enter information on education and certifications
- List the languages you know and the levels of proficiency for each. For each language that you list, you will be asked to grade: (a) how well you speak it, and (b) how well you can read and write in the language
- Upload your CV, Refugee ID and any other documents that prove your eligibility for the program and qualification for a job.
You can always go back to your profile and update with new certification or work experience.
Resettlement of successful candidates
Candidates who get jobs under the Welcome Corps at Work program will be processed in the same manner as all other refugees referred to USRAP. Refugees admitted to USRAP are subject to intensive vetting by U.S. intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies, as well as medical screening before and after they travel to the U.S. The entire vetting and processing timeline (from the time that one accepts a job offer) is currently between 12 and 24 months.
The IRC is also recruiting Private Sponsor Groups (in the US) who will be members of the local community in which a refugee gets a job to provide initial support for a minimum of 90 days once one is resettled.
Important information to note about fraud and how to report:
Candidates must remain honest throughout the process. Dishonesty will get a candidate disqualified.
During the resettlement process, knowingly providing false information in an application before the U.S. government could lead to you being denied future applications for immigration and may be a criminal offense under the laws of the United States.
Registering into the talent catalogue, job matching, job interviews, Access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and its processes, being matched with a private sponsor and all other support from Welcome Corps at Work is FREE of charge and candidates will be treated fairly and equally.
Refugees should beware of anyone who asks for money to influence or speed up processing – they are lying. Welcome Corps cannot help you recover money paid to access this program.
Welcome Corps refugee applicants have the same processing requirements as all other refugee applicants in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. If someone says they can help move an application faster, this is a SCAM and is not true.
Applicant identity documents belong to the applicant. Sponsors in the United States do not have the right to take or keep refugees’ documents.
Only the U.S. government determines if an applicant is a refugee. Sponsors cannot send refugees back to their countries of origin or cancel their cases with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
The Welcome Corps at Work Program at IRC Kenya will only contact refugees through the email work@welcomecorps.org or the number 0115119896
You may report anyone who requests money or favors from refugees to fraud@welcomecorps.org The Welcome Corps team works to ensure the confidentiality and safety of those submitting reports.
Are you eligible? Click this link tctalent.org/?p=irc or scan the QR code below, click register and create your profile. All the best!
If you have any questions, please write to us via the Julisha.Info Facebook page or send us a message on WhatsApp or SMS to +254110601820 Monday through Friday from 08:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.