As the war in the Ukraine continues, Amazon has launched the Welcome Door program, an initiative to provide refugee and humanitarian-based immigrant employees with additional resources and support, including reimbursement for Employment Authorization Document fees.
Through the new Welcome Door program, Amazon’s refugee and humanitarian-based immigrant employees will have access to resources, including:
- Reimbursement for EAD renewal fees, which on average cost roughly $500 every other year.
- A new Citizenship Assistance Portal that will support U.S. citizenship applications for all eligible employees.
- Ongoing communications that will include policy changes that may impact an employee’s immigration status.
- Free legal resources to help navigate immigration-related questions and connection with immigration experts.
- Access to skills training benefits including free college tuition and English as a second language proficiency via Amazon’s Career Choice program.
- Customized mentorship.
Amazon will offer the new resources to U.S. employees starting next month, it noted, and the company plans to expand the program globally by the end of the year.
“At Amazon, we have a variety of jobs and welcome all kinds of people, and we’re proud to offer enhanced support for refugees around the world,” said Ofori Agboka, Amazon’s vice president of people experience and tech for operations. “Being displaced from your homeland and having to start again somewhere new is challenging and emotional. It is an honor and a privilege to help to make that transition easier and help people start again. Across our entire business and at all levels, we’re working with refugees to secure jobs and get the support they need.”
