New program provides relief for refugee Amazon employees

Amazon has begun a new program designed to provide refugee and humanitarian-based immigrant employees with additional resources and support, as well as reimbursement for Employment Authorization Document (EAD) fees.

According to Upwardly Global, refugees often face challenges when seeking jobs and resettlement support in a new community. Plus many struggle with language barriers and gaps in their careers, which can limit their knowledge of the latest developments within an industry.

“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.”

Through the new Welcome Door program, Amazon’s refugee and humanitarian-based immigrant employees will have access to several new resources, including:

• Reimbursement for EAD renewal fees.
• A new Citizenship Assistance Portal that will fully support U.S. citizenship applications for all eligible employees.
• Ongoing communications that will highlight policy changes that may impact an employee’s immigration status.
• Free legal resources to help navigate immigration-related questions and the ability to connect with immigration experts.
• Access to skills training benefits including free college tuition and English as a Second Language (ESL) proficiency through Amazon’s Career Choice program.
• Customized mentorship.

These new resources will be offered to Amazon employees in the U.S. starting next month, and the company plans to expand the program globally by the end of the year.

As part of its pledge to help upskill the American workforce, Amazon recently announced a commitment to fully fund college tuition, books, and fees, as well as high school diplomas, GEDs, college preparatory courses, and English as a Second Language (ESL) proficiency certifications, for its front-line hourly employees though the Career Choice program. Employees who have been with Amazon for as little as 90 days are now eligible to begin this program and can participate for an unlimited time as long as they remain Amazon employees.