WA State and City of Seattle Covid-19 Immigrant Relief Funds Available
Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund
At the state level: We are excited to announce that today the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund began accepting applications. The Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund will distribute $1,000 per person (up to $3,000 per household) to Washington residents who are ineligible because of immigration status for federal stimulus funds or unemployment benefits.
To apply, individuals must be:
- A Washington state resident, and
- At least 18 years of age, and
- Have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (such as losing employment, being diagnosed with COVID-19, have had to care for a family member diagnosed with COVID-19) and,
- Did not receive the federal stimulus check and/or are not able to receive unemployment compensation because of their immigration status.
Applications are open at www.immigrantreliefwa.org from Oct. 21 – Dec. 6. Eligible applicants may also apply over the phone at 1-844-724-3737, M-F from 9am—9pm. This work is possible due to the partnerships between the Governor’s Office, the Department of Social and Health Services/Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, the Legal Foundation of Washington, the Seattle Credit Union, and all the immigrant organizations involved:
- Asian Counseling and Referral Services
- Colectiva Legal del Pueblo
- Fair Work Center
- Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
- Nuestra Casa
- OneAmerica
- RAIZ of Planned Parenthood
- Scholarship Junkies
- Washington Census Alliance
- Washington Dream Coalition
- Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
This is a big step in our efforts of transforming lives and reducing poverty, and our overarching goal for refugee and immigrant families and individuals to succeed and thrive in Washington state. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Peterson at sarah.peterson@dshs.wa.gov or to Alejandra Palomino at alejandra.palomino@dshs.wa.gov.
City of Seattle: Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund for Immigrants
The Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) is now accepting applications online for the Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund for Immigrants! This program offers a one-time payment of $1,000 to each immigrant adult applicant and up to $3,000 for families with children. Applicants must live in or attend school in or work within the Seattle city boundaries. And you must also be low-income and have been ineligible for federal CARES Act Economic Impact Payments (also known as a “coronavirus stimulus check.”)
The review process is NOT first-come, first-served. To support those with the most need, the program is prioritizing applicants based on a set of vulnerability criteria. However, OIRA encourages residents to apply as soon as possible. The application period is open for three weeks, from Thursday, October 15, 2020 to November 5, 2020, 11:59 p.m.
Information, FAQs, and where to get help completing the application can all be found on the website in Amharic, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino, and Vietnamese at:
You can also find the application translated into those same seven languages here: seattlecovidfund.org.
People eligible for this fund can receive assistance completing their application from St. James Immigrant Assistance. Our contact is Chris Koehler at ckoehler@stjames-cathedral.org or (206) 382-4511.