Blended Visa Office Referred Program

Parastoo Aznavehzadeh

Refugee Resettlement Project Worker

June 15 , 2017

1

Agenda

• What is the BVOR Program?

• Who can Sponsor?

• Who can be sponsored ?

• Sponsors responsibilities

• Process for sponsoring

• Question and Answer period

2

Acronyms

• RSTP = Refugee Sponsorship Training Program

• IRCC = Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship

Canada

• UNHCR = United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees

• BVOR = Blended Visa Office Referred Program

• PSR = Private Sponsorship of Refugees

• GAR = Government Assisted Refugee

• SAH = Sponsorship Agreement Holder

Canadian Refugee Resettlement

Canadian Resettlement

Program:

Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR)

Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR)

Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS)

Government Assisted Refugees

(GAR)

Funded by: Private sponsors: Sponsorship Agreement

Holders and their Constituent Groups

Community Sponsors Groups of Five

6 months income support fromgovernment

6 months income support from sponsors

Start up-costs fundedby private sponsors

Government Government

Settlement Support by:

Private sponsors Private sponsors Initial settlement support by RAP SPOs (Government-funded)

Private Sponsors

RAP SPOs (Government-funded)

Sponsorship Period:

Usually 1 year Usually 1 year Up to 2 years Usually 1 year

Referred to CIC by:

Private Sponsors (Can also be referred to

Visa Office by UNHCR)

UNHCR UNHCR(RAP SPOs/Visa Offices designate cases)

UNHCR

Full Responsibility by Private Groups…… Full Responsibility by Government

What is the Blended VOR Program?

• Designed to resettlerefugees identified by UNHCR and submitted to Canadian visa offices

5

• Refugees have already met eligibility and admissibility criteria travel-ready

• Must be matched with a sponsor before they can travel to Canada

Why is it “blended”?

6

“Blended” refers to it being a cost-sharing arrangement between CIC and private sponsors

IRCC

Income Support:Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP)

Months 2-7 of sponsorship

Sponsors

Remaining costs throughout the period

+ Start-up

What does RAP cover?

Food and incidentals

Basic shelter

Transportation

Maternity dietary allowance (if applicable)

The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) is based on provincial social

assistance rates.

Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH)&

Constituent Group (CG)

Group of Five

Community Sponsor

An incorporated organization that has signed an Agreement to sponsor refugees with the Government of

Canada

A group that has been authorized by a SAH to sponsor refugees under its

Agreement

Five Canadian citizens or permanent residents

Any organization, association or corporation

Who can sponsor?

Who will be sponsored?

In 2017 the aim is to resettle 1,500 refugees from various populations, including:

Eritrean, Ethiopian

Congolese, Burundian

Sudanese, Somali, Ugandan

Burmese, Chinese

Colombian

Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian

What does it cost ? IRCC Financial Guidelines

10

Family Size

12 Months of Income Support

Start-up Costs Estimated Total Annual

Settlement Cost ($)

1 10,700 2,800 13,500

2 18,000 4,400 22,400

3 18,900 5,300 24,200

4 21,200 7,000 28,200

5 23,700 7,200 30,900

6 25,700 8,000 33,700

Additional member

1,550 1,000 2,500

* For BVOR, half of this amount.

New In-Kind Deduction Table

11

Settlement Responsibilities

Provide settlement support for the duration of the sponsorship period (usually 12 months)

Open a bank account

Connect with a settlement

agency

Provide emotional and moral support

BVOR Sponsorship Matching Process

Request for Refugee Profile

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/Imm5438e.pdf

BVOR Sponsorship Matching Process

Request for Refugee Profile document completed and sent

to RSTP at BVOR@rstp.ca

Profile placed on hold RSTP

Matching Database

3 days to decide

Application Forms http://www.rstp.ca/en/processing/the-refugee-sponsorship-application-forms

Best to open forms in Internet Explorer with

most updated version of Adobe

What happens next?

Then 1-4 months later:

• You as sponsors will receive the Notice of Arrival with detailed information about the refugees’ arrival dates and flight information.

• The refugees arrive as permanent residents and the sponsorship obligations begin!

• The local IRCC office will contact you after the refugees’ arrival to register them for the income support that the Government provides and for Interim Federal Health coverage.

• For more information:

http://www.rstp.ca/en/resources/information-sheets/

Why should you get involved?

Refugees referred through the BVOR Program:

• have been displaced and living in limbo for many years

• whether in a refugee camp or in an urban setting, they are in protracted refugee situations, often at risk

• resettlement is their only viable durable solution

YOU canmake a

difference in someone’s life!

Photo: UNHCR

THANK YOU!

Parastoo Aznavehzadeh

Refugee Resettlement Project Worker

1-877-290-1701, ext. 403

bvor@rstp.ca

Lend a helping hand and sponsor refugees through the

Blended VOR Program!