Private sponsorship of refugees

Convention refugee

A Convention refugee is a person who, by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social

group or political opinion,(a) is outside each of their countries of nationality and

is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of each of those

countries; or(b) not having a country of nationality, is outside the

country of their former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to return to

that country.

The role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) leads and coordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its main purpose is

to protect the rights and well-being of refugees.As part of its activities, the UNHCR refers refugees to Canada

when resettlement is the best solution. A Canadian visa officer then decides whether they meet the requirements of Canada's Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program,

andare admissible to Canada.

Like all immigrants, refugees selected for resettlement must pass medical, security and criminal screenings

Sponsorship

Blended Visa Office- Referred Program

Sponsorship Agreement HoldersSponsorship Agreement Holders are religious, ethnic, community or service organizations, which have signed an agreement with the Minister, and are already approved to sponsor refugees

Eligibility To be eligible to become a sponsorship agreement holder (SAH), an organization must be incorporated (a legally created organization). The organization must sign a sponsorship agreement with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. A SAH can be a local, regional or national organization. It assumes full responsibility for managing sponsorships under its agreement. A SAH can authorize other groups in the community to sponsor refugees under its agreement. These groups are known as “constituent groups.”

Co-sponsorsA SAH can also form a partnership with an individual or another organization. These are known as co-sponsors. The co-sponsor must agree to help deliver settlement assistance and share the responsibility for supporting the sponsored refugees.

Sponsorship Agreement HoldersWhat are the steps?

• Determine your eligibility• Apply to become a sponsorship agreement

holder• Apply to sponsor a refugee

Apply to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder

1. Get the application packageRequest an application by writing to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program or emailing PSR-PPPR@cic.gc.ca2. Submit your applicationSubmit a completed application form and all the required documentation (articles of incorporation, audited financial statements, etc.) to:

Refugee Resettlement Program Delivery UnitIntegration Program Management Branch

Citizenship and Immigration Canada180 Kent Street, 6th Floor

Ottawa, OntarioK1A 1L1

Blended Visa Office-Referred ProgramLaunched in 2013, the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program matches refugees identified for resettlement by the United Nations

Refugee Agency (UNHCR) with private sponsors in Canada.The goal is to engage in a three-way partnership among the Government

of Canada, the UNHCR, and private sponsors who are Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs).

The Government of Canada will provide up to six months of income support through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP), while private sponsors will provide another six months of financial support and up to a

year of social and emotional support. Refugees are also covered under the Interim Federal Health Program for the duration of the sponsorship

(one year), in addition to provincial health coverage.The goal is to match up to 1,000 refugees with sponsors each year through

this program.

Groups of fiveA Group of five (G5) is five or more Canadian citizens or

permanent residents who have arranged to sponsor a refugee living abroad to come to Canada. All of the group members

must be at least 18 years of age and live or have representatives in the area where the refugee will settle.

The group must agree to give emotional and financial support to the refugee(s) for the full sponsorship period-usually one

year.*Effective October 19, 2012, a G5 may only sponsor applicants who are recognized as refugees by either the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees or a foreign state

Community sponsorsA community sponsor can be:

• an organization• an association or• a corporation

The organization, association or corporation does not have to be incorporated under federal or provincial law.

A community sponsor must be located in the community where the refugees are expected to settle.

Co-sponsorsA community sponsor can form a partnership with an individual or

another organization. These are known as co-sponsors. The co-sponsor must agree to help deliver settlement assistance and share

the responsibility for supporting the sponsored refugee.

Joint Assistance Sponsorship ProgramCitizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) sometimes partners with

organizations to resettle refugees with special needs.

Refugees with special needs may need more support than other refugees in order to settle in Canada. Special needs may arise due to:

trauma from violence or torture,medical disabilities,

the effects of systemic discrimination, ora large number of family members

Under the JAS program, refugees receive support from the government and a private sponsor for up to 24 months, depending on the case. In a few cases, the

private sponsor may provide support for up to 36 months.These refugees get income support from the Government of Canada for food,

shelter, clothing and basic household goods. They are also matched with a private sponsorship group. The sponsorship group helps refugees adjust to life in

Canada by providing settlement help and emotional support.

The application processApplicants for resettlement to Canada must meet eligibility and admissibility criteria:

Phase: Completion checkOnce you have submitted your application, CIC will check to determine that:

all required application forms and supporting documentation have been submittedWhen CIC begins processing a completed application, a case file number will be assigned and a Letter of Confirmation will inform you of your case file number.

Phase: Eligibility criteriaYou are eligible when you meet the definition of a Convention Refugee Abroad or

qualify as a member of the Country of AsylumIn addition to deciding if you meet the refugee definitions, CIC may assess your

ability to resettle successfully in Canada.

Phase: Admissibility criteriaYou are admissible when you pass: medical exam, security checks and criminality

checks

The application processInterview

CIC will review the application and decide if an interview is necessary. If so, you will be informed of the time and place. You, your spouse or common-

law partner and any dependent children may be asked to attend.At the interview, you will likely be asked questions about:

why you consider yourself to be a refugee and the circumstances that caused you to fear persecution

relationship to your family memberpast or current difficulties with the law

your work experience,education

financial situationspoken languages

What documents are required?1 - Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status2 - Proof of funds3 - Proof of refugee status recognition (For G5 and Community Sponsors only)4 - Application for Convention Refugees Abroad and Humanitarian-Protected Person Abroad (IMM 6000)

Required forms• Undertaking/Application to Sponsor (IMM 5373)• Sponsor Assessment (IMM 5492)• All forms listed in the Application for Convention

Refugees Abroad and Humanitarian-Protected Persons Abroad (IMM 6000)

Cost of sponsorshipFamily size 12 months of

income supportStart-up costs Estimated Total

Annual Settlement Cost

($)

1 9,800 2,800 12,600

2 16,800 4,400 21,200

3 17,700 5,300 23,000

4 20,000 7,000 27,000

5 22,500 7,200 29,700

6 24,500 8,000 32,500

Additional member

1,550 1,000 2,550

In-Kind Deduction Table ($)Family

sizeShelter Clothing Furniture Start-up

Costs (Househ

old Needs)

Food Staples

School Start-up

Costs

1 6,000 500 1,500 325 175

2 7,100 1,000 2,000 350 250

3 7,800 1,375 2,500 375 325

4 8,400 1,750 3,000 400 400

5 9,600 2,125 3,500 425 475

6 9,600 2,500 4,000 450 550

For additional member, add

900 375 500 25 75 150 per child between ages 4-21

Financial guidelines• Sponsoring groups will not accept the payment of

funds from the refugees for the submission of a sponsorship, either before or after their arrival in Canada.

• Refugees have no legal obligation, and cannot be made to enter into a legal or informal obligation, to prepay or repay their sponsoring groups for lodging, care, and settlement assistance and support.

• Sponsorship Groups are expected to provide the refugees with both financial and settlement support for a period of up to 12 months including the opportunity to attend English language training and acquire skills necessary to access employment in Canada.

Financial guidelines• Refugees resettled in Canada are responsible for paying

for their overseas medical examination, travel documents and transportation costs to Canada. They may receive a repayable loan from the government to cover these costs

• Sponsoring groups are not responsible, unless they have co-signed loans, for any debt that a refugee incurs in Canada.

• Formal sponsorship commitments end after the first twelve months

• There are no application or processing fees for people applying to immigrate to Canada in a refugee class

CommitmentsSpecifically as a sponsoring group you will do the following during the first 12 months:• Meet the family at the airport and escort them to accommodation• Assist the family in finding housing and ensuring the costs for housing are

covered;• Make sure that the family’s needs are covered for clothing, furnishings,

and food;• Make the necessary health connections;• Make sure the family is given a general orientation to the city and its

transportation system;• Make sure that, most likely with the assistance of settlement service

organizations, children register in school and parents in English as a Second Language classes;

• Help to fill in the knowledge gaps that everyone experiences when they move to a new city or country.

• Help members of the family find appropriate training or employment

After they arriveAt Immigrant Services Guelph Wellington we support the newcomers with a comprehensive orientation and referral service to help them start their new life in Canada.

We will:-Welcome and assess their needs - Develop with them a settlement plan to meet immediate and long term goals (i.e. language assessment and training, apply for benefits, referrals to schools and job search programs, etc.)-Support them along the way with the integration in the community

Thank you!

What do we do next?