Help Center

Are there different rules if I want to sponsor a refugee from Turkey?

To privately sponsor a refugee from Turkey, you must prove that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has:

• found the person to be a Convention refugee who needs resettling; and
• referred the refugee to the Canadian Embassy in Ankara for resettlement in Canada.

These rules will be in force indefinitely. They were put in place on May 25, 2004. They were a response to a change in the Government of Turkey's policy on issuing exit permits to refugees. It states that people in Turkey who do not meet the above requirements will not get permits to leave the country.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is committed to offering protection in light of evolving refugee situations in the region. However, CIC will not accept applications from Sponsorship Agreement Holders unless they are able to prove the persons being sponsored will be able to get exit permits from Turkey.

If you know any potential applicants in Turkey, let them know that they need to:

• register with the UNHCR; and
• meet the exit requirements of the Turkish government.

All Iraqis in the Middle East applying for resettlement should also be advised that moving from Syria to Turkey will not help them unless they meet the exit permit requirements of the Turkish government.

Answers others found useful

• Who is eligible for sponsorship under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program?
• Who can sponsor a refugee?
• How long does it take before the refugee can come to Canada?
• Who decides whether a refugee can be sponsored and resettled?
• What kind of support do government-assisted refugees get?