Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
2. Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
2.3 Who may submit a private sponsorship?
The following groups may submit a private sponsorship:
- Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) are incorporated organizations that have signed a formal sponsorship agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Most current SAHs are religious organizations, ethnocultural groups or humanitarian organizations. SAHs, which may be local, regional or national, assume overall responsibility for the management of sponsorships under their agreement. Organizations entering into a sponsorship agreement with CIC generally submit several refugee sponsorships a year.
- Constituent Groups: A SAH can authorize Constituent Groups (CGs) to sponsor under its agreement and provide support to the refugees. Each SAH sets its own criteria for recognizing CGs. CGs are based in the sponsored refugee’s expected community of settlement and must have their sponsorship application and settlement plan approved by their SAH before the undertaking is submitted to the Centralized Processing Office in Winnipeg (CPO-W).
- Groups of Five (G5) are five or more Canadian citizens or permanent
residents, who are at least 18 years of age, live in the expected community
of settlement and have collectively arranged for the sponsorship of a
refugee living abroad. The five individuals act as guarantors that the
necessary support will be provided for the full duration of the sponsorship.
The CPO-W assesses individual contributions of group members to the sponsorship. The financial and non-financial aspects are considered collectively as well as the settlement plan before the sponsorship is approved. The group’s financial commitment must meet the levels established in the Sponsorship Cost Table.
As part of the application package, the sponsoring group will need to include proof that each applicant has been recognized as a refugee by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or by a foreign state. Only a photocopy of the original document is required. If the document is in a language other than English or French, then a certified translation of it (in either official language) must be submitted along with the photocopy of the original document. - Community Sponsors: Any organization (for-profit/not-for-profit, incorporated/non-incorporated) located in the community where the refugees are expected to settle can make an organizational commitment to sponsor. The Department allows Community Sponsors to submit only two sponsorship undertakings a year and they must undergo financial and settlement plan assessments by the CPO-W each time they wish to sponsor. Like G5s, Community Sponsors must demonstrate
that the organization is willing and able to commit funds toward the sponsorship
in line with the levels established in the Sponsorship Cost Table.
As part of the application package, the sponsoring group will need to include proof that each applicant has been recognized as a refugee by the UNHCR or by a foreign state. Only a photocopy of the original document is required. If the document is in a language other than English or French, then a certified translation of it (in either official language) must be submitted along with the photocopy of the original document. - A SAH, a CG or a Community Sponsor has the option of formalizing a partnership with an outside party to share in the delivery of settlement assistance and support. Partnerships may be formed with individuals (e.g., a family member of the sponsored refugee living in Canada) or other organizations. The partner—cosponsor—is expected to sign the sponsorship undertaking and discharge the responsibilities that were agreed to in the settlement plan.
- Date Modified:
