Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

2. Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

2.19 Other useful information

Coverage of health-care costs: Depending on the province of destination, the waiting period for provincial health insurance coverage can be as much as 90 days for new permanent residents. However, in most jurisdictions, resettled refugees may be eligible from the day of arrival. Privately sponsored refugees should apply for provincial or territorial health insurance as soon as possible.

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides limited, temporary health coverage for specific groups of people in Canada. The coverage is paid for by CIC. The IFHP is a payer of last resort when the beneficiary has no access to any provincial or territorial health-care coverage or private health coverage for that service or product. Privately sponsored refugees who are not yet eligible for provincial or territorial health insurance may be covered by the IFHP for physician and hospital care during the waiting period.

Privately sponsored refugees may also be covered by the IFHP for vaccines and medications to protect public health or public safety for as long as they are under a private sponsorship. Those who also receive governmental resettlement assistance in the form of income support may be eligible for additional medications and other health-care products and services while they receive the income support, or while they are under private sponsorship. Details about the IFHP, including how to apply and the scope of coverage, can be found on this website.

Canada child tax benefit: Most resettled refugee parents with children under the age of 18 qualify for a monthly payment to help them with the cost of raising their children. For more information, or to obtain the application form for this benefit, applicants should contact the nearest tax services office, visit the Canada Revenue Agency website or call 1-800-387-1193 toll-free.

Trust accounts: Some groups establish trust accounts for the funds collected, raised or donated for the settlement of sponsored refugees. CIC neither promotes nor objects to the use of trust accounts. However, groups should use caution in ensuring that the funds in the account and all interest accrued are used only for the direct settlement costs of the refugees for whom the funds were collected. Groups must be able to account for all expenditures. To ensure this, the account can be registered in the name of the sponsoring group with a note specifying that the money is in trust for the sponsored refugee. For withdrawals, the account should require the signature of at least two group members.

Permanent resident card: Any new permanent resident to Canada will be issued a permanent resident (PR) card. These cards are valid for five years. Upon arrival in Canada, the newly arrived refugee will usually be asked to provide a mailing address in Canada to which the PR card will be sent.

A refugee who is not able to provide an address will be given an IMM 5456 (Address Notification—Permanent Resident Card). This form must be completed and faxed back to the PR Card Processing Centre at 1-902-564-7317.

Applicants can also submit their address to the Department in two other ways:

1. by calling the Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 (toll-free); or
2. by using the Online Address Update service.

To avoid a $50 processing fee, the refugee’s permanent address in Canada must be provided to CIC within 180 days after entering Canada.

Secondary Migration: Sponsors are encouraged to maintain open lines of communication with both the refugee and the CPO-W throughout the sponsorship period.

It may happen that, at some point during the sponsorship period, the refugee decides to move out of the sponsor’s community. This is referred to as “secondary migration.” If this happens to a group sponsoring under a SAH, the group is advised to discuss the situation with the SAH.

Scenarios:

• If the refugee is able to support himself or herself in the new community for the remainder of the sponsorship period, the sponsoring group has no further obligations.
• If the sponsoring group is willing to maintain the sponsorship from a distance, the group should notify the CPO-W of the refugee’s relocation and continue the sponsorship.
• If the sponsoring group wishes to transfer the sponsorship to another group in the new community or if the group is not willing or able to continue providing material assistance to the refugee in the new location, the CPO-W must be contacted immediately. (Note: If the former, the SAH is expected to make the initial contact with another sponsoring group.)

In a transfer of sponsorship, the new group signs a sponsorship undertaking for the remainder of the sponsorship period. The new undertaking replaces the first and the original group is no longer considered the sponsor. Where the sponsor has decided that it will not or cannot continue to support the refugee in the new community, the sponsorship is in danger of breakdown.

In this case, the local Citizenship and Immigration Centre, the sponsoring group (including the SAH if a CG is involved) and the refugee will meet to try to resolve the sponsorship breakdown and, if applicable, to ascertain responsibility. The three-way meeting will also address the ongoing needs of the refugee for the remainder of the sponsorship period and the capacity of the sponsor to support the refugee under the changed circumstances. Where there is no agreement on who is ultimately responsible for the breakdown, the local Citizenship and Immigration Centre makes the final determination. If the sponsor is found responsible, the group must continue to support the refugee in the new community. If it is not responsible, it is released from all further obligations.

It is important to remember that, unless the local Citizenship and Immigration Centre issues a formal notice of sponsorship breakdown (which effectively cancels the sponsorship undertaking) sponsored refugees are not entitled to obtain income support through provincial or municipal social assistance programs or the Resettlement Assistance Program during the sponsorship period (normally 12 months). Furthermore, sponsoring groups may, under certain circumstances, be liable for reimbursing the government concerned for income support issued to refugees under the group’s sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship breakdown, please consult Chapter 3 of CIC’s in-Canada processing manual (IP3) or the Sponsorship Agreement, both of which are available online.

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