Sponsor a Refugee Through Community Sponsorship
Community Sponsors may only sponsor applicants who are recognized as refugees by either the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or a foreign state. As a matter of fact, some community organizations can sponsor refugees to come to Canada. The organization must agree to give emotional and income support to the refugees for the full sponsorship period and the duration is usually a year.
A Community Sponsor is an organization, association, or corporation that can sponsor refugees to come to Canada. The organization, association, or corporation doesn’t need to be incorporated under federal or provincial law. The Community Sponsor must be willing to support the refugees for the duration of the sponsorship. Also, a Community Sponsor must be in the community where the refugees will be settled.
Further, a Community Sponsor can partner with an individual or another organization known as co-sponsors. The co-sponsor must agree to help the refugee to settle. They must also share the responsibility for supporting the sponsored refugee.
Note that, Quebec has its own process to sponsor refugees. Therefore, for sponsors in Quebec, click here.
Before you apply, make sure that you qualify to be a Community Sponsor. Also, read the Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program for more information you will need when you apply. You must include with the refugee sponsorship application a document proving refugee status recognition that the UNHCR or a foreign state has issued. Photocopy of the original document is accepted.
During your application process, the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) will send an acknowledgment of receipt letter to you once they make sure the application is complete and the file has been created. The letter will be sent within 30 business days of receiving a complete application. Also, ROC-O will send you an approval or refusal letter once an officer decides on your sponsorship undertaking. The approval letter will include a link where you can find processing times for your application.