This document provides an overview of private sponsorship of refugees in Canada. It discusses that private sponsorship allows groups of individuals or organizations to sponsor refugees determined to be eligible for resettlement. Sponsors are responsible for reception, care, lodging, and settlement assistance for refugees for their first year. The document outlines the various types of sponsors, including Groups of Five, Community Sponsors, and Sponsorship Agreement Holders. It also reviews the refugee resettlement process, eligibility criteria, and support available for agencies and groups interested in becoming involved in private refugee sponsorship.

1. Private Sponsorship Of
Refugees: What Is It? How Can
Your Agency Get Involved ?
Fall 2010 OCASI Professional
Development Conference
November 4, 2010

2. Overview
1. Refugees – facts and figures
2. What is private sponsorship of refugees?
3. Who can be a sponsor?
4. What are the responsibilities of a private
sponsoring group?
5. Who can be sponsored?
6. How your agency can participate in private
sponsorship?
7. Salient elements of the program
8. Support available
9. Questions and answers

3. Refugees - facts and Figures
• End of 2009 43.3 million forcibly displaced
people
• 5.5 million refugees were in protracted
situations
– In 21 different countries
• Developing countries host 80% of the
world’s refugees
• 41% of refugees and asylum seekers were
children under 18
*2009 UNHCR Global Trends http://www.unhcr.org/4c11f0be9.html

4. How do refugees come to
Canada?
Inland processing
Person arrives in Canada, and makes a refugee
claim
Overseas processing
Refugees processed overseas
Can be:
– Government Assisted Refugees (GAR)
– Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR)
– Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS)

5. Private Sponsorship of Refugees
Program
• PSR is a commitment by a group of
individuals to sponsor and support persons,
determined to be refugees under Canadian
law.
The Objectives of PSR are to:
• Encourage the Canadian public’s involvement
in the resettlement of refugees.
• To continue a tradition of dedication by the
voluntary sector to resettle and integrate
refugees into Canadian society.

6. Who can sponsor?
Groups of Five
Community Sponsors
Sponsorship Agreement
Holders (SAHs)

7. Group of Five
Any group of five Canadian citizens or
permanent residents can sponsor refugees.

8. Community Sponsors
Any organization, association or corporation,
does not have to be incorporated, can sponsor
up to two refugee families per year (finances
permitting).

9. Sponsorship Agreement Holder
An organization that has signed a Sponsorship
Agreement with the Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration which allows them to participate in
the resettlement of refugees through the
Private Sponsorship of Refugees program.

10. Who can be sponsored?
Eligibility
- Do they meet one of Canada‘s
refugee definitions?
- Do they have no other solutions?
Admissibility
- Criminality and Security
- Medical

11. What is the sponsor responsible
for?
To provide the refugee during the
sponsorship period (usually 12
months) with:
• reception
• care
• lodging and
• settlement assistance for the
sponsored refugees in the expected
community of settlement
*the sponsored refugee cannot access social
assistance during the sponsorship period*

12. Sponsorship costs
Family
Size
12 Months of
Income
Support
Start-up
Costs
Estimated Total
Annual
Settlement Cost
1 $ 9,000 $ 2,800 $ 11,800
2 15,500 4,300 19,800
3 17,700 5,300 23,000
4 20,000 6,000 26,000
5 22,500 7,200 29,700
6 24,500 8,000 32,500
Additional
member
1,550 1,000 2,500

13. How can your agencies get
involved?
Indirect:
• Providing assistance to groups who
are participating in private
sponsorship of refugees
• Promoting the program and
encouraging Canadian citizens to
sponsor refugees

14. How can your agencies get
involved?
Direct:
• Sponsor as a Community Sponsor
• Work with a SAH in your area to
sponsor refugees
• Apply to become a SAH

15. Salient elements of PSR program
- Already resettle more than 200,000
refugees
- Response to various international crisis
- Acts as an expression of international
solitary to refugee crisis
- Allows groups to play a higher or
comparable role as some resettlement
countries

16. National Context
Currently, the federal government is encouraging
groups across Canada to participate in PSR.
Summer 2010, Federal Bill C11 was approved to:
• Increase settlement spots by 2,500 annually (500
more spaces for Government Assisted Refugees
and 2,000 more for Privately Sponsored
Refugees.)
• Increase resources for overseas processing and
the resettlement assistance program

17. Support Available
• Refugee Sponsorship Training
Program
– Website, e-mail, phone
– Print and electronic materials
– Training support
• Other organizations involved in the
PSR program

18. THANK YOU!
For further information, visit our
website at www.rstp.ca or
contact us:
416-290-1700
info@rstp.ca