Private Sponsorship

Sponsorship groups are responsible for providing income support, plus start-up costs, to the refugee(s) they sponsor.

The Private Sponsorship of Refugee Program involves two groups: the sponsors and the refugee applicants. Each has rights and responsibilities at every stage of the sponsorship that need to be understood by everyone involved in the sponsorship.

The settlement plan is the framework for planning all the steps needed to help and support the sponsored refugees settling in Canada.

Individuals cannot be private sponsors by themselves. They must be part of a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), a Group of Five (G5) or Community Sponsors.

The 1976 Immigration Act was the first immigration act that clearly defined refugees as a distinct class of immigrants and required a mandatory responsibility on the government to plan for the future of immigration.

A sponsorship breakdown happens when sponsors are unable or unwilling to continue supporting the sponsored family before the end of the sponsorship period (usually 12 months).

The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) is a federal government initiative that helps refugee newcomers settle and integrate into Canada.