Refugee Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a three-way partnership between sponsors, the government of Canada, and the refugees themselves which allows refugees with no other solutions to resettle here in Canada. Sponsorship requires groups of people who are committed to working alongside refugees in order to ensure that they have the necessary support to integrate into life in Canada.
Types of Sponsorship
The majority of sponsorship cases authorized by the Presbyterian Church in Canada are private sponsorships; however, on occasion churches are asked to do joint assistance sponsorships.
Private sponsorship: The Refugee sponsorship is fully funded by sponsoring groups. Sponsoring groups commit to providing basic support and care for the sponsored refugee for a set sponsorship period, or until the sponsored refugees become self-sufficient—whichever comes first. Generally the sponsorship period is 12 months, however, depending on the needs of the refugee, the length of the sponsorship may be extended up to 24 months.
Joint Assistance Sponsorship: The government funds the sponsorships with private sponsoring groups providing logistical and moral support.
Government Assisted: The sponsorship is fully funded by the government, no group is involved.
Who can sponsor a Refugee?
Congregations sponsor refugees under the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec as the Sponsorship Agreement Holder. Groups of Five apply directly to the government and the BCOQ is not involved.
Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) and their Constituent Groups: Sponsorship Agreement Holders are established organizations that have signed the Sponsorship Agreement with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Currently there are over 80 SAHs across Canada, ranging from religious organizations, to ethno-cultural groups and other humanitarian organizations. The Sponsorship Agreement Holder, or SAH, assumes overall responsibility for the management of sponsorships under their agreement. The Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec is a sponsorship agreement holder enabling congregations within the CBOQ to sponsor refugees.
Groups of Five: Any group of five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents, who are at least 19 years of age and who live in the community where the refuges are expected to settle, can also sponsor refugees. In G-5 sponsorships the individuals act as guarantors that the necessary support will be provided for the full duration of the sponsorship.
