Community Sponsors

Community Sponsors are organizations, associations or corporations that can sponsor refugees to come to Canada. Unlike Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs), Community Sponsors do not sign formal agreements with the Government of Canada.

Community Sponsors must undergo financial and settlement plan assessments by immigration officials each time they wish to sponsor. They must also demonstrate that the organization has the financial capacity and settlement expertise to fulfill the sponsorship.

Like other private sponsors, Community Sponsors commit to providing:

• Financial support for the refugees during the sponsorship period (usually 12 months)
• Care, lodging, settlement assistance and support for the sponsorship period

Community Sponsors can include:

• Community organizations
• Ethnic or cultural groups
• Local businesses
• Labor unions
• Service clubs
• Faith-based organizations without SAH status
• Other incorporated entities

Community Sponsors may choose to work with co-sponsors, who can be individuals or other organizations. The co-sponsors share responsibility for providing financial and settlement support to the sponsored refugees.

To be eligible to be sponsored by a Community Sponsor, refugees must:

• Meet the definition of either a Convention Refugee Abroad or a Country of Asylum class member
• Be referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or another designated referral organization, or have refugee status recognition in the country where they currently reside
• Pass medical, security and criminality screenings
• Show potential to become self-sufficient and successfully establish in Canada within a reasonable period of time