Bridgetown United Church
William Black Pastoral Charge
If you are interested in further information on Refugee Sponsorship please refer to
http://www.united-church.ca/humanrights/refugees
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Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH)
http://www.united-church.ca/humanrights/refugees
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1) What is a SAH?
A number of organizations have signed sponsorship agreements with the Government of Canada to help support refugees from abroad when they resettle in Canada. These organizations are known as Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH). They can sponsor refugees themselves or work with others in the community to sponsor refugees. Most sponsorship agreement holders are religious, ethnic, community or service organizations.
Under the church’s sponsorship agreement, we work with congregations/
pastoral charges that form a constituent group (CG) to sponsor refugees.
2) Who can be sponsored? People who qualify as refugees under the following two
refugee classes may be sponsored under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees
(PSR) Program:
The Convention Refugee Abroad Class
The Country of Asylum Class
3) Can we sponsor?
Your pastoral charge can sponsor a refugee/family if the visa post (office outside
Canada where the refugee application will be processed) has allocation.
4) How can I/we sponsor refugees?
Your congregation or group can initiate the process to bring a refugee to Canada:
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Contact the Refugee Advisor at the General Council Office at refugees@united-church.ca to inquire if there are refugee spots. The General Council Office’s role is to facilitate the sponsorship process for sponsor and refugee.
b. Congregations in a geographic area can team up to co-sponsor a refugee.
5) What are the different types of sponsorships?
Visa Office Referrals (VOR) – the refugee has already been identified as in need of protection by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) (or another referral organization overseas) and the Canadian Visa office abroad, but requires a sponsor in Canada through congregations/pastoral charges, organizations or groups.
Sponsor-Referrals (SR) - the sponsoring group has direct knowledge of particular refugees or refugee families overseas who have been brought to its attention. It is important to consider the refugees’ personal stories and particular circumstances before making the commitment to sponsor.
People of all sexual orientation and gender identities refugee sponsorships are in partnership with Rainbow Refugee Canada.
The Blended Visa-Office Referred (VOR) Initiative - a program designed to resettle refugees identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and submitted to Canadian visa offices abroad. It is referred to as a "blended" program because it is a cost-sharing arrangement whereby Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and The United Church of Canada, both contribute to financially supporting the refugees.
How does the "blended" model work?
Refugees resettled under the Blended VOR Initiative will receive income support during the first 6 months after their arrival through the federal government's Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). They are also fully covered under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for a full 12 months in addition to provincial health coverage. Sponsors will be responsible for the remaining 6 months of financial support. The SAH and its congregations/pastoral charges also have the responsibility to provide settlement and emotional support for the refugees for the 12 month sponsorship term.
Joint Assistance Sponsorships (JAS) - Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) sometimes partners with organizations to resettle refugees with special needs. Refugees with special needs may need more support than other refugees in order to settle in Canada. This program is for more vulnerable refugees. Refugees receive support from the government and a private sponsor for up to 24 months, depending on the case. In a few cases, the private sponsor may provide support for up to 36 months. JAS refugees get income support from the Government of Canada for food, shelter, clothing, and basic household goods.
LGBT Sponsorships – The United Church of Canada partners with the Rainbow Refugee Society in a Government of Canada cost-sharing initiative to facilitate cases that involve refugees who are fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation and gender identities. Refugee cases are supported by the government for start-up expenses and three months of income support. LGBT cases can also be referred as VOR, SR, JAS, and BVOR refugees.
6) What would it cost to sponsor a refugee?
Your congregation can take full responsibility of a sponsorship. This requires your complete involvement for a refugee (individual or family) for one year from the date of arrival. Responsibilities include providing housing, clothing, food, and all aspects in assisting in integration e.g. enrolling adults in language classes, the children in schools, teaching them how to do the shopping, helping them to find a family doctor and so on.
Although the cost of living varies from one region to another, the following table can assist the sponsoring group in estimating the cost involved in sponsoring a refugee family for 12 months. The required financial resources indicated in the Sponsorship Cost Table are roughly equivalent to local social assistance rate figures.
Several factors may reduce the amount of financial support that the sponsoring group must provide. Examples of these factors may include in-kind donations and financial resources the sponsored refugee brings to Canada. The chart below provides an estimated value for certain in-kind donations. For updated information on the cost of sponsorship, contact your local Citizenship and Immigration Centre or the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP). For details on how to contact the RSTP, visit their website at www.rstp.ca.
7) How long will it take for the refugee to arrive in Canada?
The overseas-processing time of a refugee sponsorship application varies in different
Canadian visa offices abroad. There is a processing time of approximately 3-4 years.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/ref-private.asp
8) How do we know if the refugee applicant has been accepted or not after the
interview?
If a refugee applicant is informed and/or given information by the Canadian visa officer on how to obtain a medical exam, it means that the interview was successful. The acceptance of their case now depends on successfully passing the medical, criminality and security checks (i.e. admissibility criteria). If the interview was not successful, the interviewing Canadian visa officer will inform the refugee applicant. The decision will be confirmed in a letter from the visa office.
9) Who arranges the flights details and handles the exit permits?
Generally, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) handles all travel-related matters for sponsored refugees. IOM staff will book the flight and arrange for exit permits.
10) WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES TO USE?
<< Handbook (2004)>>
Citizen and Immigration Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op05-eng.pdf
Refugee Sponsorship Training Program
Canadian Council for Refugees
United Nations High Commission for Refugees
Act Alliance
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
http://www.iom.int/cms/en/sites/iom/home.html
Anglican United Refugee Alliance
Rainbow Refugee
* The United Church of Canada is not responsible for the content of other websites.