{"id":1233,"date":"2023-11-03T19:30:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T19:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.unhcr.org\/canada\/?page_id=1233"},"modified":"2025-12-10T21:47:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:47:03","slug":"private-sponsorship-of-refugees","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/help.unhcr.org\/canada\/private-sponsorship-of-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"Private sponsorship of refugees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Notice: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has temporarily stopped accepting new applications from\u00a0groups of five<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0community sponsors<\/a>\u00a0under the PSR Program as of 29 November\u00a02024. This measure will remain in effect until 31 December\u00a02026. For more information, please visit:\u00a0Temporary Pause Extended on Intake of Refugee Sponsorship Applications From Groups of Five and Community Sponsors – Canada.ca<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canada has different programs to resettle refugees. In addition to the Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR) program and the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) program, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are also able to help refugees build a new life in Canada through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program<\/a>. The PSR program allows Canadians to resettle specific individuals or families who qualify as refugees under Canada\u2019s refugee and humanitarian program. Privately sponsored refugees are approved outside of Canada by Canadian visa officers, and they become permanent residents upon arrival in Canada. Private sponsors are volunteer groups of Canadians or organizations, including faith-based associations, ethnocultural groups or settlement organizations. Sponsoring groups are responsible for providing refugees with the settlement assistance, material and financial support necessary for the duration of the sponsorship period \u2013 usually up to one year from the date they arrive in Canada, along with social, emotional and settlement support. They can sponsor refugees under one of the following three programs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n