Sponsorship programmes for Refugees 

There are two main types of sponsorship programmes for refugees:  

• private sponsorship (which you may see referred to as “named” or “nominated” sponsorship)
• community sponsorship   

Private sponsorship 

In private sponsorship, individuals, groups of individuals or organizations in another country can nominate and support you to be admitted into the country where they are located.

This means: 

• the sponsors  identify and support you with the application process and travel arrangements.
• Once you arrive in the country, the sponsors may also support you with settling in and becoming self-sufficient. This can include emotional and financial aid, and assistance with finding a job and learning the language.   

These programmes exist in only a few countries and often have strict eligibility requirements. And are different from Family Reunification procedures 

Community sponsorship 

In community sponsorship programmes, sponsors help refugees who have already been admitted into their country through another pathway, such as resettlement, an education scholarships or labour mobility.  

In this type of sponsorship, community sponsors do not nominate refugees to be admitted into their country but offer support with settling into the new home after your arrival and for a specific period of time. 

What countries offer sponsorship programmes for refugees? 

Australia and Canada have the longest running private sponsorship programmes for refugees, which allow sponsors to directly nominate a person they want to support being admitted into their country.  A small number of other countries also have private sponsorship programmes, often with restricted eligibility criteria, including to particular countries of origin or profiles, and sometimes for a limited time period only. 

Many more countries have community sponsorship programmes where sponsors can support the integration of refugees who arrive through other pathways to settle into their new home. 

• Visit the Help site of your destination country to see what sponsorship options are available. 

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Who can become a sponsor for refugees? 

Who can become a sponsor for refugees is defined by the government responsible for the programme.  

Sponsors can include:  

• Private individuals or families
• community or religious groups
• non-profit organizations or local clubs
• businesses, university communities and other entities  

In some cases, your family members may also be able to sponsor you to join them through private sponsorship (this is separate from family reunification procedures). 

Each country defines its own rules. For example, often sponsors need to fundraise to support sponsored refugees with financial aid. 

• If you wish to become a sponsor, please check the Help site of the country you are in for more information.
• If you want to be sponsored, you may look for details in the Help site of the country you want to go to. 

What support should I expect to receive from my sponsors? 

The type, level and duration of support you will receive depends on each sponsorship programme: 
 
Private sponsorship: sponsors nominate you and support your  application and  travel arrangements, if your application is accepted. They may also welcome you at your arrival and help you settle in after arrival (housing, education, jobs, register for health care, among other things). 

If you are being admitted to a new country through another pathway (such as resettlement, labour mobility etc.), your sponsors will normally welcome you at the airport, provide practical and emotional support, help you in finding housing, education and a job and/or provide some financial aid.  

What rights or status will I have in the new country? 

If  you arrive through a private sponsorship programme, the rights and legal status you are entitled to  will depend on the specificities of the particular programme. Usually, in order to be eligible for these programmes you have to be a refugee, or person who is otherwise recognized to have international protection needs. Which means that  when you arrive in the country, you would usually be granted refugee status or another legal protection status.  You would usually have access to the protections and services of that country like other refugees residing there. 

In the case of community sponsorship programmes, your status and rights in the country depend on the way you were admitted into the country (ex. through a labour mobility, resettlement or scholarship opportunity). 

How can I find sponsorship opportunities? 

• Start by checking whether your country of interest has a sponsorship programme and if there are supporting organizations who may be able to assist you. Visit the Help country pages to explore.
• Sponsorships are often initiated by sponsors, not applicants, and they will be able to reach out to the civil society organization involved for additional information and support.
• Sponsors may contact civil society organizations in their country for support. 

You can also visit the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative’s website for details and guidance on sponsorship programmes. 

Note on family reunification

Private sponsorship programmes are different from family reunification procedures.  

If you have a close family member in a safe country, consider  checking if you are eligible for  family reunification procedures instead.  

Visit the Help site of that country to learn more:

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See also:

Asylum and refugee status

Family reunification

Resettlement

Work and income