Private or Community Sponsorship programs allow individuals, groups of individuals or organizations to sponsor refugees to come to their country permanently, thus offering them protection and a new home. These programs are initiated by the sponsor in the third country. UNHCR Indonesia cannot nominate you to be sponsored.
In these programs, sponsors identify, select, and support the entry and stay of refugees and asylum seekers. Typically, sponsors identify extended family members or other individuals who are known to them. The details and requirements of sponsorship programs vary from country to country. The largest sponsorship programs are summarized below. Detailed information on these programs and how they work is available on the relevant government websites.
🇦🇺 Australia
Special Humanitarian Program (SHP)
Australia’s SHP programs allows Australian citizens or permanent residents, as well as eligible New Zealand citizens, to apply to sponsor individuals who have been subjected to substantial discrimination in their country, including refugees.
Details on this program are available through the Australian government website: Special Humanitarian Program (SHP). Refugees in Indonesia are eligible for the SHP only if they registered with UNHCR before 1 July 2014. In addition, the Australian Department of Home Affairs has stipulated that sponsors/supporters and family members of the refugee cannot be individuals who arrived irregularly by boat after 13 August 2012.
🇨🇦 Canada
Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program allows groups of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor eligible refugees living abroad to come to Canada and settle permanently. Private sponsors can be groups of Canadians or Canadian organizations, including faith-based associations, ethnocultural groups or other organizations. Refugees can be sponsored through one of three programs:
- Group of Five (G5): Five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents with the ability to fulfill sponsorship requirements (including financial requirements) collectively arrange to sponsor a refugee living abroad. For more information, visit Canada Group of Five Program (G5).
- Community Sponsors: Organizations, associations or corporations that are able to fulfill sponsorship requirements and that are located in the community where refugee will reside can also apply to sponsor a refugee living abroad. For more information, visit Canada Community Sponsors Program.
- Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs): Incorporated organizations that have signed an agreement with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and assume overall responsibility for the management of sponsorships can apply to sponsor refugees, asylum seekers, or persons living in a refugee-like situation. Proof of refugee status is not required as a part of this application process. To find information on Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) in Canada, visit Canada Sponsorship Agreement Holders Program (SAHs).
Northern Lights Canada has abundant resources which give you clear information on sponsorships to Canada and also guide you to find sponsors, complete relevant forms etc. To access these resources, please visit Northern Lights Canada Resources.
For Frequently Asked Questions on Sponsorship in Canada (Dari Version), click on FAQ on Sponsorship in Canada (Dari Version)
🇺🇸 United States of America
Welcome Corps
Welcome Corps is a refugee sponsorship initiative under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). It is a private sponsorship program through which Americans welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and directly support their resettlement in communities across the United States. Through the Welcome Corps, groups of at least five American adults can support newly arrived refugees by securing and preparing initial housing, greeting them at the airport, enrolling children in school, helping adults find employment and helping with other things to ensure they are prepared for life in the United States.
Refugees seeking resettlement in the United States can receive assistance through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) in one of two ways: through professional resettlement agencies or via Welcome Corps’ sponsor groups.
For more information on the program and regular updates, visit www.welcomecorps.org and/or https://www.state.gov/welcome-corps/
For frequently asked questions, access https://welcomecorps.org/resources/for-refugees/
To check your eligibility for Welcome Corps programme, click on https://welcomecorps.org/become-a-sponsor/sponsoring-someone-you-know/
For YouTube link to know more about Welcome Corps, click on below links:
https://commons.state.gov/dam/search?q=welcome%20corps
https://www.youtube.com/@ccmkerefugeeandimmigration/videos
https://www.state.gov/welcome-corps
Specialized Programs within the Welcome Corps
There are below two specialized programs introduced within the Welcome Corps:
Welcome Corps on Campus
Welcome Corps on Campus is a targeted education sponsorship initiative that enables U.S. colleges and universities to play a leading role in resettling refugee students. For more information, visit: https://welcomecorps.org/campus/the-welcome-corps-expands-campuses/ .
Welcome Corps at Work
Welcome Corps at Work is a labor sponsorship program that involves matching skilled refugees to employment in the United States. The refugees who are hired, along with their family members, will be matched with sponsor groups in the community of their employer. For more information, visit https://welcomecorps.org/about/welcome-corps-at-work/ .
ALERT: Access to U.S. resettlement programs and support from the Welcome Corps is free for refugees. Beware of scams or misinformation about the Welcome Corps. If you are approached by someone asking for money in exchange to expedite refugee processing or speed up a sponsor application, please report them to [email protected].