1. Canada and Privately Sponsored Refugees Prague - June 2017
Title: Canada and PSR
ROADMAP:
First… some history… context/background – how did Canada get here?
Canada’s refugee commitments and programs
focus on the PSR program, how it works
From selection to integration
Benefits of PSR program
Lessons learned
Emphasis on PSR (and all immigrant programs) constantly evolving, hopefully improving
Appendices w/ further PSR program details
Resettlement Program Streams
Admissions of Recent PSR Populations
Types of Sponsors in the PSR Program
The Settlement Plan
Required Financial Support
Admissibility
Supports Provided by Private Sponsors
BVOR Program Process Map
Canada and Privately Sponsored Refugees
Prague - June 2017

2. Canada is a country built by waves of immigrants...
IMMIGRATION CONTEXT
Canada is a country built by waves of immigrants...
Pre-Confederation
Canada’s founding nations arrived thousands of years ago, whose descendants comprise its indigenous population today.
Traders and settlers came from France and Britain starting in the 17th century. Other early immigrants came from Ireland and the United States .
Black Loyalist, refugee and self-emancipated settler communities were established in the 18th and 19th centuries.
1867 Confederation to 1940s
Immigrants from Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and other parts of Europe as well as African-Americans established farming settlements.
Contract labourers, merchants and settlers from Italy, Bulgaria, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, the Caribbean, and Asia (i.e. China, Japan) worked in mines, construction, urban infrastructure, railways, and established businesses and farms.
HIGHLIGHTS
1940s to 1960s
Resettled refugees and displaced persons arrived from Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Czechoslovakia (Czech and Slovakia), the Netherlands, Russia and other European countries.
1960s to Today
Dramatic rise in number of immigrants and refugees from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean after the country of origin was removed as a selection criterion and was replaced by a points system. Today, the top source countries of Canada’s immigrants are China, India and the Philippines.
BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
Canada’s openness to immigration and its policy on multiculturalism are rooted in the fact that the country has been built on immigration.
Our country’s increasing and deepening ethno-cultural diversity as a result of immigration over time is both a result of where Canada is situated geographically and geopolitically, as well as Canada continuing to admit mainly those who we believe contribute to its economy and nation building.
With the establishment of two major colonial powers/immigrant societies early in its history, the earliest waves of immigrants that joined Canada’s indigenous peoples were from Britain and France.
Gradually, Canada’s door opened to other countries in Europe. In the late 1960s, Canada no longer placed restrictions based on country of origin - thus the dramatic rise of immigrants from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
It is important to note that the major drivers of immigration have been to build Canada as a nation by pushing settlement frontiers in the early decades and to build the labour force to grow the economy. The initial importance of selecting immigrants based on ethno-cultural similarity has greatly diminished over time - Canada now places increasing importance on the potential economic contribution of immigration.
Canada has evolved into a multicultural nation with three founding peoples (i.e. indigenous peoples, French and British) that successfully integrates waves of immigrants from around the world. It remains a top immigrant-receiving country.

3. IMMIGRATION CONTEXT
... as a result, ethno-cultural diversity has become a defining feature of the Canadian landscape
The steady influx of immigrants has made Canada an ethno-cultural, linguistic and religious mosaic. According to the latest census in 2011, diversity has deepened in Canada.
FOREIGN-BORN
One in five Canadians were born outside Canada – 20.6% of the total population.
ETHNIC GROUPS
About 200 ethnic origins. Rise in mixed ethnic ancestries – 42.1% of total population compared to 38.2% in 2001.
LANGUAGES
More than 200 languages spoken as a mother tongue, in addition to English and French.
VISIBLE MINORITIES
Visible minorities accounted for 19.1% of Canada’s population, up from 13.4% in Largest minority groups were South Asians, Chinese, Blacks and Filipinos.
RELIGION
Majority (67.3%) of Canadians were affiliated with Christian religions, but those reporting non-Christian religions (i.e. Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist) rose from 6.3% in 2001 to 7.2% of the population. Projected to double by 2031.
This year, Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday. Over a span of more than a century, it has evolved into a highly diverse, ethno-cultural mosaic.
We have a snapshot based on the 2011 census (the results of the 2016 Census will be released within the coming year). The picture shows:
About 20% of the population was born outside Canada.
Roughly 200 ethnic origins were reported and slightly over 40% of Canadians had mixed ancestries – an indicator of intercultural integration.
Almost a 20% of the population was made up of visible minorities.
When it comes to religion, Canada was still predominantly Christian but data showed a rising number of those affiliated with non-Christian religions.

4. Immigration drives Canada’s economic prosperity and nation building…
IMMIGRATION CONTEXT
Immigration drives Canada’s economic prosperity and nation building…
Economic Class
Canada admits immigrants who have the potential to contribute to Canada’s economy, along with their spouses and dependants . The Federal Skilled Workers/Fe deral Skilled Trades Program (FSW/FST), which is subject to the points system, is the cornerston e of economic immigratio n. Provincial nominees, who are nominated by provinces/t erritories based on their economic and demograph ic priorities, account for a rising portion of economic immigrants. Other economic categories include: Canadian Experience Class, entreprene ur, investor, and self- employed.
Family Class
Family re- unification has been an important pillar of Canada’s immigratio n policy. Citizens and permanent residents are able to sponsor immediate family members (i.e. spouses/pa rtners, sons/daug hters, parents/gr andparents ). The majority of sponsored family class immigrants are spouses/pa rtners.
Protected Persons and Resettled Refugees
Canada has a strong commitment to its humanitarian goals by resettling refugees either as government-assisted refugees (GARs), privately sponsored refugees (PSRs) or blended visa office-referred refugees (BVORs). Many asylum seekers have also been successful refugee claimants (i.e. refugees landed in Canada). Considerations include both the need for protection based on the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees and the ability to establish in Canada.
Canada has three main streams of immigration: economic, family and humanitarian streams.
The economic stream is dominant in Canada’s immigrant selection policy. This stream is made up of those who applied based on their ability to contribute to Canada’s economy (principal applicants) as well as their families (spouses/dependants). Family re-unification is thus embedded in Canada’s economic immigration policy.
There is a separate stream of immigrants based on family relationships, specifically spouses/partners, sons/daughters and parents/grandparents.
A third stream is made up of those who are admitted based on Canada’s humanitarian commitments – i.e., resettled refugees and successful asylum seekers.
Apart from those admitted as permanent residents, there is a large temporary resident population in Canada made up of three major streams.
Those admitted to meet a temporary labour market need through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Those who have been given temporary resident status based on a significant benefit to Canada (e.g., intra-company transferees, researchers, international exchange) through the International Mobility Program.
A third stream is made up of those who have been admitted for study purposes (i.e. international students).
Temporary residents also contribute to Canada’s economy. An increasing number of temporary foreign workers and international students become permanent residents.

5. … and Canada continues to maintain high levels of immigration
IMMIGRATION CONTEXT
… and Canada continues to maintain high levels of immigration
To give you an idea as to how large the streams of immigration are in Canada, here are some numbers.
In 2015, Canada admitted about 272K permanent residents. Over 300K were admitted as permanent residents in 2016 and a similar number is expected in
Economic immigrants made up around 60% (170,384) of total immigration, followed by family class immigrants at 24% (65,490) and protected persons/resettled refugees at around 12% (31,501).
Although slightly lower targets are projected for economic immigration in coming years, economic immigrants will still be the largest group in 2017.
Canada admits well over a quarter of a million permanent residents each year.
In 2016, Canada’s population grew to a record 36.3 million largely due to the number of immigrants received: 320,932 - the largest number of newcomers in a single year since 1910.
At close to 1% of its population, Canada receives per capita more immigrants than the U.S. (0.32%) and U.K. (0.48%), and in range with Australia (0.98%) and New Zealand (1.1%) (Source: OECD 2015).

6. Canada’s Refugee Programs
Canada accepts Convention refugees and those in refugee-like situations for humanitarian reasons, according to the following principles:
Fulfilling Canada’s international obligations and commitments to protect refugees and those in need;
Supporting successful settlement and integration in Canada; and,
Reuniting refugee families.
Two refugee program streams are the expression of this commitment:
Resettlement from overseas
In-Canada Asylum System
Both programs offer a path to permanent residence and citizenship
Settlement and integration programs are key
Canada’s refugee commitments
Canada’s refugee intake represents at least 10% of total global resettlement

7. Refugee Resettlement: Three Program Streams
Government-Assisted Refugees
Refugees referred by the UNHCR or another referral organization
Government provides income support, settlement services and integration support
Privately Sponsored Refugees
Refugees referred by private sponsors in Canada
Private sponsors provide income support, settlement services and integration support
Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees
Private sponsors and the government jointly provide income support, settlement services and integration support
The three refugee program streams
See Appendix 1 for more on Resettlement Program Streams

8. Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR)
Refugees are referred by UNHCR who determine the most vulnerable in need of resettlement.
UNHCR is uniquely placed around the work to identify refugees that are the most vulnerable, have no other prospects of durable solutions; UNHCR thus refers refugees most in need.
Upon arrival in Canada, refugees receive immediate and essential services and 12 months income support from the government.
GAR

9. Historic Refugee Admission Levels
Speaks to our long-standing commitment to resettle refugees, the peaks reflecting Canada’s response during periods of global refugee crisis.
* Refugees under the Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program are small in number and captured under the GAR totals.

10. Canada’s Syrian Commitment
In response to the UNHCR’s appeal for resettlement or other forms of relief for Syrian refugees, Canada welcomed more than 25,000 Syrian refugees between December 2015 and February 2016; 57% were Government-Assisted Refugees, 34% were Privately Sponsored Refugees, and 8% were Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees.
The commitment was based on a five phase plan:
Identifying Syrian refugees to come to Canada;
Processing Syrian refugees overseas;
Transportation to Canada;
Welcoming in Canada; and,
Settlement and community integration.
When refugees arrive, the Government of Canada works closely with provincial, municipal and community partners to ensure refugees’ needs are met. This includes access to immediate and essential services (e.g. housing, income support) and long-term settlement support (e.g. language training, employment services).
THE SYRIA INITIATIVE
Expedited processing
Canada's plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees was implemented in five phases. It was intended to provide rapid protection for vulnerable Syrian refugees while continuing to protect the health and safety of Canadians.
Phase 1: Identifying Syrian refugees to come to Canada
Canada worked with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to identify people in Jordan and Lebanon, where they have an extensive list of registered refugees.
Phase 2: Processing Syrian refugees overseas
Canada temporarily increased processing in Jordan and Lebanon by sending 500 Canadians to the region. Interested refugees were scheduled for processing in dedicated visa offices in Amman and Beirut.
Canada’s resettlement eligibility criteria were applied flexibly and generously for both UNHCR-referred and privately sponsored cases. Visa officers were instructed to be aware of, and sensitive to, the UNHCR’s assessment of the situation in Syria, and the need for protection of displaced Syrians. Although the UNHCR had not formally designed Syrians fleeing the conflict as prima facie refugees, the situation (e.g., the UNHCR’s comprehensive delineation of every subset of society as convention refugees, volume of refugee outflows and the inability for host countries or UNHCR to conduct individual Refugee Status Determinations) amounted to a prima facie eligibility situation from Canada’s perspective.
Phase 3: Transportation to Canada
Beginning in December, 2015 transportation via privately chartered aircraft was organized to help bring refugees to Canada.
Phase 4: Welcoming in Canada
Upon arrival in Canada, all refugees were welcomed and processed by Border Services Officers for admission into Canada. As per usual procedure, refugees were granted Permanent Residency upon landing in Canada. 
All refugees were screened for signs of illness when they arrived in Canada and treatment was available if anyone ill upon arrival.
Phase 5: Settlement and community integration
Syrian refugees were transported to communities across Canada. They were provided with immediate, essential services and long-term settlement support to ensure their successful settlement and integration into Canadian society.

11. Top 10 Source Countries for GARs (2014-2015)
Top 10 Source Countries for Government-Assisted Refugees, 2014
Rank
Country of Citizenship
Intake 1
Iraq
2,171 2
Iran
1,022 3
Democratic Republic of Congo
943 4
Democratic Republic of Somalia
459 5
Eritrea
435 6
Syria
383 7
Bhutan
352 8
Myanmar (Burma)
306 9
Burundi
227 10
Colombia
173
Total Top 10
6,474
Other Countries
1,099
Total Admissions
7,573
Top 10 Source Countries for Government-Assisted Refugees, 2015
Rank
Country of Citizenship
Intake 1
Syria
2,711 2
Iraq
1,848 3
Democratic Republic of Congo
717 4
Eritrea
546 5
Central African Republic
430 6
Burundi
425 7
Iran
374 8
Bhutan
373 9
Democratic Republic of Somalia
128 10
Myanmar (Burma)
249
Total Top 10
8,015
Other Countries
1,472
Total Admissions
9,487
Top 10 GAR source countries
Source: Citizenship & Immigration Canada, Research DataMart, as of February For , these are updated numbers and different from those of Facts and Figures *These numbers are different from admissions under the "commitment for Syrians and Iraqis out of the Middle East" and may not be used as such

12. Multi-Year Commitments
Since 2012, in addition to the recent Syrian commitment, Canada has completed multi-year commitments to Bhutanese and Iraqi refugees, and mixed refugee populations hosted in Turkey.
Commitments still underway include: Eritreans (4,000 persons by end of 2018); Congolese (2,500 persons by end of 2017); and, Colombians (900 persons by end of 2016).
Multi-year commitment refugee population
Where
Number of refugees to be resettled
Completed
Iraqis
Middle East
23,000 by end of 2015
Bhutanese
Nepal
6,500 by end of 2015
Mixed populations
Turkey
5,000 by end of 2017
In Progress
Eritreans
Ethiopia and Sudan
4,000 by end of 2018
Colombians
Ecuador
900 by end of 2016
Congolese
Great Lakes Region
2,500 by end of 2017
Broader context of multi-year, multi-group commitments…

13. Blended Sponsorship: A Hybrid Approach
The Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program allows for private sponsorship of refugees referred to Canada by the UNHCR.
The government and the sponsor each provide six months of income support, plus the sponsor provides one year of emotional and social support.
Refugees resettled through the BVOR Program are generally without family connections in Canada.
This program allows the government and sponsor to share settlement costs while providing refugees with the full benefits of a sponsor’s support.
The Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program matches Government-Assisted Refugees with high needs (e.g. medical) with sponsors who provide significant settlement support, while the government pays income support for up to 36 months.
With both government and private sponsorship programs, Canada also uses a hybrid approach to resettlement with blended sponsorships.

14. Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
Private sponsors are groups of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and may include family members of the refugee who are already in Canada.
Refugees are referred by private sponsors (mostly faith-based, ethnic or humanitarian organizations) and receive income and settlement support from their sponsor for up to one year.
The private sponsorship program officially began in 1978 and allowed Canadians to get involved in the resettlement of vulnerable refugees.
Of the more than 60,000 people that found refuge in Canada in after the Vietnam War, over half were supported by private sponsorship groups.
Since the program’s creation, Canada has welcomed more than 288,000 privately sponsored refugees.
PSR…
See Appendices 2 & 3 for additional information on the PSR program

15. Private Sponsorship: Who is Eligible
Who Can Be Sponsored? People who have a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion OR People who are seriously and personally affected by civil war or armed conflict, or suffered massive violations of human rights AND
Are outside of country of origin;
Are outside of Canada; and
Have no other durable solution, e.g. voluntary repatriation, local integration.
eligibility

16. Private Sponsorship: Program Overview
Refugee cases are identified by the sponsoring groups themselves, often through a family or community connection.
Cases are assessed and screened by a Canadian visa officer and must meet the definition of a refugee as defined in Canada’s legislation.
The Canadian government covers the cost of processing sponsorship and refugee applications, sponsors cover immediate settlement costs, and refugees generally receive a loan to pay for their travel costs.
Upon arrival in Canada, refugees receive permanent resident status, and a pathway to citizenship.
Refugees, like other newcomers, can immediately access government-funded settlement services (e.g. language training, employment readiness).
Screening process for all resettled refugees
Once a case is referred to Canada by the UNHCR, another referral organization or a private sponsor, the screening process is essentially the same. Most refugees undergo an interview with a professional, experienced visa officer who will collect information to facilitate issuing visas. Immigration processing is completed overseas. All refugees are assessed to ensure they meet the definition of a refugee under Canada’s legislation, and undergo a full immigration medical examination and criminal and security checks.
Security screening includes collecting biographical information, and biometrics, such as fingerprints and digital photos, which are checked against immigration, law enforcement and security databases to make sure that the individual has not committed serious crimes in the past and do not pose not a security risk to Canada. All potential permanent residents, including refugees, are required to undergo an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) as part of the application process to come to Canada. This includes screening for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis. A medical examination includes any or all of the following:
a physical examination;
a mental examination;
a review of past medical history;
laboratory tests;
diagnostic tests; and
a medical assessment of the applicant’s records.
Upon completion of the screening, a Canadian visa officer will make the final determination of who may be accepted for resettlement to Canada.

17. Private Sponsorship: Arrival Supports
Sponsors provide:
Emotional and social support for one year, including:
Welcome at the airport and temporary accommodation;
Orientation to their new community and life in Canada;
Registering for essential services (e.g. obtaining a health card, enrolling children in school, and accessing other settlement services);
Assistance finding permanent housing; and,
Assistance finding employment.
Monthly income support for one year or until the refugee becomes self-sufficient, whichever is sooner.
As you can see, bringing refugees to Canada is a joint effort. The Federal Government works hand in hand with partners such as private sponsors, provinces, territories and municipalities. This collaboration ensures that refugees have the support system in place and have the assistance necessary to successfully establish themselves and their families in Canada.
Private Sponsors play a major role in the successful integration of refugees, providing the following supports:
Welcoming newcomers at the airport;
Providing the cost of food, rent and household utilities and other day-to-day living expenses;
Providing clothing, furniture and other household goods;
Locating interpreters;
Selecting a family physician and dentist;
Assisting with applying for provincial health care coverage and the supplementary coverage under Canada’s Interim Federal Health Program;
Enrolling children in school and adults in language and/or training;
Introducing newcomers to community networks and people with similar personal interests;
Providing orientation with regard to banking services, transportation, etc.; and
Helping in the search for employment.

18. Top 10 Source Countries for PSRs (2014-2015)
Top 10 Source Countries for Privately Sponsored Refugees, 2014
Rank
Country of Citizenship
Intake 1
Eritrea
1,148 2
Syria
699 3
Democratic Republic of Somalia
590 4
Iraq
582 5
Afghanistan
523 6
Ethiopia
416 7
Democratic Republic of Congo
114 8
Pakistan 77 9
Stateless 68 10
Rwanda 45
Total Top 10
4,261
Other Countries
298
Total Admissions
4,559
Top 10 Source Countries for Privately Sponsored Refugees, 2015
Rank
Country of Citizenship
Intake 1
Syria
4,747 2
Afghanistan
1,121 3
Eritrea
1,082 4
Iraq
936 5
Stateless
368 6
Democratic Republic of Somalia
353 7
Pakistan
319 8
Ethiopia
243 9
Democratic Republic of Congo 86 10
Rwanda 60
Total Top 10
9,315
Other Countries
418
Total Admissions
9,733
Top 10 PSR source countries..
Source: Citizenship & Immigration Canada, Research DataMart, as of February For , these are updated numbers and different from those of Facts and Figures *These numbers are different from admissions under the "commitment for Syrians and Iraqis out of the Middle East" and may not be used as such
See Appendix 2 for more on PSR source countries.

19. Spotlight on World University Service of Canada
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) operates through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder.
Since 1978, WUSC's Student Refugee Program has helped student refugees achieve their educational goals by:  
building the capacity of young Canadians to sponsor refugee students to their university or college;
providing student refugees with an opportunity to pursue their education at a Canadian university or college with permanent resident status; and,
supporting sponsored students to adapt and succeed in their new environment in Canada.
From countries of origin as diverse as Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Burma and Afghanistan, most students have successfully completed their studies and are now Canadian citizens making valuable contributions to their communities.  

20. Helping Refugees to Integrate
Many resettled refugees face barriers to integration.
Low official language skills, limited formal education - more than 65% speak neither English nor French, 70% have less than 10 years of formal education
Difficulty accessing affordable housing
Range of health issues as a result of migration experience (e.g., trauma, mental illness)
Economic integration can be challenging
Limited work experience and social/professional networks can lead to low employment earnings, especially shortly after arrival, but economic outcomes improve over time
Yet social integration outcomes have generally been strong
Very high rate (88%) of eligible refugees become citizens
Integration
The resettlement program not only provides protection to those in need, but contributes to a strong and diverse Canada

21. Other Supports Available to Refugees
The Government of Canada funds a large Settlement Program to assist newcomers – including resettled refugees – in overcoming barriers specific to the newcomer experience. The Settlement Program:
Provides newcomers with information required to make informed decisions, the language skills to achieve their settlement and integration goals, assistance in finding and retaining employment, and the support they need to build networks within communities; and
Is available both pre- and post-arrival.
Resettled refugees also receive access to:
Mainstream public services including education, health care, etc.
Supplemental medical coverage (e.g. vision and dental care) for the first year.
After the first year – during which income support is provided by the sponsor or the government – resettled refugees have access to social assistance (income support for low income families) if required.
Other supports

22. Benefits of Private Sponsorship Program (1)
The Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program maintains and advances Canada’s humanitarian traditions.
Cost sharing between the government and sponsors allows protection to be extended to more refugees than would otherwise be admitted to Canada; 275,000+ privately sponsored refugees to date.
Private sponsorship allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to get involved in the resettlement of vulnerable persons. This in turn:
Builds welcoming communities;
Creates strong support networks for current and future refugees; and
Helps maintain public and political support for refugee/immigration issues
With refugees named by the private sponsors, the program:
Supports family reunification;
Allows Canadians and Permanent Residents to play a direct role in determining the focal points of Canada’s resettlement policy; and,
Relieves pressure on UNHCR to identify cases for resettlement, provides alternative cases that may have been missed by the UNHCR.
Benefits of PSR - slide 1

23. Benefits of Private Sponsorship Program (2)
Sponsors frequently play a direct role in linking refugees with essential services and gaining a foothold in the labour market by:
Providing a source of information on Canadian workplace norms; and
Assisting with networking, searching for jobs and completing the application process.
With the dedicated and personalized support provided by sponsors, generally privately sponsored refugees (PSRs) have demonstrated stronger settlement outcomes overall than government-assisted refugees (GARs).
PSRs perform better economically in the first five years of settlement, with higher incidence of employment and higher incomes, and lower incidence of reliance on social assistance; and
PSRs are more likely to develop social support networks in Canada than GARs.
Benefits of PSR - slide 2

24. Lessons Learned (1)
Working with trusted partners – well-established NGOs with a history of sponsorship and settlement work – increases program efficiency and ensures appropriate settlement supports are in place.
The government signs formal agreements with select incorporated organizations, ‘Sponsorship Agreement Holders’ (SAHs). SAHs must demonstrate they have the financial resources and settlement knowledge to support refugees. SAHs generally submit many sponsorship applications every year and are responsible for all sponsorships under their agreement. This allows the government to use a ‘light touch’ approach to assessing their applications.
NGOs that already provide settlement or other services to newcomers and refugees, as well as faith-based or ethno-cultural organizations, are likely candidates to become SAHs.
Other groups (e.g. five or more people working together or another organization) may also sponsor refugees. Their applications are assessed by the government with a higher level of scrutiny.
Lessons learned - 1
See Appendix 3 for more on Types of Sponsors

25. Lessons Learned (2)
High quality sponsorship applications are key to ensuring efficient processing of cases.
The government funds an NGO – the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program – to address ongoing information, training and support needs of sponsors. Of note, RSTP develops and provides reference materials and workshops to sponsors.
For sponsorship applications submitted by groups other than SAHs, the sponsor must include a refugee status determination (UNHCR or other) in their application. This has decreased the number of cases refused due to the applicant not meeting the definition of a refugee.
Open channels of communication with private sponsors ensure critical information is shared and expectations are managed.
Government officials meet regularly with elected representatives from the SAH community.
Lessons learned - 2

26. Lessons Learned (3)
While privately sponsored refugees receive assistance from sponsors to find employment, refugees may still require more than one year to become self-sufficient and appropriate supports must be available.
For refugees who required sustained income support following their first year in Canada, this support is provided through social assistance. Continued access to settlement services, including education and job training, is also critical to support the transition to self-reliance.
Sponsors need to be adequately informed of available services and how refugees are able to access them.
Government support has been necessary during the first year in a small number of cases where the sponsorship has broken down.
Newcomers, including former resettled refugees and asylum seekers, use the private sponsorship program to sponsor relatives abroad who are ineligible for Canada’s family reunification programs. This can lead to high demand and the need for intake management systems.
For example, ‘echo effects’ have been observed where former Government-Assisted Refugees use the private sponsorship program to subsequently sponsor extended family members. Accordingly, many sponsorship applications may be submitted for specific regions or countries. Knowledge of this trend can be used by the government for operational forecasting and planning.
Corresponding family connections ensure sponsored refugees will have existing support networks in place upon arrival.
Lessons learned - 13

27. Questions?
Questions…

28. Private Sponsorship Resource Materials
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Publication:
Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program:
Website to sponsor a refugee:
Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) Publications:
Handbook for sponsoring groups:
Factsheets: 
Become a sponsor: 
Who can be sponsored:
Joint Assistance Sponsorship of Refugees:
Blended Visa-Office Referred Refugees:
Brochures:
 How to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder: 
Community Sponsors:  
Groups of Five:
Joint Assistance Sponsorship of Refugees:
Resource materials…
Followed by appendices…

29. Resettlement Program Streams Admissions of Recent PSR Populations
List of Appendices
Resettlement Program Streams
Admissions of Recent PSR Populations
Types of Sponsors in the PSR Program
The Settlement Plan
Required Financial Support
Admissibility
Supports Provided by Private Sponsors
BVOR Program Process Map

30. Appendix 1: Resettlement Program Streams
Government-Assisted Refugees
Referred by the UNHCR based on vulnerability and priorities established by IRCC.
Receive Resettlement Assistance Program from the Government of Canada. (or Quebec’s equivalent program), which covers initial arrival services, start-up costs and annual income support.
Privately Sponsored Refugees
Cases are referred by UNHCR; from the GAR caseload, visa officers or local IRCC staff identify high-needs cases and refer them for matching with a sponsor. Matching can be done pre- or post-arrival in Canada.
Sharing of settlement support between government (income support) and private sponsors (additional settlement support).
Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees
Cases are referred by UNHCR; from the GAR caseload, visa officers identify cases for matching with a sponsor.
Sharing of settlement costs between private sponsors (settlement support and six months income support) and government (six months income support).
Joint Assistance Sponsorship Refugees
Cases referred by and settlement support provided by private sponsors.
Government of Canada completes processing of sponsorship application and refugee application.

31. Appendix 2: Admissions of Recent PSR Populations

32. Appendix 3: Types of Sponsors in the PSR Program
Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs):
Are incorporated organizations with experience in refugee sponsorship and settlement and who intend on regularly submitting numerous sponsorship applications;
Have signed a formal sponsorship agreement with IRCC, at which time IRCC assessed their financial resources and settlement knowledge in order to ensure they can effectively take responsibility for all the sponsorships they undertake; and
Are mostly faith-based, humanitarian or ethno-cultural groups who work with Constituent Groups – groups of individuals in the community of settlement who will be the direct providers of the settlement support.
Group of Five (G5):
Are groups of five or more Canadians or permanent residents, 18 years of age or older with no criminal background; and
Will provide the full financial and settlement support.
Community Sponsors:
Are organizations, associations or corporations located in the community of settlement; and
Will provide the full financial and settlement support

33. Appendix 4: The Settlement Plan
Settlement Plans outline how sponsors will provide the necessary support to the refugee(s) post-arrival.
These plans are required and the government assesses them to ensure sufficient support will be in place for the refugee(s).
A settlement check list asks:
How will basic need be met?
Start-up costs (clothing, food, furniture), including in-kind deductions
Temporary and permanent accommodation
Monthly expenditures (shelter, transportation, living expenses)
Settlement assistance (airport pick-up, interpreter arrangement, enrolling for provincial health care and other services)
How are volunteer responsibilities divided?
To which settlement agencies will the refugee be referred?
What contingency plans are in place?

34. Appendix 5: Required Financial Support
Sponsors are required to demonstrate the following minimum level of financial support:
Family Size
12 Months of Income Support
Start-up Costs
Estimated Total Annual Settlement Cost 1
$9,800
$2,800
$12,600 2
$16,800
$4,400
$21,200 3
$17,700
$5,300
$23,000 4
$20,000
$7,000
$27,000 5
$22,500
$7,200
$29,700 6
$24,500
$8,000
$32,500
Additional Member
$1,550
$1,000
$2,500
Source: Appendix A – Financial Guidelines, Refugee Sponsorship Application Guide (IMM5413)

35. Appendix 6: Admissibility
Resettled refugees, like all immigrants and visitors to Canada, are subject to admissibility screening based on:
Security and criminality;
Biometric Identification; and
Medical (i.e. threat to public health and public safety)
However, resettled refugees are exempt from select admissibility criteria, notably:
Financial inadmissibility (i.e. ability to support oneself financially); and
“Excessive demand” on health or social services, defined as:
a demand on health services or social services for which the anticipated costs would likely exceed average Canadian per capital health services and social services costs over a period of five consecutive years; or
a demand on health services or social services that would add to existing waiting lists and would increase the rate of mortality and morbidity in Canada.

36. Appendix 7: Supports provided by Private Sponsors
Welcoming newcomers at the airport;
Providing the cost of food, rent and household utilities and other day-to-day living expenses;
Providing clothing, furniture and other household goods;
Locating interpreters;
Selecting a family physician and dentist;
Assisting with applying for provincial health care coverage and the supplementary coverage under Canada’s Interim Federal Health Program;
Enrolling children in school and adults in language and/or training;
Introducing newcomers to community networks and people with similar personal interests;
Providing orientation with regard to banking services, transportation, etc.; and,
Helping in the search for employment.

37. Appendix 8: BVOR Program Process Map
Case Identification:
Canadian visa officers abroad identify cases from UNHCR referrals. Cases are generally ones where the refugee does not already have connections in Canada and is open to receiving support from a sponsor instead of the government.
Matching:
Cases, stripped of personal information, are posted to a website visible only to refugee sponsors (posted for a maximum of 90 days) . Sponsors select a case they wish to sponsor and submit a sponsorship application for IRCC’s assessment.
Cases that were not sponsored are processed under the Government-Assisted Refugee Program; upon arrival in Canada, they receive support from the government.
Travel:
The destination of refugees accepted under the BVOR program is determined by the sponsors’ location in Canada. That information is sent abroad for travel arrangements to be made by the International Organization for Migration and the sponsor is advised of refugee’s date of arrival in Canada.
Arrival and Support:
Sponsored refugees arrive and are welcomed by the sponsoring group.