Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugee Program

## How the BVOR program works Find out how the BVOR program benefits both sponsors and refugees. The Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program gives Canadians and permanent residents a chance to play a key role in helping refugees in need of resettlement. Through this program, Canadian citizens and permanent residents can * become private sponsors and * get matched with refugees identified by a referral organization, like the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)†www.unhcr.org . To help refugees start their new lives in Canada, private sponsors commit to providing * 6 months of financial support and * 12 months of social, emotional and settlement support The Government of Canada provides the other 6 months of financial support. ## Why sponsor through BVOR?

## Who is eligible To come to Canada as a refugee, you must be referred. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a designated referral organization, or a private sponsorship group can refer you. You cannot apply directly to us as a refugee. To be referred, you must fall into one of these two refugee classes. ### 1) Convention refugee abroad class

Refugees coming to Canada through the BVOR program arrive as permanent residents. They get temporary health care benefits through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) and are eligible for provincial or territorial health care coverage. ## Page details

We work with refugee referral organizations, like the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)†www.unhcr.ca , to identify refugees who * need to be resettled and * may be suitable for the BVOR program We only consider refugees for the BVOR program after we fully review their application for our eligibility and admissibility requirements. The admissibility process includes security screening and medical examinations. The list of BVOR refugee profiles available for sponsorship is shared with the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)†www.rstp.ca . ### View refugee profiles

### 1) Convention refugee abroad class You may be in this class if you: * are outside your home country, * cannot return there due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on * race * religion * political opinion * nationality, or * membership in a particular social group. Examples: gender, sexual orientation, etc. Convention refugees can be sponsored by: * the Government of Canada (government-assisted refugees ), * a group of people or an organization (privately sponsored refugees ), or * a mix of both (blended visa office-referred refugees ). ### 2) Country of asylum class

## Join or form a group to sponsor a refugee You can’t sponsor a refugee on your own. You must be part of 1 of the following groups in Canada. ### 1. Sponsorship agreement holders Sponsorship agreement holders (SAH) are organizations that signed an agreement with the Government of Canada to * sponsor refugees and * help them settle in their communities when they arrive in Canada As a SAH, you can also work with other groups in the community to sponsor refugees under your agreement. These groups are called constituent groups. ### 2. Groups of Five Groups of Five (G5) are groups of 5 or more individuals (Canadian citizens or permanent residents) who * sponsor refugees and * help them settle in their communities when they arrive in Canada ### 3. Community Sponsors Community Sponsors are organizations, associations or corporations that * sponsor refugees and * help them settle in their communities when they arrive in Canada ## How to find a group

## Who is eligible To come to Canada as a refugee, you must be referred. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a designated referral organization, or a private sponsorship group can refer you. You cannot apply directly to us as a refugee. To be referred, you must fall into one of these two refugee classes. ### 1) Convention refugee abroad class

### View refugee profiles You can find the list of individuals or families in need of resettlement online†www.rstp.ca . The RSTP can help match you with a refugee or refugee family. As you review profiles, you should keep in mind * the number of refugees you can support * if the refugees already have family or friends in your community * if other members of the same ethno-cultural background live in your community * the language skills and support you can offer them * job availability in your community * if your community has * affordable housing * support services†ircc.canada.ca for refugees like * medical facilities * trauma counselling * language training ### Confirm your interest to sponsor Once you identify a refugee profile that fits your group’s capacity, place a hold on it through the RSTP website. This will prevent other groups from choosing that profile while you confirm your interest to sponsor. ## 2. Submit your application After you confirm your interest, we’ll send you * the refugee’s information and * the forms and documents you need to complete your sponsorship application Email your complete application to IRCC.ROCO-CORO.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. You have 7 calendar days to submit your sponsorship application after you choose a profile. ## Page details

## How we process your application After we make a decision on your sponsorship application, we’ll send you an approval or refusal letter. If we approve your application, we’ll * issue a visa to each refugee you’re sponsoring and * contact the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to arrange their travel to Canada If we don’t approve your application, we’ll send you a letter telling you why. The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) can help you choose a new profile and re-apply, if you still want to sponsor. ## Get information in your language

## Your responsibilities as a sponsor through BVOR As a private sponsor, you’re responsible for * 6 months of financial support to cover monthly living costs like rent, food and utilities * one-time start-up cost of furniture, household items, clothing, utility installations and school start-up (if applicable) * 12 months of social, emotional and resettlement support for things like * finding a place to live * providing orientation to the new community * finding language training centers and places of worship As part of the BVOR program, we provide the other 6 months of financial support through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). Refugees coming to Canada through the BVOR program arrive as permanent residents. They get temporary health care benefits through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) and are eligible for provincial or territorial health care coverage. ## Page details

## Prepare for arrival Refugees typically land in Canada within 4 to 10 weeks, after we finalize an application. In some cases, they’re ready to travel sooner. We’ll send you a Notification of Arrival Transmission (NAT) at least 10 business days before the refugees arrive in Canada. The RSTP can help you prepare for the arrival, including initiating communication with the refugees you’re sponsoring. They offer a range of training sessions to * guide you through your sponsorship journey†www.rstp.ca and * direct you to resources that will help you get ready ## Update your information

## How to find a group * Contact a SAH in your area to find out how to partner with them * Contact the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program†www.rstp.ca (RSTP) to find out how to form your own sponsorship group ## Your responsibilities as a sponsor

The RSTP can help you prepare for the arrival, including initiating communication with the refugees you’re sponsoring. They offer a range of training sessions to * guide you through your sponsorship journey†www.rstp.ca and * direct you to resources that will help you get ready ## Update your information

## Beware of fraud * Canada does not charge application fees for refugees to be resettled. * Canada does not collect fees from refugees before they arrive in Canada. * No one can make sure that you will get a visa to come to Canada.