Joint Assistance Sponsorship

By applying to sponsor a refugee under a joint assistance sponsorship, you are applying to support a refugee who has special needs. The community the refugee will resettle in must be able to provide the services needed to address the refugee’s special needs. These special needs may be related to: * trauma caused by violence or torture, * medical disabilities, * the effects of systemic discrimination, or * having a large number of family members. Under a joint assistance sponsorship, the government provides financial assistance for the duration of the sponsorship - usually up to 24 months. The private sponsor must agree to provide orientation, significant settlement assistance and emotional support for the full sponsorship period. Quebec has its own process

## 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

## 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.

To be eligible to sponsor refugees under the Joint Assistance Sponsorship, your organization must be: * a sponsorship agreement holder (SAH), an organization that has signed a sponsorship agreement with the federal government or * a constituent group of a SAH, authorized to sponsor under the agreement. In order to become a SAH, an organization must be incorporated (a legally created organization). A SAH can be a local, regional or national organization. It assumes overall responsibility for the management of sponsorships under its agreement. A SAH must be located in the community where the refugee or refugee family is expected to resettle. A SAH can authorize other groups in the community to sponsor refugees under its agreement. These groups are known as constituent groups. In addition, the community in which the refugees will resettle must be able to provide the services required to address their special needs. These special needs may be related to: * trauma caused by violence or torture * medical disabilities * effects of systemic discrimination and * gender persecution (women under the Women at Risk program). ## Sponsors in Quebec Quebec has its own process for sponsoring refugees. Sponsors who live in the province of Quebec should contact the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration†www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca . ## Document navigation

By applying to sponsor a refugee under a joint assistance sponsorship, you are applying to support a refugee who has special needs. The community the refugee will resettle in must be able to provide the services needed to address the refugee’s special needs. These special needs may be related to: * trauma caused by violence or torture, * medical disabilities, * the effects of systemic discrimination, or * having a large number of family members. Under a joint assistance sponsorship

Note: A Constituent Group must partner with a SAH (Sponsorship Agreement Holder) as they can not act alone in a sponsorship undertaking. #### Section C – Refugee(s) Being Sponsored This information is supplied in the refugee profile. Attach the Refugee Profile that you received. Sponsoring groups are required to commit to sponsor the principal refugee applicant along with all family members (defined below), both accompanying and non-accompanying, at the same time of submitting the original undertaking/application. Principal refugee applicant: Write the: * last name (surname/family name) – do not use initials * given name(s) * marital status * date of birth * sex * country of birth, including the name of the town or city * country of citizenship Family members: spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant, and/or any dependent children, and/or any dependent children of dependent children. See the definition of family members in the table below. Write the: * last name (surname/family name) – do not use initials * given name(s) * relationship to the principal refugee applicant- (spouse, common-law partner, son or daughter, child of son or daughter) * marital status * date of birth * sex * country of citizenship * country of birth, including the name of the town or city Note: The Resettlement Operations Centre – Ottawa (ROC-O) may be able to provide you with a complete mailing address outside Canada and, if possible, a telephone number and e-mail address for the principal refugee applicant. This will allow your sponsoring group to become acquainted with the refugee(s) you are sponsoring before their arrival in Canada. ### Family member definitions

## 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

## Get the application package The kit includes the application guide and all of the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package . * Before you start, read the guide carefully. It contains detailed instructions for completing all the required forms. * Gather all of the necessary documents. They are listed in the document checklist. * Photocopy the blank forms and use one as a working copy. Keep the working copy for your records. * Fill in the forms carefully and completely. Many of the forms can be completed on your computer and saved. Print the forms after you fill them out. If you are filling out the forms by hand, print clearly—in black ink. Sign and date your forms. * Complete all of the forms: * Request for a Joint Assistance Sponsorship Refugee Profile (IMM 5504). This form is used only if your group does not find a match through the secure website. * Undertaking/Application for a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (IMM 1324). Complete this form after your group has received and reviewed the profile of a refugee(s) and is committed to sponsoring that refugee(s). * Sponsor Assessment (IMM 5492). All sponsors who sign the above undertaking must complete a copy of this form. * Settlement Plan-Joint Assistance Sponsorship (IMM 5494). This document is a planning tool for sponsoring groups to indicate how they intend to deliver the settlement assistance needed to help the refugee(s) become established successfully in Canada. Where possible, arrangements should be in place before the refugee arrives. * Document Checklist (IMM 5495). Optional: * Use of a Representative (IMM 5476). You must complete this form if you want to use a representative or an agent to help you apply. Using a representative is a personal choice. Find out more about using representatives . ## Review refugee profiles and identify the refugee or refugee family you would like to sponsor Under the JAS (Joint Assistance Sponsorship) program, your group can use one of two options to choose the refugee(s) to sponsor. You can: * contact your SAH for online access to profiles * request profiles from the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (info@rstp.ca) Additional details on each option are available in the guide that is included in the application kit. For more information, see requesting a refugee profile . ## Submit your application Once you match, the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) will send your information to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O). They will email you with application instructions. Use the document checklist to ensure that you have included everything you need. Make sure that you sign and date your forms. Your application will not be processed and will be returned to the person or group that submitted it if it is incomplete. Remember, it is your responsibility to keep your application up-to-date. ## Document navigation

#### Section D – Identification of Special Needs Based on the information and identification of any special needs provided in the refugee profile, indicate how your group and community can assist the refugee(s) with these particular needs. #### Section E

## Processing your application In most cases, applications are processed within 30 working days of being received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You will receive a letter informing you whether your sponsorship has been approved or refused. If your application has not been processed within 30 days, IRCC will send you a letter to tell you the estimated processing time. ### Processing time Check application processing times ## Approved applications If your application is approved, you will receive a letter that includes an IRCC file number and an IRCC contact name and fax number. On average, refugees sponsored under the JAS program will arrive in Canada within 12 weeks of the date the sponsorship is approved by IRCC. You will be notified about 10 days before the refugee is scheduled to arrive in Canada. Once you have the refugee applicant’s consent, you can check the status of your application†services3.cic.gc.ca online. ## Update your information

Under a joint assistance sponsorship, the government provides financial assistance for the duration of the sponsorship - usually up to 24 months. The private sponsor must agree to provide orientation, significant settlement assistance and emotional support for the full sponsorship period. Quebec has its own process

### Non-accompanying family members Sponsoring groups may wish to confirm with their local IRCC centre whether the principal applicant listed any non-accompanying family members on their application for permanent residence (IMM 0008) since the sponsorship undertaking also extends to non-accompanying family members who are eligible under the terms of the “one-year window of opportunity”. #### Section D

#### Section E – Obligations Read this section carefully as it outlines the obligation of the sponsor. All Joint Assistance Sponsorships are for a period up to 24 months. In exceptional cases, the visa office may request an extended sponsorship period of up to 36 months. In these cases, the sponsor must agree before the case is processed. #### Section F

## Arriving in Canada When you arrive in Canada, an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)†www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca will meet you. The CBSA secures the borders and ports of entry to Canada. You must have a valid travel document (for example, a passport or a travel document issued by the Government of Canada). You must also have a Canadian permanent resident visa with you. The officer will ask to see your passport from your home country, if you have one, and other travel documents. Make sure you have them on hand. This will help speed up your entry into Canada. The officer will make sure that your permanent resident visa is still valid. The expiry date is shown on the visa. You cannot use it after it expires. We cannot extend permanent resident visas. Make sure you use it within the time limit. The officer will give you your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) . You must sign your COPR. The officer will ask you a few questions. The questions will be similar to the ones you answered on your Application for Permanent Residence in Canada. The officer will confirm that you are eligible to enter Canada. The officer may not allow you to enter Canada if you give false or incomplete information at the point of entry, or if you do not satisfy the officer that you are eligible to enter Canada. If there are no problems at the port of entry, the officer will authorize you to enter Canada as a permanent resident. We will mail your permanent resident card to your new address in Canada. You should make sure that the Canadian address on your COPR card is correct because we will send your permanent resident card to that address. If you plan to change your address in the future, or if you do not have a permanent address yet, give us the correct address as soon as you can. ## Disclosure of funds

## Review refugee profiles and identify the refugee or refugee family you would like to sponsor Under the JAS (Joint Assistance Sponsorship) program, your group can use one of two options to choose the refugee(s) to sponsor. You can: * contact your SAH for online access to profiles * request profiles from the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (info@rstp.ca) Additional details on each option are available in the guide that is included in the application kit. For more information, see requesting a refugee profile . ## Submit your application Once you match, the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) will send your information to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O). They will email you with application instructions. Use the document checklist to ensure that you have included everything you need. Make sure that you sign and date your forms. Your application will not be processed and will be returned to the person or group that submitted it if it is incomplete. Remember, it is your responsibility to keep your application up-to-date. ## Document navigation

Once you have the refugee applicant’s consent, you can check the status of your application†services3.cic.gc.ca online. ## Update your information Tell us right away if your address or phone number changes after you apply. Make sure to also include: * your application number (a “G” followed by 9 numbers) * a contact name * an email address * a phone number Email us at IRCC.ROCO-CORO.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. ## Refugee Sponsorship Training Program The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program is designed to help you learn more about what to expect when the refugees arrives in Canada. ## Document navigation

## 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.