Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS program)

(REF-OVS-2-4)

The Government of Canada may partner with private sponsors to support a government-assisted refugee with exceptional needs for an extended period once resettled in Canada. The exceptional needs may be identified and assessed before or after the refugee arrives in Canada.

Exceptional needs identified before departure for Canada
Guidance on assessing, selecting and arranging for resettlement and support if a refugee while still residing abroad is found to have exceptional needs requiring further support

Exceptional needs identified after arrival in Canada
Guidance on assessing, selecting and arranging for support if a refugee is found to have exceptional needs requiring further support after being admitted to Canada

Requests to convert blended visa office-referred (BVOR) cases to joint assistance sponsorship (JAS) cases
Guidance on cases with exceptional circumstances, when a refugee who has a sponsorship under the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program may be found to have exceptional needs that warrant extended support

Monitoring joint assistance sponsorships
Guidance on monitoring to ensure that the sponsor is meeting the refugee’s needs and to inform on any adjustments needed

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Resettlement: Cases for priority or special processing
Considerations for assessing and processing special or priority case groups, which include cases referred for urgent protection, vulnerable cases, public policies, applicants who are persecuted on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity expression (SOGIE-LGBTI) and other groups requiring special attention

Resettlement: Program delivery partners – roles and responsibilities
Key partners within and outside IRCC and their respective responsibilities regarding resettlement

For other processing stages, refer to:

Government Assisted Refugee Program (GAR)