Guide 0108: Sponsorship Agreement Holder Application
Table of contents
- Overview
- Make sure you are eligible
- Complete mandatory training
- Obtain the application package
- Gather supporting documents
- Complete the application (IMM 0109)
- Submit the application
- After you submit the application
Overview
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) works with partner organizations in the resettlement of privately sponsored refugees. Organizations incorporated in Canada may apply to enter into a Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB) with IRCC to sponsor and provide financial and settlement support to refugees.
These organizations are designated Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) and have a signed Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB) with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. SAHs are pre-approved to sponsor based on demonstrated financial and settlement experience and capacity, and as such have different application requirements than groups of five and community sponsors. Generally, new SAH applicants have sponsorship experience and expect to sponsor several refugee cases each year. Applicant organizations must have demonstrated volunteer and/or staff capacity and finances available to ensure the settlement needs of the sponsored refugees are in place before their arrival.
Before you decide to apply, it is important to note that as an organization, the SAH will be responsible for ensuring refugees receive the settlement and financial supports they are entitled to during their first year. The underlying objective of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program is to position refugees so that they are able to live safely and independently in Canadian society, and are able to contribute to Canada’s economic, social and cultural development. Consequently, refugee sponsorship entails a number of financial and legal responsibilities on the part of sponsors. In choosing to take on these important responsibilities, representatives of a SAH must understand that as an organization they will need to comply with program requirements as identified by IRCC. All sponsors, including SAHs, are accountable to IRCC for the delivery and quality of the settlement and financial support they are required to provide to the refugees they sponsor. The requirements are outlined in their respective settlement plans, in sponsorship undertakings (included in the application to sponsor package) and in the SAH agreement itself. The PSR Program is governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its associated Regulations. In order to ensure they are meeting program requirements, SAHs will need to monitor their own activities, as well as the activities of any persons they have chosen to sponsor with, to ensure that that all sponsorship responsibilities are fulfilled.
A SAH:
- is responsible for managing the sponsorships under its agreement
- must be based or have representatives in the community where the refugee(s) resettle
A SAH can also work with other groups or individuals in the community to sponsor refugees under their agreement. These are known as constituent groups (CGs) and/or co-sponsors. Although the CG or co-sponsor must agree to help the refugees settle in Canada, the SAH maintains the overall responsibility to ensure that adequate financial and non-financial support is provided to the refugee(s). Both CGs and co-sponsors share, as legal parties to the sponsorship, the responsibility with the SAH for supporting the sponsored refugees.
Organizations may apply to become a SAH during an annual application window, which will be advertised each year. Applications are evaluated on several factors, including the organization’s financial viability, organizational capacity, security requirements, knowledge of the Private Sponsorship of Refugee program, and experience in private sponsorship and/or refugee settlement.
Make sure you are eligible
To be eligible to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH):
- The organization must be
- incorporated (a legally created organization) for at least 2 years
- physically located in Canada
- interested in, and capable of, sponsoring more than 5 cases per year
- The organization’s main contact, president or equivalent, and each person who will have signing authority must
- be 18 years of age or older;
- be a Canadian citizen, registered Indian or permanent resident of Canada;
- have a permanent address in Canada;
- not be ineligible to be a party to a sponsorship pursuant to subsection 156(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
- The organization, or members of the organization must have recent and significant sponsorship and settlement experience.
- The organization must demonstrate the financial and organizational capacity to sponsor refugees.
Complete mandatory training
Contact the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) at 1-877-290-1701, extension 2416 or etraining@rstp.ca and complete mandatory SAH application training.
Read the following information to familiarize yourself with the PSR Program and associated responsibilities:
- For general information on the PSR Program: Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program;
- For the agreement between IRCC and the SAH outlining respective responsibilities and PSR Program principles: Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB);
- For information on submitting a sponsorship application once you have been approved as a SAH: Guide for Sponsorship Agreement Holders to privately sponsor refugees (IMM 5413);
- For information on financial and other requirements once sponsored cases have arrived in Canada Post-arrival Requirements for Private Sponsorships.
Obtain the application package
The SAH application package is available online and can be submitted during the application window.
Gather supporting documents
Mandatory documents
In order for IRCC to assess the organization’s application, the organization must submit the following mandatory documents:
- articles of incorporation (a copy of the certificate issued in Canada by a provincial or territorial entity or a federal agency) indicating the incorporation has been in effect for at least 2 years
- Financial statements for the most recently completed financial year available, dated within 18 months of the form submission date, and audited by a Chartered Professional Accountant that meets the relevant licensing requirements to conduct audits in the province in which the organization is based.
- a certificate of training issued by the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program to the organization’s president or person in equivalent position (signatory of the Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB)) and the organization’s main contact, as well as all representatives who will have the authority to submit sponsorship applications
- a signed sponsor assessment form (IMM 5492)(opens in a new tab) , including identification that demonstrates current address, for President or equivalent, main contact and each organization representative who will have the authority to submit sponsorship applications. (Board of Directors may be asked to submit a signed Sponsor Assessment form and government-issued identification at a later stage in the process)
- proof of Canadian citizenship, registered Indian status or permanent resident status for the organization’s president or person in equivalent position (signatory of the Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB)) the organization’s main contact, as well as all representatives who will have the authority to submit sponsorship applications
- criminal record check (non-vulnerable sector check) issued within 6 months of the application being submitted for the organization’s president or person in equivalent position (signatory of the Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB)) and the organization’s main contact, as well as all representatives who will have the authority to submit sponsorship applicationsFootnote 1
Complete the application (IMM 0109)
Get the instructions(opens in a new tab)
Submit the application package
Applications are to be submitted via email to IRCC.RASOPSR-PPPROSRA.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.
Completion Checklist
Prior to sending your application, please review your application to ensure that
- You provided complete and detailed answers to all questions in the application form and signed the form. As the form and requirements may change from year to year, only the current year’s version of the form will be accepted.
- You have attached the following mandatory documents:
- articles of incorporation (a copy of the certificate issued in Canada by a provincial entity or a federal agency indicating the incorporation has been in effect for at least 2 years)
- Financial statements for the most recently completed financial year available, dated within 18 months of the form submission date, and auditedFootnote 4 by a certified accountantFootnote 5. Unaudited or incorrectly-auditedFootnote 6 financial statements, notices to reader, review engagement reports, bank statements or tax forms are not acceptable.
- A certificate of training issued by the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program to the organization’s president or equivalent, main contact and all representatives that will have the signing authority to submit sponsorship applications
- A signed sponsor assessment form (IMM 5492), including identification with current address, for the President or equivalent, main contact, and each organization representative who will have the signing authority to submit sponsorship applications
- Proof of citizenship, registered Indian status or permanent resident status for the organization’s president or equivalent, main contact and all representatives that will have the signing authority to submit sponsorship applications
- Criminal record check (non-vulnerable sector check) issued within 6 months of the application being submitted for the organization’s president/CEO or equivalent, main contact and all representatives that will have the authority to submit sponsorship applications Footnote 7
- You confirmed your understanding of the concepts described in Section F of the SAH application form
After you submit the application
Upon submission of your application to IRCC.RASOPSR-PPPROSRA.IRCC@cic.gc.ca, you will receive an automatic email reply.
Is the application complete?
An incomplete application package will not be considered for further assessment, and there will be no follow-up from IRCC to obtain missing information. The onus is on the applicant to provide all required information with their application. If the application is incomplete, you will be notified that the application will not be assessed because it is incomplete and that the file will be closed. If you wish to proceed with a SAH application, you may re-apply during the next application window.
Does the application meet the mandatory requirements?
Only if the application is complete, it will go through mandatory background screening and financial viability assessments. If either of the mandatory assessments are not favourable or inconclusive, the application will not be considered for further assessment and you will be notified that the application will not be assessed further and that the file will be closed. If you wish to proceed with a SAH application, you may re-apply during the next application window.
Does the application meet the minimum scoring criteria?
If all eligibility requirements are met and mandatory assessments are favourable, the application will be further assessed under the scored assessment criteria. Following assessment, you will be notified if your application has been approved or refused or if additional information is required to finalize a decision.
If your application is refused, you will be notified of this decision and may re-apply during the next annual application window.
What happens after an application is approved?
If your application is approved, your organization will sign a Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB) with IRCC. Once the signed agreement has been received and your organization is officially a SAH, there will be additional training required before you receive your first allocation of sponsorship spaces under the global SAH cap.