Application to Become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (IMM 0109)

1. Organization information

Type the following details about your organization:

• Name of organization
• Mailing address of organization, including city, province and postal code
• Telephone number of organization
• Email address of organization
• Website address of organization, if applicable

2. Information on president or person in equivalent position, who will be the signatory of the Sponsorship Agreement

Type the following details about the organization’s president, CEO, or person in equivalent position:

• Name of president, CEO or equivalent
• Position title
• Primary telephone number
• Primary email address

Indicate if this person has completed the mandatory RSTP training.

3. Information on the person who will serve as the organization’s main contact regarding refugee sponsorship

The organization’s main contact will be IRCC’s first point of contact in matters pertaining to the Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB). This includes, but is not limited to, the annual allocation of spaces under the global SAH cap, the SAH’s annual report, follow-ups on case-specific issues, and follow-ups on agreement-related issues. The main contact can request changes to the individuals authorized to communicate and act on behalf of the SAH with IRCC. SAHs may appoint more than one main contact.

Type the following details on the organization’s main contact:

• Name of main contact
• Position title
• Mailing address, including city, province and postal code
• Primary telephone number
• Primary email address

Indicate if this person has completed the mandatory RSTP training.

4. Provide the following information for each member of the organization’s board of directors

Type the following details on the organization’s board of directors:

• Name
• Position title
• Primary telephone number
• Primary email address

5. Provide information on anyone the organization will authorize to submit sponsorship applications

These individual(s) are authorized to act on behalf of your organization in:

• submitting sponsorship applications on behalf of the organization; and
• legally binding the organization to the terms of the private sponsorship under the Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB)

Each person who will have signing authority must submit a completed sponsor assessment form (IMM 5492) (opens in a new tab) with the application. There is no limit on the number of signing authorities that a SAH may appoint. SAHs may appoint more than one signing authority.

Provide the following information for each person who will have signing authority

• Name
• Position title
• Mailing address, including city, province and postal code
• Primary telephone number
• Primary email address

Indicate if this person has completed the mandatory RSTP training.

6. In order to be eligible to become a SAH, organizations must be incorporated for at least 2 years

Provide the following information:

• Province in which your organization was incorporated
• Date of incorporation

You need to include a copy of the 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) with your application.

The maximum overall score for an assessment is 100 points. A minimum score in each of the following categories is required in order to be considered for approval as a SAH:

• Section B: Sponsorship and Settlement Experience - 25 points (minimum score =18)
• Section C: Organizational and Financial Capacity - 36 points (minimum score = 26)
• Section D: Settlement Planning - 39 points (minimum score = 28)

Previous sponsorship or settlement experience (23 points)

1. Please provide details on your organization’s previous sponsorship experience under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program and/or related experience in refugee resettlement or settlement (for example, through the delivery of services as an IRCC-funded service provider organization).

   The application must include detailed information on direct experience in private sponsorship of refugees. Experience should be recent^{Footnote 1} and significant^{Footnote 2}. To demonstrate this experience, organizations must describe their role in the sponsorship (Were you a constituent group, co-sponsor, group of five (G5), or community sponsor (CS)?), the number of sponsored families and their arrival date(s) in Canada, family size, and their case numbers. Applications should note activities such as submitting sponsorship applications to IRCC, and provide details on post-arrival support provided to refugees. If applicable, provide the contact information of the SAH organization who your organization worked with. Detailed and verifiable information must be provided and there must be a link between the experience and the organization who is applying to become a SAH.

   If experience is related or indirect, for example, for an organization that supports refugees under the Resettlement Assistance Program or Settlement Program, the application must include verifiable and detailed information on experience in providing settlement or resettlement resources to refugees post-arrival in Canada. This criterion is intended for organizations that provide services to refugees who are not privately sponsored (for example, government-assisted refugees). Detailed and verifiable information must be provided and there must be a link between the experience and the organization who is applying to become a SAH.

Previous Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Sponsorship (2 points)

2. Please provide details on any previous experience sponsoring refugees under the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) refugee stream.

   Organizations that have experience in sponsoring BVOR cases must provide details on the time period and number of years over which this experience was obtained, the total number of applications and families sponsored, the application numbers (“G” numbers) for each sponsorship, the role of their organization and/or its members in each sponsorship and the services they provided, and contact information for other organizations or groups that they partnered with in previous sponsorships, if applicable. Detailed and verifiable information must be provided and there must be a link between the experience and the organization who is applying to become a SAH.

SAHs and their constituent groups (CGs) and/or co-sponsors may draw funds from a combination of sponsorship reserves, generated for example by fundraising activities; trust funds; in-kind donations and third party financial support. Applicants intending to assume the entire financial responsibility for settlement, or to use a combined approach, will need to indicate a higher proof of funds compared to applicants that will place the onus on the third-party link in Canada to cover settlement costs. If fundraising activities are cited as a source of support, the organization will have to demonstrate the sustainability of these activities.

Applicants must provide proof that they have the financial ability to support all persons sponsored under the agreement. They must demonstrate access to a sustainable source of funding to provide an adequate level of financial support to each sponsored case. Detailed information must be provided in each section below.

Organizational Capacity and Structure (10 points)

1. Provide a description of your organization including the structure of your organization, a description of how it is governed, and reporting relationships.

   The application must include information on the governance structure of the organization, including board members’ names and contact information, the structure of the board and committees, and the reporting relationships of staff to the board. The application may include the organization’s mission statement, if applicable. Details on how board members are selected must be included.

Staff and Volunteer Capacity (10 points)

2. What support structure (staff, volunteers) will be available to provide the required settlement support? Please provide the number of paid staff and/or volunteers and a detailed explanation of their roles and responsibilities in providing support to sponsored refugees.

   The application must include the number of paid staff and/or volunteers who will support the organization in their PSR activities. The number of staff and volunteers must be sufficient to support the anticipated case load of the organization. The application must include the roles and responsibilities and location of staff and volunteers.

Financial Capacity and Contingency Planning (16 points)

3. Who do you anticipate will carry the financial responsibility for your sponsorships? Will it be your organization as the SAH, a constituent group, co-sponsor(s), or a combination? Please provide details.

   If the organization is planning on working with constituent groups and/or co-sponsors, the application must clearly define which parties will carry the financial responsibility for the sponsorship period.

4. Please explain how you will ensure that you have the financial capacity to meet your sponsorship obligations, e.g. fundraising, establishment of trust funds, etc.

   The application must explain how the SAH will ensure sufficient resources are available, provide details on the source of funds (fundraising, use of trust funds, etc.), and demonstrate the sustainability of any planned fundraising or income-generating activities.

5. If you plan to work with constituent groups or co-sponsors, how will you make sure each constituent group or co-sponsor has sufficient resources to provide the required financial support to the refugees they wish to sponsor?

   The Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB) requires SAHs to ensure that CGs and co-sponsors have adequate resources and arrangements to fulfill sponsorship responsibilities. If applicable, explain how you will ensure that CGs and co-sponsors have sufficient organizational assistance, information, and financial support to meet the responsibilities of the sponsorship undertaking.

6. What is your contingency plan to ensure that you will have resources available in the event that the constituent groups or co-sponsors are unable or unwilling to meet their financial and settlement obligations to the sponsored refugees? As per the SAH’s Sponsorship Agreement (PDF, 610 KB), it is the SAH who is ultimately responsible for the sponsorship and the financial support.

   The application should demonstrate an understanding that the SAH is ultimately responsible for providing financial and settlement support to the refugee(s) should the support from the CG or co-sponsor cease at any point. A detailed contingency plan should be provided to explain what the organization will do should any or all of the sponsorship partners be unable or unwilling to provide support.

Planned Settlement Supports and Services (15 points)

1. Please explain what settlement supports and services will be provided to the sponsored refugees. How will the organization access these resources, and who will be responsible for providing them.

   SAH organizations have a legal obligation to ensure appropriate settlement supports are provided to refugees and their families once they have arrived in Canada. The application must provide details on how the organization will be accessing resources for at least the following, not limited to, but including:

   1. emotional support
   2. social support
   3. integration activities, including referrals to Settlement Program activities
   4. language and other training opportunities (including through referral to other programs that may be offered by third parties)

   If the SAH organization partners with a constituent group or co-sponsor, roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined in the application.

Monitoring (12 points)

2. Please explain how your organization will provide oversight and monitor its sponsored caseload over the duration of the sponsorship period (typically one year).

   The application must provide details on the planned method and frequency of oversight and monitoring to be conducted with its sponsored refugee caseload, taking into consideration the local or national reach of the SAH and physical distance from the community of settlement. The SAH is responsible for ensuring an adequate level of support is provided to refugees and their families upon arrival in Canada and for the duration of the sponsorship period.

3. If the organization plans to sponsor with the assistance of constituent groups and/or co-sponsors, describe how your organization will provide support (e.g. training, communication, provision of settlement services, monitoring, oversight etc.).

   The application must provide details on the planned method and frequency of monitoring and oversight activities to be conducted with its constituent groups and co-sponsors, taking into consideration the local or national reach of the SAH and physical distance from the community of settlement.

   You may wish to refer to the SAHs: Best Practices for Monitoring resource package developed by the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) for additional information.

Availability of Settlement Services (12 points)

4. Please provide details on settlement services and resources that are available within the planned community or communities of settlement. If resources are not available within the community, please provide a plan for how sponsored refugees will access required resources.

   The application must demonstrate that sufficient settlement resources are available within the planned community of settlement, or alternately, that there is a plan to provide these resources if they are not available within the community of settlement. For example, if language training classes are not available, the application must indicate how the sponsors will provide this resource.

   Please refer to the IRCC website for information on settlement services available across Canada.

1. What is your organization’s projected sponsorship activity (number of persons/cases) per year?

   Please indicate the number of refugees (number of persons or families) that your organization is interested in and has the capacity to sponsor per year.

2. Does your organization plan to focus its sponsorship efforts on any particular refugee population(s) or is your interest in sponsorship flexible?

   Please explain if your organization intends to focus sponsorship efforts on any particular refugee population(s) or world areas.

3. Do you wish to provide any other information which may be relevant to the assessment of your organization’s application to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder and its ability to fulfill obligations to sponsored refugees?

   Please provide any additional information or references from other organizations that you would like IRCC to take into consideration in the assessment of your organization’s application to become a SAH and to fulfill obligations to sponsored refugees.

Please confirm your understanding of the listed SAH responsibilities and principles by checking off each item. If you have any questions, please contact IRCC at IRCC.RASOPSR-PPPROSRA.IRCC@cic.gc.ca or refer to the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program.

Sign and date the declaration.