Welcome! Moving to a new country can be difficult, and you may have many questions. This page answers some of the questions that refugees and newcomers ask most often. We hope you find the information you need. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us. We are happy to help.
Please note that our sponsorship allocations for 2026 have been filled. If you would like to be placed on our waitlist for 2027, please contact the refugee resettlement office for your province to make a request, or email the Refugee Resettlement team at rrinfo@clwr.org.
While we do our best to equitably distribute allocations among our sponsoring partners, we are constrained by the number of allocations Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allots our SAH each year.
The PSR program allows private groups within Canada to sponsor refugees abroad for resettlement to Canada.
Sponsoring groups commit to supporting refugees through financial and settlement support during their first year in Canada.
The PSR program is intended for refugee protection — it is not an immigration pathway for people seeking economic opportunities or for general migration.
To qualify for refugee resettlement, a person must meet the definition of a Convention Refugee Abroad class and/or the Country of Asylum class:
Convention Refugee Abroad class:
You are a Convention Refugee Abroad if you are outside your country of nationality and are unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Membership in a particular social group
- Political opinion
Country of asylum class:
You are part of the Country of Asylum class if you are outside your country of nationality and are personally and directly affected by armed conflict, civil war, and/or mass violation of human rights.
In addition, refugees considered for resettlement to Canada must not have a durable solution, such as:
- Safe return to their home country
- Permanent integration in another country of asylum
- Alternative offer of resettlement to another country
A Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) is an organization authorized by the Government of Canada to submit refugee sponsorship applications.
CLWR is a SAH; we work alongside Canadian Lutheran churches and community groups (also called constituent groups (CGs), and co-sponsors, that support and welcome refugees to Canada.
CLWR does not typically accept direct overseas sponsorship requests.
We receive thousands of inquiries each year, and responding to these requests can delay active sponsorship applications already underway with Canadian sponsoring groups.
We respectfully ask that any sponsorship inquiry come through a sponsoring person, church, or community group in Canada.
No. Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) does not directly sponsor refugees who contact us from overseas.
Refugee sponsorship through the PSR program must be initiated in Canada by a sponsoring group that has committed to providing financial and settlement support for one year.
No. Sponsorship through CLWR must begin with a Canadian sponsoring group, such as:
- A Lutheran church
- A community group in Canada
- Co-sponsors
Because CLWR receives a limited number of sponsorship allocations each year, we are unable to assist individuals who do not already have a Canadian sponsor willing and able to support them.
No. While CLWR is a Lutheran organization and prioritizes sponsorship through Lutheran churches and community groups, we support and sponsor people of all:
- Faiths and religions
- Nationalities
- Races
- Political or social identities
- Sexual orientations and gender identities
CLWR partners with Lutheran churches, community groups and co-sponsors.
Individuals seeking sponsorship are encouraged to connect with family members, friends, faith communities, or community organizations in Canada that are eligible and willing to sponsor refugees to Canada. Once a sponsorship group agrees to assist you, they can reach out to our Refugee Resettlement team directly at rrinfo@clwr.org to be added to our waitlist.
CLWR only supports refugee sponsorship through the PSR program. We do not provide assistance with other types of immigration applications.
Processing times vary depending on a number of factors, including processing country, case complexity, vulnerability of applicants and many more. Please refer to the processing times indicated on the IRCC website for information about a specific country’s processing times:
Yes, a family member can sponsor you as a co-sponsor. This is referred to as Sponsor-Referred/Named/Family-Linked Sponsorship.
https://www.rstp.ca/en/applications/the-refugee-sponsorship-application-forms
Overview of forms and documents:
Sponsor:
- Sponsorship Undertaking –
- Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) [IMM 5373]
- Settlement Plan — Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) [IMM 5440]
- Sponsor Assessment [IMM 5492]
- Canadian ID (passport, PR card, citizenship certificate, birth certificate) for representative
Refugee:
- Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008]
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]
- Schedule 2: Refugees Outside Canada [IMM 0008/Schedule 2]
When possible:
- ID documents: refugee status documents (not mandatory), national ID cards, birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, death certificate (etc.)
- Passports, travel documents
- Custody documents (when applicable)
- Photos, see Permanent resident photograph specifications
- Background documents: military records, membership documents.
