Thank you for your interest in refugee sponsorship!
In 1946, CLWR was created to help people displaced by the Second World War. Our commitment to refugees continues to this day through refugee resettlement. Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the Government of Canada. Through CLWR, congregations and groups (who become our Constituent Groups) are able to sponsor refugees from abroad.
Sponsors are responsible for helping refugees settle in their communities during their first year in Canada. A year of support is an obligation for private sponsorship of refugees. This includes financial support to cover settlement expenses, as well as people available to help with settlement orientation and activities. Ultimately, the goal of private sponsorship is to empower refugees that will lead to self-sufficiency and integration into their community of settlement.
In order to qualify for sponsorship, a refugee applicant must meet the definition of a refugee. According to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is: “A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”
TYPES OF REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP
Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR):
- A cost-sharing program with the Canadian government. The department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides 6 months of financial support, and the constituent group (CG) provides the other 6 months of financial support.
- The CG provides the settlement support for the whole year.
- Refugees are ready to travel to Canada within 2 to 4 months, pending a match with a Canadian sponsor.
Sponsor-Referred/Named/Family-Linked Sponsorship:
- The CG chooses or names the refugee they want to sponsor, sometimes it is the relative/friend of a member in the local community (i.e. family-link).
- Settlement expenses are covered by the CG, or by a relative of the refugees in Canada.
- Refugees must undergo a refugee status determination process at a Canadian visa office abroad. Since they have not be cleared for resettlement to Canada, their case processing can take longer.
Click here to contact the Refugee Resettlement team.
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