Churches, community groups and individuals can sponsor a refugee or refugee family to come to Canada. As a Sponsorship Agreement Holder, Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) partners with you to prepare a settlement plan, welcome a refugee or family and support them through their first 12 months in Canada. To sponsor a refugee or refugee family, your group must meet the eligibility requirements and be prepared to take on the responsibility of sponsorship.
Please note that our sponsorship allocations for 2026 have been filled. To contact the Refugee Resettlement team, email rrinfo@clwr.org.
Who is eligible to sponsor a refugee?
Churches, community groups and even families or individuals can sponsor a refugee or refugee family through CLWR. To be eligible to sponsor a refugee with CLWR, a person must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and reside in the intended community of resettlement
- Be at least 18 years old
- Demonstrate financial capacity to support the refugee(s) for one year, and
- Have commitment, compassion and a team to help
What are the responsibilities of a refugee sponsor?
If you are interested in sponsoring a refugee and helping them resettle in Canada, you will be responsible to:
- Provide financial support for 12 months
- Assist with housing, schooling, health care, language learning and more
- Offer emotional and practical support to help refugees adjust
- Assist with community orientation and involvement, and more
What different options are available to sponsor a refugee or refugee family?
There are three ways you can help a refugee or refugee family: Sponsor-referred sponsorship, Blended Visa Office Referred sponsorship or by supporting CLWR’s work with refugees more broadly.
1. Sponsor-Referred (Named/Family-Linked)
Sponsor-referred is when the sponsorship group already knows the person they want to sponsor. In some cases, the refugee is a relative or friend of someone in the local community (family-linked sponsorship).
- Financial support: Settlement expenses are covered by the sponsorship group or by a relative of the refugee living in Canada.
- Settlement support: The sponsorship group coordinates and supports settlement.
- Timeline: Refugees must undergo a refugee status determination process at a Canadian visa office abroad. Since they have not yet been cleared for resettlement to Canada, processing times can take longer.
2. Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR):
This is a cost-sharing program with the Canadian government. The sponsorship group does not know the refugee or family to be sponsored ahead of time.
- Financial support: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides six months of financial support, and the sponsorship group provides the remaining six months.
- Settlement support: The sponsorship group provides settlement support for the full year.
- Timeline: Refugees are typically ready to travel to Canada within two to four months, pending a match with a Canadian sponsor.
3. Supporting CLWR’s work with refugees and displaced people
If you do not meet the eligibility requirement to sponsor a refugee directly or simply want to help in a different way, you can make a donation to support our work with refugees and displaced people.
Sabah is a Sudanese refugee living in the extension area of Arkoum refugee camp in Eastern Chad. She stands outside her shelter, together with her children and other displaced community members. (LWF photo/Marie Reneaux)
Why does refugee sponsorship matter?
Built on a foundation of compassion, community support and protection for those fleeing persecution, CLWR continues to stand with refugees seeking safety and a chance to rebuild their lives. Refugee sponsorship has always been at the heart of CLWR’s history. We have supported refugees since 1946 and have been a sponsorship agreement holder with the federal government since 1979 when the program first began. Today, through refugee sponsorship, churches and community groups continue that legacy, offering safety, stability and hope.
“With growing conflict and human rights violations around the world, forced displacement continues to rise. As a country with a history of reaching out to those who are persecuted and seeking safety, we must continue to build on that tradition and uphold our commitment to resettlement,” says Senait B, director of refugee resettlement.
Refugee resettlement impact in 2025
Frequently asked questions about sponsoring refugees
A refugee is someone who has fled their home due to war, violence, or persecution and is unable to return safely. Refugees are not economic immigrants who voluntarily choose to leave their countries for better opportunities.
The United Nations defines a refugee as “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.”
Sponsors must financially support the refugee family for 12 months. Costs vary by family size and location. We will provide you with a cost guideline and resources to help you fundraise.
Timelines can vary from a few months to several years. Our team can provide an estimate once we know more details about your specific case.
Yes! We work with congregations of many denominations across Canada as well as community groups to sponsor refugees.
Private sponsorship, also known as sponsor-referred sponsorship or family-linked sponsorship, allows your group to select a refugee or refugee family. You will be responsible for financially supporting them for 12 months.
With Blended Visa Office Referral (BVOR), the government matches your group with a refugee or refugee family already approved. The government covers six months of expenses, and your group covers the remaining six months.
If your question is not answered here, please contact us at rrinfo@clwr.org.