Sponsoring a refugee

The Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship) allows you to sponsor a refugee who is abroad, and the family members who accompany that refugee.

You must submit an undertaking application to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration during a receiving period for this program.

The undertaking is a contract with the Gouvernement du Québec that binds you to the person you are sponsoring. You become that person's guarantor.

This contract has a term of 12 months (1 year).

As guarantor, you will have responsibilities and obligations to honour for the entire duration of your undertaking. In particular, you will have to meet the basic needs of the refugees and provide them with the necessary support in their integration approaches.

To enter into a commitment, you must, among other things, demonstrate you are able to honour it, particularly by demonstrating your financial capacity.

To sponsor a refugee, you must be:

• A group of 2 to 5 natural persons; or
• A legal person (registered charity).

There are two classes and two subclasses of legal persons:

• Regular legal person (Class R);
  • Specific regular legal persons (subclass RS):
• Experienced legal person (Class E):
  • Specific experienced legal persons (subclass ES).

You must honour all the conditions that apply to your guarantor class or subclass.

The person you wish to sponsor must be recognized as a refugee within the meaning of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or under the country of asylum class.

The Government of Canada is responsible for determining whether a person is recognized in one of these two classes.

Refugee

The person must meet all of the following criteria:

• Is outside of each of their countries of nationality;
• not having a country of nationality, is outside the country of their former habitual residence;
• Has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of:
  • Race;
  • Religion;
  • Nationality;
  • Membership in a particular social group; or
  • Political opinion.
• Is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to:
• claim the protection of their country of nationality or residence;
• return to their country of nationality or residence.
• Be in a situation where no lasting solution is feasible within a reasonable period.

Country of asylum class

The person must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be outside of Canada.
• Be outside their country of nationality or the country of their former habitual residence
• In their country of nationality or former habitual residence, have suffered and continue to suffer the severe personal consequences:
  • of a civil war;
  • of an armed conflict; or
  • of massive violation of human rights.
• Be unable or unwilling because of fears related to these severe personal consequences:
  • claim the protection of their country of nationality or residence;
  • return to their country of nationality or residence.
• Be in a situation where no lasting solution is feasible within a reasonable period.
• Be covered by an undertaking application (collective sponsorship).
   

Family members who can support the person you sponsor

The person you wish to sponsor may be accompanied by immediate family members, that is:

• The partner (husband or wife or common-law spouse);
• Dependent children under 22 years of age.

You must include the family members who accompany that person and those who do not in your undertaking application.