The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program

The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program is a pioneering Canadian refugee resettlement program.

Through the PSR program, Canadian citizens and permanent residents can engage in the resettlement of refugees from abroad. As members of organizations, associations and groups, citizens and residents can sponsor refugees overseas, as any of the following:

Groups of Five

A groundbreaking program for resettling refugees in Canada is the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program. Citizens and permanent residents of Canada can take part in the resettlement of refugees from other countries through the Groups of Five program.

  For more information on Groups of Five: About the process Click Here

Community Sponsors

Some community organizations can sponsor refugees to come to Canada. The organization must agree to give emotional and income support to the refugees for the full sponsorship period. This is usually 1 year. The Community Sponsor may also choose to partner formally with an individual (e.g. a refugee’s family member in Canada) or another organization in carrying out settlement duties.

Please note: Community Sponsors can only sponsor persons who have already been formally/officially recognized as a refugee in the country of asylum (i.e.: where they reside now), and be able to provide documentary proof of this status, such as a document issued by the state of that country or a refugee status recognition or ‘mandate letter’ by the UNHCR.

  For more information on Community sponsors: About the process Click Here

Sponsorship Agreement Holders

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship/IRCC signs a sponsorship agreement with organizations that help refugees resettle in Canada. The IRCC calls these organizations Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs). SAHs may partner with groups or individuals to sponsor refugees under their agreements. These groups are referred to as Constituent Groups (CGs); any individuals that partner with SAHs are known as co-sponsors.

Currently, there are more than 120 SAHs throughout Canada (excluding Quebec).

The list of SAHs is available on IRCC’s website Click Here

  For more information on Sponsorship agreement holders: About the program Click Here

One-year window (OYW) of opportunity – All provinces except Quebec

This Program applies only to the OYW provision process for permanent residents who arrive under the government‑assisted and privately sponsored refugee streams. 

  For more information on the One-year window (OYW) of opportunity – All provinces except Quebec Click Here