How much does it cost to be privately sponsored to Canada?
The short answer is, “It costs nothing.”
There is no application fee to submit an application through the private sponsorship program. However, there must be a proof of funds submitted with each application. These funds, held in trust by our partner Sponsorship Agreement Holder MOSAIC, are used to support the newcomer(s) during their first year in Canada. None of this money held in trust goes to the Canadian government, MOSAIC or Ads Up Canada. One hundred percent of the funds go to the sponsored refugee and are disbursed to them once they arrive in Canada.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has developed a guide to the minimum funds required to sponsor refugees, based on family composition, start-up costs, in-kind donations and location in Canada. This is referred to as the “Sponsorship Cost Table”. Please be aware that these amounts can change, and if they change during the period that the refugee is waiting to come to Canada, the sponsorship group or SAH is required to make up the difference in funds.
Many refugees ask if they can provide their own funds for sponsorship, and the answer is “no”. The Canadian government does not allow refugees to fund their own private sponsorships to Canada. Operation #NotForgotten does not ask refugees to help with raising funds for their own sponsorships. All funds are raised independently by MOSAIC, Ads Up Canada and the Refugee Council of Australia working together as partners and then held in trust by MOSAIC for individual applications until the refugee(s) arrive.
