Each year, millions of people around the world are forced to flee their homes to escape persecution, war or severe human rights abuse. Often, these people are permanently displaced and never able to return home.  Canadian citizens and permanent residents can help refugees living abroad find protection and build a new life in Canada through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program and the Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) program, which is a cost-sharing arrangement between Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the sponsoring group for UN-referred refugees. 

Groups across Canada who want to sponsor refugees can receive information and training through the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP), which is housed at CCS. RSTP also matches refugees that have been referred to the BVOR program with sponsors. 

RSTP provides training, information, advice, support and resources to Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs), their Constituent Groups (CGs) and co-sponsors, like Groups of Five and Community Sponsors, across Canada to meet their ongoing information and training needs. This includes information about who is eligible to sponsor and be sponsored, the refugee sponsorship process, how to complete the application forms, the international refugee situation, post-arrival financial and settlement support standards, and other information needed to sponsor, welcome, settle and integrate refugees into Canada.

For more information on the program and to register for our services, visit https://www.rstp.ca.