2.D Refugee-Sponsor Relationship
D.4 What happens at the end of the sponsorship period?
(iii) What sources of community and social assistance may refugees turn to following the sponsorship period, if necessary?
How Canada Does It
At the end of the sponsorship undertaking, sponsoring groups may choose to continue providing financial or settlement support to the refugees. Refugees may also turn to various community and social assistance service providers, depending on their needs.
If they are unable to fully support themselves financially, refugees may apply for provincial social or income assistance. Sponsoring groups are advised to research and explain the types of supports available and the process to access them before the sponsorship period ends.
Refugees may also turn to community agencies like settlement organizations for employment training services and language classes, community healthcare centers for medical services, and schools for further education. Sponsoring groups should inform the refugees that these services are available once the sponsorship undertaking ends.
At the end of the sponsorship undertaking, refugees may continue receiving financial or settlement support from their sponsoring groups if the latter chooses to provide it. If the sponsoring group ends its financial and/or settlement support to the refugees at the end of the sponsorship period, and the refugees are not yet self-sufficient, they may turn to various community and social assistance service providers. Some benchmarks of self-sufficiency include, but are not restricted to: employment/self-employment with sufficient income to cover living costs; and the ability to conduct day-to-day tasks (e.g. paying rent bills, budgeting, and knowledge of local area and transportation).
Refugees are entitled to social assistance, welfare support, and subsidized housing post-sponsorship. If they are unable to fully support themselves financially, they may apply for provincial social or income assistance. Sponsoring groups are advised to research and explain the refugees’ eligibility for social assistance, welfare support, and subsidized housing before the end of the sponsorship period.
Refugees may also turn to community agencies like settlement organizations for employment training services and language classes, community healthcare centers for medical services, and schools for further education. Sponsoring groups should inform the refugees that these services are available once the sponsorship undertaking ends.