Details of Quebec’s 2021 Collective Refugee Sponsorship Program Revealed

Details of how Quebec will receive applications for its collective sponsorship program for refugees abroad have been published by the immigration department.

In an update on March 18, the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) said an application window for 750 spaces would open between April 6 and May 5 2021.

Only groups of two to five potential sponsors who are Quebec citizens or permanent residents can submit an application, as per a decision published in the Gazette officielle du Québec on November 1, 2020. Applications from organizations are currently suspended until November 1, 2021.

For the first time, applications must be received online through MIFI’s Arrima platform.

Should the number of applications received exceed 750, MIFI plans to conduct a random draw to select which applications will proceed.

Each sponsorship group can send a maximum of two applications when the window opens. Also, a Quebec citizen or permanent resident cannot be part of more than one sponsorship group.

Under the program, sponsors must provide for the basic needs of the candidate and their family for 12 months.

Responsibilities include providing for:

The costs of getting settled in Quebec, including housing, furnishings, travel, food and clothing.
Expenses for health care, health services and drugs not covered or reimbursed by a public insurance plan.
Costs related to helping the candidate enter the job market or look for a job and that are not covered by a government program.

The sponsor must also offer the candidate and their family help with integration, including:

Assistance in finding a job.
Help with school registration.
Support in accessing public services.
Support for participation in community life.

To qualify, the candidate must be a convention refugee or a member of the Country of Asylum Class.

Colin Singer

Colin Singer is an international acclaimed Canadian immigration lawyer and founder of immigration.ca featured on Wikipedia. Colin Singer is also founding director of the Canadian Citizenship & Immigration Resource Center (CCIRC) Inc. He served as an Associate Editor of ‘Immigration Law Reporter’, the pre-eminent immigration law publication in Canada. He previously served as an executive member of the Canadian Bar Association’s Quebec and National Immigration Law Sections and is currently a member of the Canadian Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Colin has twice appeared as an expert witness before Canada’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. He is frequently recognized as a recommended authority at national conferences sponsored by government and non-government organizations on matters affecting Canada’s immigration and human resource industries. Since 2009, Colin has been a Governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation a non-profit organization committed to the advancement of the profession, and became a lifetime member in 2018.