How can I Sponsor with the Diocese of Hamilton, Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH)?
This is a question often asked of our Office for Refugees.
First off, please know that we are truly sorry to hear of your family and/or friends’ situation overseas. Our prayers go out to you and your loved ones during this difficult time.
To manage the overwhelming requests for sponsorship to our office, we have created this informative page on our website and have provided links that we hope will answer your questions.
Please understand that everyone who contacts our Office for Refugees needs support to bring their refugee family and friends to Canada. We receive many emails, phone calls and visitors every day, asking for help for refugees all over the world.
We know you are in a difficult situation, and we truly understand how hard it is to be in Canada when those you care about are contacting you from overseas for help.
While our Office for Refugees cannot help everyone, we are doing our very best to help and serve as many people as we can. That said, we want to be very honest with you: please understand that the primary service we are most often able to provide is information, not direct sponsorship help. As such, we strongly recommend that you consider all other sponsorship options available to you.
What you should know about Sponsoring with the Diocese of Hamilton Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH)
“We cannot be indifferent”: Pope Francis reminded us that as Christians, we cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of migrants and refugees. He called for empathy and solidarity, urging us to see migrants not just as strangers but as brothers and sisters in need. The Pope emphasized the importance of building an inclusive world that excludes no one.
In accordance with the Immigration, Refugee, and Protection Act, one of the first objectives is to recognize that the refugee program is in the first instance about saving lives and offering protection to the displaced and persecuted.
In falling in line with the above objective of the Act, refugees that are sponsored through our SAH are not required to identify under a certain faith category.
Due to the high demand for sponsoring refugees through our program, we partner with Catholic churches or organizations within the Diocese of Hamilton geographical boundaries. If you are a parishioner/member or you happen to have an existing connection through a parishioner/member, we advise you to reach out to the parish priest/faith community leader to contact us directly on your behalf.
Please note that to move forward with sponsorship only the priest/faith leader can make the referral to our office for our consideration.
Please understand that even if a parish refers you and undergoes our training process, there is no guarantee that your case will be accepted by our office. After we receive a referral from one of our trained parishes, we must assess the case for refugee eligibility and admissibility to Canada. We must also ensure that all sponsors meet all sponsor requirements. Only after this is completed can our Office for Refugees officially commit to a particular sponsorship and thus provide instruction to prepare the forms for a particular application.
Important*** Please be careful not to make any promises of resettlement or sponsorship to refugees overseas until you have confirmation from us, in writing, that we are able to move forward with a particular application.
Please note that we also operate on a quota system. Immigration Canada offers us a limited number of sponsorship spots on an annual basis. We do not have a waiting list.
If you are not able to meet the above criteria, we suggest that you may want to learn more about the other existing Immigration pathways to bring your loved ones to Canada. Click on link below for more information.
If you do not have an existing connection to a Catholic parish, please be advised that there may be other SAH’s who can help you.
There are approximately 130 SAHs in Canada. Each SAH has the same contract with Canada’s federal immigration department to sponsor refugees from overseas. While all SAHs have the same contract with the government to sponsor refugees, each SAH implements its program at the local level in unique ways. If you require a SAH to sponsor your loved ones, you will need to contact SAHs in your area to learn about their program, discuss requirements, etc. Note that all SAHs have an annual quota from the Canadian government, which regulates how many refugees can be sponsored each year. As such, access to SAH sponsorship can be very competitive. Please see here for a list of SAHs in Canada: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program – Sponsorship Agreement Holders – Canada.ca
We are not able to arrange in person meetings with you if you are not one of our active cases. Should you have further general questions about sponsoring a refugee please contact the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) at https://www.rstp.ca/en/ for further guidance.
We truly hope that the above information will help guide you on a path towards successful reunification with your loved ones overseas and that they are able to stay safe during these challenging times.