Operational Bulletin 646 – The Joint Assistance Sponsorship Recommendations from Within Canada

When Should the Authorities Typically Consider In-Canada Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Conversions?

The authorities could typically consider conversions from in-Canada Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) cases when the case involves all the following aspects:

• The authorities have identified information pertaining to high medical or settlement needs post arrival and during the period of Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) support
• The case meets the outlined Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) criteria, namely in that the case presents greater need of settlement assistance than there is for other Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) cases because of exceptional resettlement needs such as:
  • A physical or mental condition that could necessitate treatment in Canada
  • An unusual family configuration such as a single parent family with several young children or a family consisting only of siblings, one or more of whom might have assumed parental responsibilities and,
  • Other special needs that the overseas officers or inland Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officers might have identified
  • For more information on this, officers would need to refer to the existing program guidance provided by the authorities
• The authorities have found that sponsor support is available for the case and,
• The authorities have identified that a conversion to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) would be in the best interests of the client

When Should the Authorities Typically Consider Converting In-Canada Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) Cases to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Cases?

It is worth mentioning that a private sponsor or Service Provider Organisation (SPO) has the ability to request for the conversion of a Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) case to a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) case. But, the authorities only convert Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) cases to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) cases in exceptional circumstances. In most of these cases, the authorities will typically concur with the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office prior to carrying out the conversion.

The exceptional circumstances that the authorities would typically look for when determining whether to convert a Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) case to a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) case would typically comprise the following aspects:

• The availability of information pertaining to high medical or settlement needs comes to the notice of the officers only post arrival
  • In some cases, the pre-arrival conversion of a Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) case to a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) case could be an option
  • This would typically be the case in situations when sponsor groups withdraw their sponsorship because of lack of capacity for supporting the higher medical needs of the individual
  • However, the authorities would only consider pre-arrival conversion in case they identify this medical or settlement information only at the Notification of Arrival Transmission (NAT) stage
• The case meets the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) criteria – specified in the instructions given earlier in this document
• The officers find that sponsor support is available in the case
  • In some cases, the current sponsor might not have the capacity or experience required
  • In this scenario, the authorities could solicit the case to other sponsors in the community of settlement
• The officers have determined that converting the case to a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) case would be in the best interests of the client
  • In order to make this determination, the officers would typically need to consider aspects that include the fact that:
    • The Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) clients might be able to receive additional support through services from the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisations (SPOs)
    • The sponsors might provide further support to the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) clients by diverting financial resources to help provide the coverage needed for additional medical costs that the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) or provincial health care programs do not typically cover and,
    • The potential exists for extending the sponsorship period beyond 12 months – in case this is in the client’s best interests

The Duration of the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS)

The authorities require officers to establish all Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) sponsorships with a two-year duration from the date of arrival in Canada. This requirement includes the establishment of Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) sponsorships that cover both Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) income support and sponsorship. In addition, this directive applies regardless of whether the officers identified the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) sponsorship overseas or in Canada.

Situations could arise where the client might no longer require Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) support. This situation could take place at any point during the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) sponsorship. In this scenario, the authorities could consider ending the joint sponsorship with the mutual agreement of both the sponsor and the refugee, in conjunction with the recommendation given by the local office.

The authorities also recommend the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office to carry out a check-in with the sponsor, midway through the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) commitment. This would help in keeping Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) informed of any possible adjustments to the duration of the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS).

The Process for the In-Canada Determination of Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Cases

The authorities require officers to follow the steps given below when they make the in-Canada determination of Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) cases. Situations could arise that warrant the migration officer determination of Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) cases. For such cases, the officers will need to refer to the existing program guidance provided by the authorities. For details pertaining to overseas cases, the officers will need to refer to the program delivery instructions provided by the authorities on the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in the section titled ‘Resettlement from Overseas’.

• Step 1
  • The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group will need to complete the ‘In-Canada Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Recommendation Form’ and submit it via e-mail to the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office
  • In addition, the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group will need to submit any pertinent case details as well
  • In some cases, the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group might not be aware of the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office contact information
  • In this scenario, the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group will need to submit the form and any pertinent case details to the Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) Program team at [email protected]
  • Thereafter, the Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) Program team will need to forward the form to the appropriate local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office
• Step 2
  • The local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office will need to review the case details and information specified in the ‘In-Canada Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Recommendation Form’
  • It will need to seek additional information from the Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) as well – if required
  • Thereafter, it will need to make a recommendation to the Resettlement Operations Division in the International Network (IN) with the ‘In-Canada Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Recommendation Form’ attached
  • It is worth mentioning that the subject line will need to clearly specify ‘Recommendation for in-Canada Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Conversion: [Special Program Name listed here]’ – if applicable
  • Situations could arise where the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office has already identified a sponsor
  • Alternatively, the case might be a Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) case
  • In both scenarios, the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office will need to indicate this in the e-mail that it sends to the Resettlement Operations Division in the International Network (IN)
  • It is worth mentioning that the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office recommendation will need to include supervisor or manager concurrence as well
• Step 3
  • The Resettlement Operations Division in the International Network (IN) will need to review the case first
  • Thereafter, it will need to determine whether it should designate the case as a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) case
  • Lastly, it will notify the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office of the case decision via e-mail
• Step 4
  • In Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) cases, the Resettlement Operations Division in the International Network (IN) will need to:
    • Send the case summary to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) in case no sponsor has yet been identified
    • The Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) retains the onus for tracking and communicating with the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) in order to help promote and solicit the case to the sponsorship community
    • It is worth mentioning that the promotion will be for a maximum of three months or until the authorities have managed to find a sponsor
  • Similarly, in a Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) case, the Resettlement Operations Division in the International Network (IN) will need to:
    • Find a new sponsoring group in cases where the sponsor is not willing or does not have the capacity to continue to provide support
      • In such cases, the existing sponsorship breakdown protocols and provisions will continue to apply
      • However, it is worth highlighting that the sponsor will need to continue to provide support to the refugee until the authorities finalise the sponsorship breakdown
    • Send the case summary to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) in case no sponsor has yet been identified
    • The Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) retains the onus for tracking and communicating with the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) in order to help promote and solicit the case to the sponsorship community
    • It is worth mentioning that the promotion to potential sponsors will be for a maximum of three months or until the authorities have managed to find a sponsor
    • At the same time, the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office might well recommend other options to ensure that the clients receive adequate levels of support
      • This might include posting for a shortened period or putting the client on the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) in exceptional circumstances in accordance with the breakdown guidance given in the existing program guidance documents
• Step 5
  • The Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) will need to:
    • Create the profile, which it will then, share with the Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) community
    • Track the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) in-Canada conversion cases in a spreadsheet
    • Notify the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) to commence the promotion
      • It is worth highlighting that there is no need to promote it in Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) cases as long as the sponsoring group is willing to continue and is able to provide support or in case the authorities have already found a sponsor
    • Add a note in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
    • Inform the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office once the authorities have found a sponsoring group
    • Reach out to the sponsor and share information and other details for the completion of the undertaking and,
    • Inform the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) to stop promotions in case the authorities have not been able to find a sponsor even after three months
• Step 6
  • The sponsoring group will need to:
    • Submit the completed sponsorship undertaking form i.e. IMM 1324 to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) for approval
    • Submit the completed ‘Sponsor Assessment’ form i.e. IMM 5492 to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) for approval and,
    • Submit the completed ‘Settlement Plan’ form i.e. IMM 5494 (if required) to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) for approval
• Step 7
  • The Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) will need to complete the following steps once the authorities have approved the sponsorship undertaking:
    • Inform the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office
    • Enter the sponsorship information into the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
    • Add the corresponding organisation in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
    • Update the length of financial support field in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
  • Lastly, the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) will need to send a data fix request to the Global Case Management System (GCMS) for a change in the financial support field to ‘Joint Assistance’
• Step 8
  • The local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office will need to adjust the income support commitment period to reflect the new period of sponsorship and extension of Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) income support benefits through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) income support calculation tool and its associated forms and processes i.e. update SAP
  • In addition, the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office will need to:
    • Ensure that the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Income Support Agreement reflects the extended period of sponsorship and the associated Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) benefits
    • Ensure that it extends the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) coverage to reflect the new duration of Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) support and,
    • Inform the Service Provider Organisation (SPO) that the authorities have identified a sponsor (where applicable) and assist in coordinating a case conferencing meeting between the sponsor and the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO)
• Step 9
  • The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group will need to connect with the sponsoring group for reviewing the settlement information and participating in a case conference meeting (either in person or by phone etc.) as required
    • It is worth mentioning that the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group will need to complete the ‘Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Roles and Responsibilities Checklist’ during this meeting
  • Upon completing the ‘Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Roles and Responsibilities Checklist’, the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group will need to send the checklist to the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office for review and addition to the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) client’s Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) file
  • It is worth highlighting that the sponsor, the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Service Provider Organisation (SPO) or the sponsoring group, and the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) client will need to be in possession of copies of the ‘Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Roles and Responsibilities Checklist’
• Step 10
  • The sponsoring group will need to meet with the refugee and the Service Provider Organisation (SPO) (if applicable) and commence shared sponsorship obligations
• Step 11
  • The local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office will need to check in with the sponsor midway through the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) commitment in order to ensure that the sponsor is continuing to meet the client’s needs and that the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) is still in the best interests of the client
  • The authorities have made a standard e-mail template available for this purpose
  • Situations could arise where the sponsors might present some concerns
  • In this scenario, the officers will need to notify the Resettlement Operations Division in the International Network (IN)

The Overseas Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Determination

The authorities require migration officers to continue to flag special needs cases for conversion to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS). This is in accordance with the existing procedures. It is worth mentioning that the referrals flagged for Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) by migration officers differ from the Visa Office Referrals (VOR) program. For obtaining further details about overseas Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) referrals and the Visa Office Referrals (VOR) program, officers will need to refer to the details provided in Appendix A.

The Expected Results

The authorities expect the uptake on in-Canada Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) and / or Blended Visa Office Referred Refugee (BVOR) to Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) determination to vary across the country. This would typically depend on the availability of supports in the community and on sponsorship capacity.

In the view of the authorities, Visa Office Referrals (VORs) and Joint Assistance Sponsorships (JASs) are important mechanisms. This is because refugees selected for resettlement use these mechanisms for benefiting from the settlement and integration support provided by sponsoring groups in Canada. The information given in this section provides new templates for referring Visa Office Referred (VOR) and Joint Assistance Sponsorships (JAS) cases for sponsorship. In addition, the information given in this section serves to supplement the instructions given in chapter 5 of the Overseas Processing (OP) Manual.

The Background of Visa Office Referrals (VORs)

It is worth mentioning that, in the Visa Office Referrals (VOR) program, visa offices identify refugees from their inventory for private sponsorship. The visa office initiates a Visa Office Referred (VOR) case in order to facilitate the resettlement of a selected case. Alternatively, the sponsoring group in Canada can also initiate a Visa Office Referred (VOR) case in order to resettle a case with a specific profile.

The Visa Office Referrals (VOR) program serves to increase the protection space available for refugees in need of resettlement. It helps in ensuring that the selected refugees, who are ready to travel, can proceed to Canada as quickly as Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs). This is so even in case there are insufficient Government Assisted Refugee (GAR) spaces available in the current year’s target. It is worth highlighting that the Visa Office Referrals (VOR) program also offers sponsoring groups the opportunity to welcome a refugee family that is ready to travel at the time of the referral.

The authorities have made it possible for the visa office or sponsoring groups in Canada to make Visa Office Referrals (VOR) program referrals at any time during the year to the Matching Centre. It is worth mentioning that, in the view of the authorities, the most appropriate cases for referral are small families or single adults without special needs. This is because the authorities are able to match these cases readily with sponsors. In contrast, for those cases with high needs, the authorities consider Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) to be the preferred option.

The Background of Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Cases

The Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) program enables sponsoring groups to partner with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) when it comes to the resettlement of refugees. This is especially so for refugees who, because of special needs or circumstances, need to go through an extended resettlement period and need additional support over and above that which government assistance or regular private sponsorship alone can cover.

Under the provisions of the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) program, private sponsors typically provide resettled refugees with orientation, significant settlement assistance and emotional support. This is essential for supplementing the financial assistance and immediate and essential services that are available through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). The authorities believe that with the extra attention and care, Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) cases can begin adapting to life in Canada within the period support, which is usually 12 – 24 months, but which, in some exceptional circumstances only, could even extend for up to 36 months.

In order for the authorities to consider the refugee to be eligible for a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS), the refugee will need to:

• Be a member of the Convention Refugees Abroad Class, the Source Country Class or the Country of Asylum Class
• Have a greater need of resettlement assistance than other Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) because of exceptional resettlement needs such as one or more of the following:
  • Physical or mental disabilities that could necessitate treatment in Canada
  • Unusual family configurations such as single parent families with several young children or families consisting only of siblings, one or more of whom might have assumed parental responsibilities
  • Separated minors
  • Elderly persons or,
  • Other special needs identified by the visa office

The Step by Step Procedures for Visa Office Referred (VOR) and Joint Assistance Sponsorships (JAS) Referrals

The instructions that follow are supplementary to those given in OP 05. The officers will need to:

• Identify a ready to travel case, where the authorities have completed the eligibility assessment and the medical, security and criminality screening i.e. positive selection, background and medical decisions
  • It is worth mentioning that the Visa Office Referred (VOR) cases should not have settlement needs exceeding those usually found within the refugee population
  • Similarly, the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) cases will need to meet the special needs criteria outlined above
• Ensure that the applicants have provided their signed consent to the release of personal information from their files to the settlement service providers – including sponsors
  • These authorisations are available on the Refugee Referral Form (RRF) from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and / or on the ‘Authority to Disclose Personal Information and Declaration’ given in Schedule 2 of the IMM 0008
    • It is worth mentioning that the authorities will need to ensure the completion of this form at the time of the interview for all refugee and humanitarian and protected persons abroad cases
• Fill out the Visa Office Referred (VOR) Referral Template i.e. Annex 1 or the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Referral Template i.e. Annex 2 and ensure the inclusion of the settlement needs information based on the interview notes and the medical notes
  • The information from the medical notes must have their basis in the IMM 5544B Resettlement Needs Assessment Form that the Designated Medical Practitioner (DMP) usually completes
• Save the completed template as a Word document, attach it to an e-mail message and send it to the Matching Centre at [email protected]
  • The Matching Centre will be responsible for preparing a refugee profile and posting it on a secure website, which the Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) and local Citizenship and Immigration Centres (CICs) will be able to access easily
  • Upon finding a sponsor who is willing to support the refugees after their arrival in Canada and matching it to a case, the Matching Centre will notify the visa office to proceed with the finalisation and the Notification of Arrival Transmission (NAT)

The Role of the Visa Office in Facilitating Communication Between Sponsors and Applicants

The sponsoring group typically undertakes to sponsor a case under the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) or Visa Office Referred (VOR) programs. The authorities encourage these groups to establish contact with the refugees prior to their arrival in Canada. This early communication, initiated via a letter of introduction contains invaluable settlement information. As such, it helps both refugee and sponsor alike to understand what they can expect from each other. Thus, it eases the integration process considerably.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) can help in facilitating this communication in two ways.

• In case Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) finds that it can contact the applicants directly, the visa office will include their contact information i.e. mailing address, e-mail address and / or telephone number), on the Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) or Visa Office Referred (VOR) Referral Template
  • Thereafter, the Matching Centre will share these details with the sponsoring group once the parties have signed the undertaking
• In case Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) finds that it cannot contact the applicants directly because the applicants live in a refugee camp, the visa office will need to transmit one piece of correspondence from the sponsoring group to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or another organisation present in the camp, which can pass on the message to the refugees
  • It is worth mentioning that such messages will typically be brief
  • In addition, the local Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or the Matching Centre will be responsible for sending this message to the visa office as e-mail attachments