The Canadian government has announced a temporary pause on private refugee sponsorship applications from groups of five or more people and community organizations, effective immediately and lasting until December 31, 2025. The move aims to address a significant backlog in applications.
The decision was detailed in a notice published on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website on Friday.
“To provide more certainty to refugees abroad and sponsors in Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has temporarily stopped accepting new applications from groups of five and community sponsors under the PSR Program as of November 29, 2024,” the notice states.
The pause comes as the number of applications annually continues to exceed the available spaces for private refugee sponsorships. Under the government’s 2025-27 immigration plan, Canada aims to admit 23,000 privately sponsored refugees, with an overall target of just over 58,000 refugees for 2025.
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada reports more than 85,000 pending refugee claims as of October’s end.
IRCC acknowledged the challenges this pause might pose for sponsors and other stakeholders. “We will work closely with partners and stakeholders as they adjust to these changes, while also continuing to engage with them on longer-term improvements to the program, including future intake measures,” the notice reads.
The government emphasizes that the pause is a necessary step to improve program efficiency and ensure timely processing of refugee claims, providing clarity for both refugees and sponsors in Canada.