Temporarily suspending the acceptance of refugee sponsorship applications from groups of five and community donors.
The Canadian government's immigration quota plan sets a limit on the number of privately sponsored refugees who can come to Canada each year. Due to consistently high demand, the number of applications from private sponsors has exceeded the quota allowed by the immigration quota plan, resulting in large backlogs and lengthy processing times.
To provide greater certainty for refugees overseas and sponsors in Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has temporarily suspended accepting new applications from groups of five and community sponsors under the PSR program effective November 29, 2024.
In making this decision, IRCC considered several factors, including feedback from stakeholders on controlling the volume of applications received, the current backlog of applications, and the number of places available in the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan.
This measure, effective until December 31, 2025 , will help prevent further backlogs of applications, aiming for shorter and more predictable processing times for both applicants and sponsors.
IRCC will continue to process received PSR applications and resettle sponsored refugees to Canada, in line with the PSR Program's goals in the immigration levels plan. In 2025, Canada aims to welcome 23,000 privately sponsored refugees.
IRCC understands that this measure will impact the refugee sponsoring community, implementation partners, and other stakeholders. We will work closely with partners and stakeholders as they adapt to these changes, and will continue to collaborate with them on long-term improvements to the program, including future application intake measures.