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Sponsorship Program

CCI Ottawa has a long history of working with refugees. We played a significant role in the resettlement of the Vietnamese Boat People and Cambodian refugees in Ottawa in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 2016-2017, we helped with the resettlement of almost 2,000 Syrian refugees.

We operate two sponsorship agreements: the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa’s sponsorship agreement, which mostly serves local parishes, and a second sponsorship agreement for CCI itself, which serves groups of any affiliation. CCI also offers support for Group of 5 (G5) applications. CCI provides all sponsors with assistance with applications and, as a settlement agency, it offers connection to pre-arrival information on the settlement process and post-arrival counselling, orientation and many other services.

Our Work with Sponsorship Groups

Every year, we work with numerous groups who want to sponsor a refugee family.

  • We provide training and information sessions to groups wanting to sponsor
  • We help groups prepare and submit documents
  • We offer support to sponsorship groups as they prepare for the arrival of sponsored refugees
  • We provide a wide variety of programs and services to refugees from the moment they arrive in Ottawa

If you would like information about sponsoring a refugee, please contact us at 613-232-9634.

Post-Arrival Services for Sponsored Refugees

CCI offers programs and services aimed at helping refugees settle and integrate into their new community. The following is a brief overview of the services offered with links to individual programs.

Settlement

We offers a variety of services to refugees and newcomers after they have arrived in Canada. Staff can help newcomers find a place to live, learn a new language, obtain Canadian documents, prepare for employment, sponsor family members, access health care and more.

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Community and Employment Connections

Community Connections, encourages social, cultural and professional interactions between newcomers and the established community. It assists immigrants and refugees to become engaged and feel at home in Ottawa.

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Youth Program

The Youth Program helps young newcomers between the ages of 14 and 29. Throughout the year, the program hosts a variety of activities such as art classes, cooking program, bike days, a summer soccer league and more. The program also helps young newcomers find their first Canadian job by helping them with resume writing and job search strategies.

Learn More

Pastoral Program

Expand CCI’s partnerships with faith communities through networking and collaboration to promote various forms of participation in our common goal of building a welcoming community.

Learn More

Learn About Sponsorship

If you or members of your group are new to sponsorship, we encourage you to attend one of our monthly information and training sessions, as this is the best way to learn about the sponsorship process. For more information, please contact us using the link below.

Contact Us

Other Resources

The Private Sponsorship Toolkit is a practical resource created by the Canadian Council for Refugees. The toolkit provides information on how to prepare documents, resources for sponsors and refugees.

The Government of Canada Guide to Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program is funded by the federal government to provide information and training to sponsors and refugees.

United Church of Canada’s Ottawa representative provides support for constituent groups, co-sponsorship and information and advice on Groups of Five. Sponsors are asked to first read the information on sponsorship at www.rstp.ca before approaching this sponsorship agreement holder. Contact: Norma McCord.