Canada Extends Group of Five and Community Sponsor Pause on Private Sponsorship of Refugees Through 2026
The pause applies to new applications in two sponsorship streams, while IRCC says previously submitted files will continue through processing.
At a glance
- Sponsorship Agreement Holders can submit applications within a cap of 5,000 spaces.
- Officials said about 90,000 private sponsorship files awaited processing when the pause began.
- Québec receives and decides its own private sponsorship applications.
Reviewed November 10, 2026 Checked against the Government of Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) extended the pause on new Group of Five and Community Sponsor applications under Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees program until December 31, 2026. The restriction affects new intake in those two streams, not every private refugee sponsorship route.
IRCC’s notice, dated November 21, 2025, says applications submitted before the pause will keep moving through processing. The department also says Canada will continue welcoming privately sponsored refugees under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
The freeze on new applications began November 29, 2024, and had initially been scheduled to end December 31, 2025. The current notice extends the restriction; it does not promise that intake will automatically reopen the following day.
The two paused streams allow groups and community organizations to support refugees settling in their communities. Sponsors generally provide settlement and financial support for one year, or until the refugee can support themselves, whichever comes first.
The pause closes new intake, not processing of existing applications
Free toolCanada Express Entry Points CalculatorThe restrictions distinguish between new applications and files already submitted. The latter remain in process. IRCC’s June 16, 2026 staff guidance addresses processing during the pause, rather than announcing another change to the intake rules.
| Sponsorship route | What sponsors can do during the pause |
|---|---|
| Groups of Five and Community Sponsors | Cannot submit new applications through these streams |
| Existing applications | Continue through processing |
| Sponsorship Agreement Holders | Continue submitting applications within a cap of 5,000 spaces |
| BVOR | Remains open to eligible sponsors seeking a match |
The paused streams are not the only way to participate in refugee resettlement. Québec receives and decides its own private sponsorship applications.
BVOR matching and agreement-holder spaces remain available
Groups of Five and Community Sponsors can still seek a match through the Blended Visa Office-Referred program, known as BVOR. The route works differently: sponsors may be matched with refugees they do not already know and cannot select or name a refugee.
Sponsorship Agreement Holders, organizations with agreements with IRCC, can continue filing within their allocation. The cap is 5,000 spaces. That route is separate from the paused intake streams.
The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association has warned that redirecting groups to BVOR can put pressure on a program with limited capacity. It has also said the extended pause leaves willing community sponsors unable to proceed through their preferred route.
IRCC points to the backlog as sponsors object to another pause
IRCC cited heavy demand, a large application inventory and lengthy waits when it extended the restriction. Immigration officials said about 90,000 private refugee sponsorships were awaiting processing when the pause began in 2024. Internal documents obtained through access-to-information law showed department officials had suggested the freeze could stay in place until December 2028 to clear the backlog. The 2026 Levels Plan cut privately sponsored refugee admissions from 23,000 in 2025 to 16,000 in 2026.
Gauri Sreenivasan, co-executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, criticized the extension and said sponsors had been preparing to apply when the original freeze was due to end.
“This decision basically denies Canadians the ability to exercise our own generosity. And in that way, it's really tone deaf to who we actually are as a country.”
Laura Blondeau, communications director for Immigration Minister Lena Diab, said the extension was intended to make processing more predictable.
“By extending the temporary pause for new applications for two of the program's streams, we will be able to move toward more predictable processing times.”
A House of Commons petition calling for intake to resume and processing to improve gathered 1,163 validated signatures. Arsham Parsi of Oshawa, Ontario, initiated the petition; Elizabeth May presented it on October 29, 2025. The government response, signed by Peter Fragiskatos, M.P., was tabled on December 17, 2025. It said the pause was intended to curb further growth in applications and make waits more predictable, and that wait times for the program are approximately four years. The response also said migration officers can use discretion to prioritize cases where an applicant faces heightened danger.
IRCC has acknowledged that the pause affects sponsors and partners, and says it will continue working with them on program improvements.
Sponsors can prepare, monitor notices and update existing files
Prospective sponsors can take practical steps while the two streams remain paused:
- Monitor IRCC’s notices for changes to intake.
- Consider whether a BVOR match fits their plans, recognizing that sponsors cannot choose the refugee.
- Prepare documentation in case IRCC changes the intake rules.
- If an application is already filed, tell the responsible overseas Migration Office when the client’s circumstances change.
IRCC’s notice confirms continued processing for submitted files, while the department’s published end date remains the current marker for the pause.
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Sources
Primary documents and official agency releases referenced in this story.
