- Refugee resettlement is different from an in-Canada refugee claim.
- Under the GAR stream, the Government of Canada — through the Resettlement Assistance Program — provides income support and settlement services directly, generally delivered through…
- Under the PSR stream, a Canadian sponsor — an individual group, a Group of Five, or an organization holding a standing sponsorship agreement with IRCC — commits to providing both the…
When someone is resettled to Canada as a refugee from abroad, they arrive through one of two main streams: as a Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) or as a Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR). Both streams end in the same legal outcome — permanent residence — but the path there, and who supports the family through it, looks quite different. Understanding the difference matters whether you're a newcomer trying to understand your own file or a Canadian considering whether to become a sponsor.
This article walks through both streams side by side.
Two Doors Into Permanent Resettlement
Refugee resettlement is different from an in-Canada refugee claim. Resettled refugees — GAR and PSR alike — are identified and referred for resettlement, typically through the UN refugee agency or another referral organization, before they ever arrive in Canada. Once approved, they land as permanent residents. An in-Canada claim, decided by the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board, is a separate legal process entirely.
Within resettlement, the GAR and PSR streams differ mainly in who pays for and delivers settlement support after arrival.
Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR): How It Works
Under the GAR stream, the Government of Canada — through the Resettlement Assistance Program — provides income support and settlement services directly, generally delivered through service provider organizations in the community where the refugee is resettled.
Key features of the GAR stream:
- The government (not a private group) covers initial income support.
- Settlement services — housing help, orientation, referrals to language training and other programs — are delivered by contracted service providers rather than volunteers.
- The refugee does not need a Canadian sponsor to be resettled under this stream.
- Destination communities are generally chosen based on capacity and available services, not by the refugee or a sponsor.
Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR): How It Works
Under the PSR stream, a Canadian sponsor — an individual group, a Group of Five, or an organization holding a standing sponsorship agreement with IRCC — commits to providing both the financial support and the hands-on settlement help for a defined period after the refugee arrives.
Key features of the PSR stream:
- Sponsors sign a legal undertaking committing to provide support for a set period.
- Sponsors often have a pre-existing connection to the person or family they're sponsoring, though this isn't always the case.
- Settlement help is delivered personally by the sponsor group — meeting the family, arranging housing, helping with school enrollment, and providing community connections.
- Because sponsors carry real financial and legal obligations, IRCC screens and approves sponsor groups before a sponsorship undertaking is accepted.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) | Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides income support | Government, via the Resettlement Assistance Program | Private sponsor group, under a signed undertaking |
| Who delivers settlement help | Contracted service provider organizations | The sponsor group personally |
| Sponsor required? | No | Yes |
| Typical connection to sponsor | None | Often a pre-existing family, community, or organizational connection |
| Legal undertaking signed | No individual undertaking (program-funded) | Yes — sponsors sign a binding commitment |
| Destination community | Generally assigned based on service capacity | Usually where the sponsor group is located |
Where BVOR Fits Between the Two
A related model, the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program, splits support between government and private sponsors on a single case — the government contributes part of the income support, and a private sponsor group contributes the rest along with the hands-on settlement work. It's a hybrid designed to widen the pool of people willing to sponsor by reducing the financial commitment compared to full private sponsorship.
Whichever stream a person arrives through, once landed, GARs and PSRs hold the same permanent resident status and the same rights and obligations going forward — the distinction is about the resettlement journey, not about the legal weight of the status itself.
Frequently asked questions
Does a GAR have fewer rights in Canada than a PSR?
No. Once resettled, both GARs and PSRs are permanent residents with the same status, rights, and obligations under Canadian immigration law — including the residency obligation that applies to all permanent residents.
Can a refugee choose whether to come as a GAR or find a private sponsor?
Not directly — a person doesn't get to pick their own stream. Referral organizations and processing decide which pathway a case follows, and a private sponsorship generally requires a sponsor group to come forward and be matched with or connected to that person's file.
If I sponsor a refugee privately, am I responsible for them forever?
No — a private sponsorship undertaking runs for a defined support period, not indefinitely. That said, it's a serious legal and financial commitment while it lasts, and sponsors should fully understand its length and terms before signing.
Can a privately sponsored refugee later sponsor their own family members?
Once a person becomes a permanent resident, whether they arrived as a GAR or PSR, they may later be eligible to sponsor eligible family members through Canada's family class sponsorship rules, subject to meeting the applicable requirements at that time.
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