• Housing (rent and utilities)
• Basic needs (food, personal care)
• Transportation (1 transit pass/person)
• Communication (cell phone)
You must determine what the appropriate monthly amount will be for your sponsorship. All sponsors must provide, at minimum, the equivalent of Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) rates, as shown in the table below.
RAP is the government program that provides support to government assisted refugees. RAP rates are the minimum standard for all private sponsorships. If you do not provide at least RAP rates monthly, you are in breach of your contractual agreement.
In most circumstances it would be impossible for a newcomer/family to live on these monthly amounts, and sponsors will need to provide more in order to ensure a reasonable standard of living. RAP rates are only enough in very particular situations (e.g. free housing).
• RAP rates do not increase much with the number of children, because families with children under 18 also receive the monthly Canada Child Benefit (CCB) directly from the government.
• Family composition is important when calculating minimum monthly financial support:
• The government of Canada considers anyone over 18 years of age to be an adult and therefore a separate family unit.
• Adult children must receive their own money every month for basic needs, transportation and communication even if they are dependents residing with the rest of the family.
• RAP provides allowances for maternity food, clothing, newborns and special dietary needs. If these are relevant to your sponsorship, you must provide, at minimum, the same amounts.
Additional Information:
Complete info on RAP Rates: http://www.rstp.ca/en/bvor/rap-resettlement-assistance-program-rates/
The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) RAP rate calculator: http://www.rstp.ca/calc/?lang=en