The financial support required to fulfil your responsibilities will vary based on the real cost of living in your community, any available supports from the community and/or the refugees' family members, in-kind donations, the composition of the family, and their unique circumstances and needs.
During this time, you will be responsible to provide enough money or in-kind support to cover each family member’s:
• Start-up costs (e.g. furnishings, clothing),
• Housing,
• Basic needs (e.g. food, personal care),
• Transportation,
• Communication.
AURA sponsors must also:
• Ensure a reasonable standard of living,
• Repay the immigration/travel loan (approx. $1,200-$1,500/person) to the government of Canada before the end of the sponsorship.
We strongly encourage you to raise additional money to cover further supports that will allow the newcomers to make the most of their first year here. Here are some examples of things sponsors can provide or pay for, over and above the minimum requirements:
• Renters insurance (highly recommended!)
• Dental costs, medical devices that are not covered by provincial/federal coverage,
• Emergencies, unforeseen circumstances,
• Educational costs such as university applications, language proficiency tests, specialized courses, certified translations,
• Recreation programs, bicycles, children’s camps, excursions,
• Computer, other technology helpful for employment/education.
The items listed above are not mandatory for sponsors to provide. However, since sponsorship is about setting newcomers up for success, if your group can afford to provide/pay for something that will have a long term benefit, you should certainly consider it.