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Frequently Asked Questions
Refugees who apply to be sponsored under the Community Refugee Sponsorship pathway must be mandated as refugees and pass security, risk, settlement and health assessments.Applicants must be residing in a country in one of the regions Immigration New Zealand’s humanitarian programme resettles from and where the international referral partner works. This includes Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa.*Applicants must not be eligible to be sponsored for residence under another family category, including the Refugee Family Support category.Principal applicants must have a basic understanding of English, be a recognised refugee, have at least 3 years’ work experience or a qualification requiring at least 2 years’ post-secondary study, and be aged 18 to 45.* Please note that refugees currently residing in Türkiye are not eligible to be resettled to New Zealand under the Community Refugee Sponsorship programme. Türkiye is included as part ofthe Europe region for the purposes of refugee resettlement.
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Approved Sponsors must meet a number of requirements, including:Be a registered entity*;Be able to demonstrate community outreach and connections within the broader community;Have demonstrated experience of working successfully with refugees or vulnerable people;Have the financial capacity to meet their settlement responsibilities;Be able to deliver settlement services for refugees - particularly arranging suitable accommodation and supporting sponsored refugees to secure meaningful and sustainable employment; andBe willing and able to enter into a Deed of Agreement for Services with Immigration New Zealand for the provision of settlement services to the agreed standard.* PLEASE NOTE: A registered entity is any legally registered organisation such as a charitable trust, incorporated society or business.We are looking for a diverse range of organisations throughout New Zealand who can become Approved Sponsors to support refugee individuals/whānau to live fulfilling and meaningfullives.Approved Sponsors will be open to new religions and cultures and have an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori. They will also have connections and resources that will help refugees as they begin their new life in New Zealand.Participating in sponsorship is a significant responsibility. Potential sponsors will be assessed by INZ to ensure they have the capability and resources to offer sponsored refugees the support needed to resettle for two years.
The Community Refugee Sponsorship website has been developed to provide your organisation with information to guide you through the application process for the Community Sponsorship programme. If your organisation's application is successful, further resources and information about the sponsorship process will be made available to Approved Sponsors.We regularly update the website with new information and resources and continue to add responses to your questions so check this space regularly.The following page gives you an overview of the application process: Get Involved.Application documents as well as supporting documents such as the Sponsorship Overview and Phase One Toolkit can all be found on the same page.The Sponsorship Overview outlines each phase of the Community Refugee Sponsorship journey. The Phase One toolkit provides further information on the application process.You can also discuss your organisation's questions with the team at HOST who can guide you through the process, answer any questions and provide additional information, resources andadvice. Get in touch via phone or email.
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