051: Private Sponsorship of Refugees to Canada - Part 2 - Helpful insight on the Blended Visa Office Referral (BVOR) process with Ronalee Carey

www.CanadianImmigrationPodcast.com 

Although the topic of government sponsored refugees has dropped slightly off the political landscape, the notion of privately sponsored refugees is still very much a topic of interest amongst Canadians. In Season 1 Episode 29 Canadian immigration lawyer Ronalee Carey joined me to talk about her experience working with the G30+ Ottawa Constituency Group who were involved in the private sponsorship of refugees to Canada.

Because of the success of that Episode, I just had to have her back to provide us with an update regarding a particular Syrian family that has now landed in Canada through the work of Ronalee and the other members of the G30+ Group. However, the real value Ronalee provides in this Episode is the amazing insight she shares regarding the government's Blended Visa Office Referral program....a program Ronalee strongly encourages all of us to get involved with.

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You can read a more detailed explanation of the process in this excellent paper prepared by Ronalee's law office entitled: An Overview of the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

In this Episode we covered the following specific topics:

1. What are BVOR sponsorships (Blended Visa Office Referred), and how they differ from other private sponsorship arrangements.
2. What are the financial obligations for sponsors
3. What is the application process like, and how long does it take
4. How do you work with individuals with whom you do not share a language?
5. Once the refugees arrive in Canada, what are the sponsor’s obligations and how is all of this managed with a large group of volunteers
6. The extent to which other countries are now starting to follow Canada’s lead, and start their own private sponsorship of refugees program

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Additional Resources:

• The best way to reach Ronalee:
  • E-mail: [email protected]
  • Phone Number:(613) 564-8301
  • Ronalee's law firm: Ronalee Carey Law: http://ronaleecareylaw.ca/
• An Overview of the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program - by Ronalee Carey Law Office
• History of Refuge in Canada (Government of Canada Document): http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/teachers-corner/refugee/refuge.asp

Listen to Mark Holthe's Canadian Immigration Podcast

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