Community Refugee Sponsorship
The Community Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) category is a visa pathway that provides an additional and complementary option for refugee resettlement in Aotearoa New Zealand, alongside the Refugee Quota Programme and the Refugee Family Support Category.
Under this category, approved community organisations based in New Zealand partner with refugees to support their successful settlement in local communities. These organisations provide comprehensive support for a two-year period, guided by the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and with oversight from HOST, the umbrella organisation for the programme.
Refugees sponsored through the CORS programme are resettled directly into communities, where they receive tailored, community-led support from their sponsoring organisations.
The extended pilot of the CORS programme, which began in 2021, will conclude in June 2025. Over the course of this four-year pilot, 201 places were allocated, with nearly 190 sponsored refugees having already arrived and begun settling into communities across the country as of May 2025.
Immigration New Zealand is no longer accepting applications from new sponsor groups at this time, and no further places are available under the current pilot.
Help Us Advocate for a Permanent Programme
We invite you to join us in advocating for the Community Refugee Sponsorship programme to become a permanent, complementary refugee pathway in Aotearoa New Zealand.
https://www.refugeesponsorship.org.nz/join-our-advocacy
We will continue to keep you informed of any updates or developments.
Global Context of Community Refugee Sponsorship
Started in Canada in the 1970s, the Canadian community sponsorship programme has successfully resettled approximately 300,000 refugees since it began.
Today many countries such as Ireland, Australia, Argentina, Spain, and the UK have used the Canadian model to design community sponsorship programmes of their own.
"With the number of people fleeing their homes growing worldwide, the role of individuals and communities at a local level to address the increasing humanitarian needs becomes increasingly critical." (UNHCR)
Find out more about Community Refugee Sponsorship globally from UNHCR: Community sponsorship | UNHCR
In Aotearoa New Zealand, 150 refugees will be resettled by approved sponsor groups over the three-year extended pilot Community Refugee Sponsorship programme (2021 – 2024).
Watch the video below for an introduction to the Aotearoa New Zealand programme:
Community Refugee Sponsorship in Aotearoa
The Community Refugee Sponsorship Programme enables all New Zealanders to welcome refugees to Aotearoa. The programme supports organisations and community groups to directly engage in refugee resettlement by committing to providing financial, emotional, and practical support to help newly arrived refugees integrate into life in Aotearoa New Zealand.
HOST is the umbrella organisation for the extended pilot of the Community Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme, and works in co-design with Immigration New Zealand on the delivery and implementation of the three-year extended pilot.
The role of HOST is to provide coaching, guidance, training and support to sponsoring organisation throughout the different stages of the extended pilot programme.
We also liaise with sponsored refugees offshore to provide information about the programme and the different processes to ensure they can make an informed decision about resettling to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Meeting with UNHCR to provide update on CORS
To find out more about the programme, visit https://www.refugeesponsorship.org.nz/
Also have a look at this page for key advocacy messages and ways you can get involved: https://www.refugeesponsorship.org.nz/join-our-advocacy