• Immigration & Citizenship
• Sponsorship
• Sponsorship Basics

Sponsorship Breakdown

This booklet can help you if you are a permanent resident who needs help because the person sponsoring you in Canada will no longer support you and you are unable to support yourself. It explains what happens when a sponsorship breaks down and the steps you can take to apply for social assistance.

It can be frightening when this happens, but help is available. If you are experiencing a sponsorship breakdown, you may want to get help from a community legal clinic or agency.

This booklet was written for people in British Columbia. Although much of the information is relevant to residents of Ontario, the community and legal services are different, and applying for social assistance (Ontario Works) is also different in Ontario.

For More Information

• What is Ontario Works (OW)? - In Ontario, social assistance or welfare is called Ontario Works (OW). OW benefits are for people who need money because they are unable to find work or are temporarily unable to work.
• How do I apply for Ontario Works? - To apply for Social Assistance (Ontario Works), you must go to an Ontario Works office and submit certain documents.
• How can a Community Legal Clinic help me? - Community legal clinics are staffed by lawyers and community legal workers. Any discussions you have with staff are confidential.
• How do I find a lawyer? - Finding the right lawyer is very important. This article explains a few ways to get started.
• IRCC Help Centre - A tool that helps answer frequently asked questions on immigration matters. It offers several ways of searching through the information available, including search by keyword. From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.