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Apply for community sponsorship

Community sponsorship is a way that community groups can be involved in supporting the resettlement of vulnerable people fleeing conflict.

Updates to this page

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published:
19 July 2016
Last updated:
15 September 2025
Show all updates

  1. The International Rescue Committee has replaced Reset as the training provider for community sponsors.

  2. Updated guidance documents to reflect that biometric residence permits are no longer issued.

  3. Updated the documents Community sponsorship: guidance for prospective sponsors, Application for approval as a community sponsor: application form, and Sample agreement.

  4. Added link to Reset charity in the guidance for prospective sponsors.

  5. Accessible version of 'Application for approval as a community sponsor: application guidance' added.

  6. Updates to guidance for prospective sponsors, application form and guidance and sample agreement related to the booking of benefit assessments at 3.3b of the application form and the statement of requirements. Also now includes an accessible HTML version of the guidance for prospective sponsors.

  7. Replaced sample agreement with updated version - main change is that it now makes reference to us resettling beneficiaries through the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).

  8. Updated version of 'Community sponsorship: guidance for prospective sponsors' (pdf) published. (Welsh version of this document removed pending revision.) Updated version of application form and application form guidance published. Final sentence and link to archived page deleted from landing page.

  9. Replaced the sample agreement document.

  10. Updated application for approval as a community sponsor and guidance.

  11. Updated guidance for local authorities and guidance for local authorities (Welsh).

  12. Added information about the charity Reset, which provides training and support to prospective and approved community sponsor groups across the UK.

  13. Added Welsh translations for prospective sponsors guidance and local authority guidance

  14. Updated local authority and community sponsorship guidance, sample agreement, new application form and guidance.

  15. Added community sponsor leaflet.

  16. Miniguide published.

  17. Updated guidance, resettlement plan template and sample sponsorship agreement published.

  18. First published.

Documents

Community sponsorship: guidance for prospective sponsors

HTML

Community sponsorship: guidance for local authorities

HTML

Community sponsorship: guidance for local authorities (Welsh)

HTML

Application for approval as a community sponsor: application form

MS Word Document, 78.6 KB

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Application for approval as a community sponsor: application guidance (accessible)

HTML

Application for approval as a community sponsor: application guidance

PDF, 488 KB, 38 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Sample agreement

PDF, 595 KB, 34 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

As a community sponsor, you will be allocated a family fleeing conflict, and it will be your responsibility to support the resettled family from the moment of arrival in the UK.

International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an organisation funded by the Home Office to provide training and support to prospective and approved community sponsor groups across the UK. IRC provides advice, guidance and support to sponsor groups throughout the entire journey of sponsorship, from application through to supporting a resettled family once they have arrived. If your community group is thinking about becoming a community sponsor, you can find out more about IRC and how they can support you by visiting the IRC website.

Before completing the application form, please read the `Community sponsorship: guidance for prospective sponsors’ document. This explains:

  • how the process works
  • the criteria sponsors must meet
  • how to apply

The resettlement plan template forms part of the application. It sets out the minimum requirements to support a resettled family and includes space for you to explain in detail how you’ll meet these.

The sample agreement shows an example of the formal agreement you will sign if your application is approved.

We are aware this publication may have accessibility issues. We are reviewing it so that we can fix these. Read more about our accessible documents policy.

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