Canadian Private Sponsorship

There are many places around the world where coming out isn’t safe for LGBTQI+
people. Places where living authentically is difficult and dangerous due to state-
enabled homophobia and transphobia.

Rainbow Railroad’s Private Sponsorship Program (PSR) collaborates with organizations and settlement teams to support LGBTQI+ newcomers as they resettle in Toronto.

Individuals eligible for this program must meet the definition of a Convention refugee.
PSR is the only option for refugees who cannot return to their home country due to anti-LGBTQI+ persecution, and also cannot integrate in the country they currently reside in.

Every queer person deserves to find home, belonging, and freedom. Made up of volunteers, a settlement team supports an LGBTQI+ newcomer as they resettle in Toronto.
This process involves:

• Fundraising to provide support for a newcomer’s arrival, and to support their first year in Canada
• Getting matched with a newcomer, coordinating temporary housing in advance of their arrival, and welcoming them at the airport when they arrive
• Helping them to access necessary social services, employment resources, and public benefits, fostering social connections, and orienting them to their new community
• Rainbow Railroad provides support through the application processes and offers resources to help the LGBTQI+ newcomer resettle and adjust to their life in Toronto.

A volunteer’s contribution can make a monumental difference in the life of an LGBTQI+ newcomer.