FAQ
Currently, WUSC accepts applications from refugees living in the following countries of asylum: Kenya, Jordan, Lebanon, and Uganda. All applicants must be living in one of these countries and meet all the eligibility criteria. Please visit this page to view the specific eligibility criteria for the SRP.
We are unable to support someone through this program if they are already living in Canada. However, you can explore funding opportunities available at various Canadian post-secondary institutions, many of which are available to international students. The following websites may provide useful information for this purpose:
A specific Call for Applications will be launched each year in each SRP selection country. The Call for Applications will outline the country-specific requirements and provide instructions on how to apply. If you meet all the eligibility requirements, you can apply using an Online Application Form. Applications will only be accepted online. If you need assistance to access an internet-enabled computer lab to complete the online application form, you can email the relevant WUSC office for support. The contact information will be included on the Call for Applications.
Please visit https://srp.wusc.ca/students/ where you can find information about the timing of the annual Call for Applications process for each SRP selection country. This page includes the website or social media link where we will post the Call for Applications.
Once the online application form deadline has passed, WUSC will review the applications from all candidates. Only those candidates who meet all SRP program eligibility requirements will be invited to progress to the shortlisting stages. The shortlisting and selection process will include the following steps:
- Detailed review of academic and refugee status documents including verification by local authorities;
- A pre-screening English or French language test;
- In-person or virtual interviews for final shortlisted candidates.
Selection decisions will be made by WUSC based on the results from these 3 processes. Please note that not all students who meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be shortlisted to proceed to the pre-screening or interview stage. The SRP is very competitive and we may receive more applications than we can shortlist based on the number of available sponsorships.
The SRP aims to select equal numbers of female and male students. The program encourages applications from students who are gender-diverse. Efforts will be made to ensure that students of all genders are aware of the opportunity and enabled to apply. All selected students must meet the program’s eligibility requirements, but gender equity considerations are included during the shortlisting and selection process due to the different context and realities of students of different genders.
No, the selection process for the SRP is individual and merit-based. There are no targets or quotas for the SRP by nationality or ethnicity. Refugees from any country of origin are welcome to apply, as long as they currently reside in one of the current SRP selection countries.
Yes. Siblings are welcome to apply and will be assessed individually against the program eligibility criteria. The SRP does not prioritize the selection of family members, but if siblings are selected, the program will make every effort to place them in the same campus or community in Canada. Please note that WUSC cannot guarantee that academic placements in the same campus or in the same community will be available, therefore SRP siblings need to be willing to live in different communities.
WUSC does not accept referrals of refugee students from individuals or organizations. The selection of SRP students happens through an open, merit-based and competitive process. If you’d like to support a refugee student to apply to the SRP, we encourage you to share information about the SRP with refugee youth that live in one of the SRP source countries and assist them to apply to the program through our annual Call for Applications.
Yes. We encourage all refugee youth who meet the program’s core eligibility requirements to apply to the SRP. If accommodations are needed to assist a refugee youth with a disability to apply to the SRP, WUSC’s local office or partner organization is available to assist. Please contact the relevant office, depending on the refugee youth’s location - see a list of WUSC offices and local partners here.
No. Refugees do not have to pay or provide favours to anyone to access the program – access to the SRP is free for all refugee youth who meet the program’s eligibility criteria. Beware of any scams or potential exploitation by anyone who claims to be associated with WUSC who claims they can guarantee your selection for the SRP or expedite the processing of your SRP application. If you experience or witness any bribery, corruption or unethical behavior during the SRP application process, please report this to WUSC at [email protected] .
WUSC is not able to reply individually to all refugee youth who have applied to the SRP. If you successfully applied online, you will have received an automated response email that confirms that your application was received. If you did not get this auto-response, you should apply again using the online application form before the published deadline for the Call for Applications.
After the Call for Applications period has closed, please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted by the WUSC in-country team. If you have a specific question or concern about your application, the contact information for the team responsible for the SRP in each source country is listed here (https://srp.wusc.ca/students/)
SRP students are sponsored through Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSRP). The PRSP allows groups of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents to sponsor refugees to Canada, by raising money and committing to providing 12 months of post-arrival support. WUSC supports selected SRP students to apply for immigration to Canada under the PRSP and each student must pass Canada’s immigration eligibility and admissibility assessment. Once approved by Canadian immigration authorities, SRP students arrive in Canada as a Permanent Resident and are able to apply for Canadian citizenship after 3-4 years of living in Canada.
WUSC is responsible for the selection of students based on program eligibility requirements, including our assessment of a refugee student's suitability for referral to Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PRSP), managed by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada. Please read more here about who is eligible for Canada’s PRSP. The final decision about who is eligible for resettlement to Canada under the PRSP will be made by Canadian immigration officials. WUSC does not have the ability to influence the decision that is made by Canadian immigration officials. If a student is refused a visa or is denied entry to Canada, their candidacy for the SRP will be canceled.
SRP students are supported by a group of volunteers, called “Local Committees”. WUSC Local Committees are made up of students, staff, and faculty on university, college, and CEGEP campuses across Canada. Local Committees provide academic, financial and social support for SRP students during their first 12 months in Canada. After 1 year in Canada, SRP students are able to become self-sufficient - continuing their studies through a combination of student loans, bursaries, scholarships and employment income. SRP students are Permanent Residents of Canada therefore they qualify for domestic rates of tuition.
WUSC is able to facilitate admissions for SRP students to undergraduate studies in Canada only. After a student has arrived in Canada and completed an undergraduate degree, they may choose to pursue Master’s or PhD programs. The application process for graduate programs are outside the scope of the Student Refugee Program.