Australia's first community sponsorship program

What started as an innovative pilot, will now be a permanent feature of Australia’s humanitarian migration program.

Launched in mid 2022, the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) gives groups of locals the opportunity to welcome refugees into their community, supporting them from day one of their Australian journey.

The federal government partnered with CRSA in the design and delivery of the pilot, initially earmarked to run from 2022 to 2025. In May 2024, the government extended the pilot to mid 2025, before committing to making the CRISP permanent in February 2025 (with effect from mid 2026). This is testament to the wide range of benefits of this community-led approach for refugee newcomers, local communities and the everyday Australians who put their hands up to welcome a newcomer.

How does it work?

1. A group of five or more adult volunteers (known as a ‘Community Supporter Group’ or ‘CSG’) join forces to provide 12 months of practical, hands-on support to a refugee household from their date of arrival in Australia. CSGs can be based anywhere in Australia, provided they can demonstrate capacity to provide appropriate support to a refugee household within their community.

2. Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) approve, train and support CSGs and connect them with a refugee household referred into the CRISP.

3. Refugee participants identified as in urgent need of resettlement by the UNHCR are referred into the CRISP program by the Australian government. They come from a wide variety of countries, with most waiting a significant amount of time to resettle in a new, safe country.

 

Support provided by CSGs

How to get involved

Learn more

See if this program is something you want to be a part of. Attend an upcoming live information session or watch a pre-recorded version via the same link to learn more about the CRISP.

Form a group

Get together with friends, neighbours, even strangers in your area who want to support refugee newcomers. If you are an individual looking to find others in your area to form a group with, please post your interest in this CRSA Facebook group. We recommend checking out our 5 tips on forming a group.

Submit an Intention to Apply

Register your group’s interest in the CRISP by creating an Intention to Apply. 

The CRISP across Australia