Background to the Community Refugee Sponsorship programme
The Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme was developed to allow New Zealand-based community organisations to sponsor refugees for resettlement. It works alongside the annual Refugee Quota Programme.
The CORS visa was piloted in 2018. Under that pilot, 24 sponsored refugees were resettled in New Zealand with settlement support provided by 4 approved community organisations.
In 2020, the New Zealand Government extended the CORS pilot for a further 3 years from 1 July 2021. This decision enabled up to 150 sponsored refugees to be resettled in New Zealand from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024 with settlement support provided by approved sponsors. In 2024, a decision was made to offer a further 51 people a place under the pilot.
A broad range of community organisations and groups supported the settlement of sponsored refugees under the extended CORS pilot.
In 2025, an external outcomes evaluation was carried out to identify and assess the outcomes of the extended pilot.
Read the full report:
Transition to a permanent programme
From 3 July 2026, the CORS programme will become a permanent pathway within New Zealand’s refugee resettlement system.
From 3 July 2026, community organisations can apply to become an approved community organisation (sponsor).
CORS will operate alongside the Refugee Quota Programme. New Zealand will continue to resettle 1,500 refugees each year in total.
The Refugee Quota Programme is the main pathway for refugees with the highest protection needs. CORS provides another pathway that supports strong settlement outcomes and allows communities to play a greater role in resettlement.
More information
For more information about the programme, you can email us.
Email: cors@mbie.govt.nz