A packed public gallery applauded when Labor and the Liberals backed Greens leader Shane Rattenbury's motion, calling on the Assembly to advocate for a more affordable and "humane" visa fee structure for refugees being resettled in Australia.

Under the Commonwealth's Community Support Program, individuals, businesses and communities can sponsor potential applicants for humanitarian visas.

However there are only 1000 places and strict criteria for applying.

Applicants must be aged between 18 and 50, have a job offer or be on a pathway to securing a job, and be willing to live and work in regional Australia.

The cost of the sponsorship can also be eyewatering, with an initial visa application charge of $2680, without any guarantee of success.

If the application is approved, the applicant must pay an extra $16,444, plus $2680 per family member, before the visa is granted.

The Refugee Council estimated for a family of five to enter Australia under the program, it would cost upwards of $50,000.

Mr Rattenbury's motion expressed concerns about changes to Newstart eligibility that had left refugee families in an awkward position, with community groups like Canberra Refugee Support left to plug the gaps.

The ACT parliament resolved to write to their federal counterparts to advocate for an overhaul of the scheme.

Canberra is one of 149 refugee welcome zones across Australia.

More than 2000 refugees have been resettled in Canberra in the past decade.

The motion comes as hundreds of pro-refugee activists prepare to assemble in Garema Place this weekend for their annual Palm Sunday rally.

The rally will call on the federal government to resettle refugees trapped on Manus Island and Nauru.