Eligibility

To be eligible, each member of the group must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• be at least 18 years old
• live in the same community where the refugee is expected to settle, and
• agree to give settlement support for the length of the sponsorship (usually 1 year)

Your group must

• provide a settlement plan
• prove the group has the money to sponsor a refugee for 1 year
  • The amount of money needed will depend on how many refugees you sponsor. You can find out more about costs in the Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

Before you apply to be a group of five (G5) sponsor, you need to decide who you’d like to sponsor. There are 2 options.

Option 1: Sponsor a refugee you know

This could be a:

• family member
• friend
• refugee identified by someone else

These sponsor-referred refugees must qualify under Canada’s refugee and humanitarian resettlement program.

If they qualify:

1. Your group and the refugee fill out an application.
2. You submit a refugee status determination document from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or foreign state that confirms the person you want to sponsor is recognized as a refugee.
3. Officers abroad will assess the application to decide whether the person you want to sponsor qualifies.

Option 2: Sponsor a refugee who is already approved to come to Canada

If you want to sponsor but don’t know a refugee personally, you can do so through the Blended Visa Office-Referred program (BVOR). It matches sponsors with refugees in need of protection.

Refugees who come through the BVOR program

• are already eligible
• have already had their application approved by us
• just need a private sponsor before they can come to Canada

Learn how to sponsor a refugee through the BVOR program.

Apply online using the permanent residence portal

One member of your group needs to apply online using the Permanent Residence Portal(opens in a new tab) .

The group member who starts the online application will be considered the “primary sponsor” in the portal.

Read the instruction guide for details on

• how to complete all the forms for your application
• what documents you need to include

If you’re a paid representative for a sponsor

You can start an application in the Representative Permanent Residence Portal for your client. You’ll need to invite them to join your application.

If you’re a paid representative for a refugee

• You need to be invited by the primary sponsor.
• You’ll need to upload the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 648.31 KB) form.

If you’re an unpaid representative for a refugee

• You’ll need to create a regular account in the Permanent Residence Portal.
• The primary sponsor needs to invite you to join the application.
• You’ll need to upload the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 648.31 KB) form.

1. Complete your forms and gather your documents

If you want to use an immigration representative

find out how you can create an account and submit applications on behalf of your clients.

If you want to appoint someone to do business with IRCC on your behalf, you must

• submit a Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 648.31 KB) form
• sign it yourself and get your immigration representative to sign it
• upload it with your application

An immigration representative (an immigration consultant or lawyer) can give you advice and help you with your application for a fee, but they can’t

• open a portal account on your behalf
• electronically sign the application for you
• sign in to the portal using your username and password

A representative can fill out forms and submit the application on your behalf through their own account. They can also

• help you prepare the supporting documents you need to upload
• answer questions about the forms

After you read the declaration, you must be the one who types your name. This is the legal requirement for your application to be considered “signed” according to Canada’s immigration law.

If you want to apply on paper

You’ll need to download and print the forms and documents you need. Check the guide for where and how to mail your application.

If you’re having technical issues

If you’re having technical issues applying, contact us using the web form.

• Under type of application/enquiry, choose technical difficulties from the drop-down menu
• Upload screenshots from your account that show us
  • the page where you’re having problems
  • the error message(s) you get

If you need to upload a number of documents, find out how to combine them into 1 document.

Submit your application

Before you submit your application, make sure you:

• answer all questions on the forms
• have the refugee sign the application
• upload all the supporting documents

If you submit an incomplete application, we won’t review it. We’ll send you an email explaining what needs to be added or fixed.

Once you’ve completed and resubmitted your application, we’ll review it.

Processing your application

The Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) will contact you at 2 stages during processing:

1. ROC-O will send an acknowledgment of receipt letter to you as the sponsor once they make sure the application is complete and the file has been created. This letter will include the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) file number (also called the G number). You can use this number to check the application status online. ROC-O will send the letter within 30 business days of receiving a complete application.
   • ROC-O will return an incomplete application to the party that submitted it (either the sponsor or the refugee).
   • The 30 business days doesn’t apply to the Afghanistan special program. The time it takes to send letters under that program varies.
2. ROC-O will send you an approval or refusal letter once an officer makes a decision on your sponsorship undertaking. The approval letter will include a link where you can find processing times for your application.

Sponsor-referred cases

If ROC-O approves your Undertaking to Sponsor, they will send the refugee application to the responsible visa office abroad for consideration by a visa officer.

The visa office will tell you if they approve or refuse the refugee application. The sponsoring group will generally receive a Notification of Arrival Transmission at least 10 business days before the refugee arrives in Canada. The notice will tell you when the refugee will arrive in Canada.

Visa office-referred cases

Refugees usually arrive in Canada between three and six months after ROC-O approves a sponsorship request. In some cases, refugees are ready to travel sooner. The sponsoring group will generally receive a Notification of Arrival Transmission at least 10 business days before the refugee arrives in Canada.

Refugee Sponsorship Training Program

The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, which is funded by the Government of Canada, can help you prepare for what to expect when refugees arrive in Canada.

Change of information

It is up to you to keep your application up-to-date.

With any updated information you submit, include:

• the IRCC file number (the G number),
• a contact name, and
• a phone and/or fax number.

If your address or telephone number changes after you apply, you must tell us.

Groups of Five and Community Sponsors: use this Web form.

Choose “sponsor” in the drop-down menu for relationship to applicant. Choose “change of address” in the drop-down menu for application type.

Sponsorship Agreement Holders: email the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

If any information about the refugee you want to sponsor changes, you must tell the responsible visa office right away.

Sponsorship group representatives should provide a signed copy of the IMM 5476 Use of a Representative (PDF, 648 KB) form if you did not include one with your application.

Withdrawing your application

If you wish to withdraw your sponsorship undertaking after you have submitted your application, you must e-mail ROC-O and tell them why you want to withdraw.

Case Status Enquiries

Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O)

In many cases you can check your application status online. If you cannot check your case status online, and:

• the application is still in Canada; and
• we have not met the estimated in-Canada processing times,

You can email the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O)

Canadian visa offices abroad

In many cases you can check your application status online. If you cannot check your case status online, and:

• the application has been sent to the responsible visa office abroad (as shown in their online case status or via confirmation letter from ROC-O), and
• the visa office has not met the estimated processing times,

You can use the IRCC Web form to ask about the status of the Application for Permanent Residence.