Canada refugee sponsorship

Refugee sponsorship — community and Group of Five

Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program lets Canadians bring refugees living abroad to Canada and support them through their first year. XIPHIAS Immigration, Dubai, prepares sponsorship applications for groups and organisations and the refugee's own application, and handles correspondence with IRCC until a decision is made.

Group of Five

A Group of Five (G5) is five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have arranged to sponsor a refugee living abroad to come to Canada. All of the group members must be at least 18 years of age and live, or have representatives, in the area where the refugee will settle.

The group must agree to give emotional and financial support to the refugee or refugees for the full sponsorship period, usually one year, or until they become self-sufficient, whichever comes first. Since 19 October 2012 a Group of Five may only sponsor applicants who are recognised as refugees by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or by a foreign state.

Community sponsors and Sponsorship Agreement Holders

An organisation, association or corporation based in the community where the refugee will settle can sponsor as a community sponsor. Sponsorship Agreement Holders are organisations that have signed an agreement with IRCC and may sponsor through their own constituent groups. The sponsor's commitment is the same: housing, food, clothing, orientation and settlement help for the sponsorship period.

Who can be sponsored

The person must be outside Canada and fall within the Convention Refugee Abroad class or the Country of Asylum class, and must pass medical, security and criminality checks. The sponsoring group submits its undertaking and settlement plan together with the refugee's permanent-residence application.

Protected persons already in Canada

In Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decide who is a protected person. If the IRB determined you to be a person in need of protection or a Convention refugee, or if you received a positive decision on your Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA), you are a protected person and may apply for permanent residence on that basis. Members of the Protected Temporary Residents Class — people admitted on a temporary resident permit who were found by a visa office to be in urgent need of protection — may also apply.

Related Canadian routes

The earlier version of this page also summarised Canada's economic and family classes. Each now has its own page: Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program, business classes, family sponsorship and humanitarian and compassionate applications.