GROUP FIVE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM (G-5 SP)

A Group of Five is any group of five or more Canadian citizens, Registered Indians, or permanent residents who are 18 years of age or older who is living in the community where the refugees are expected to settle.

An individual appointed as a representative:

Representative appointed by the group lives in the PA’s expected community of settlement

represents the sponsor in the community, and correspond with the Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada according to the scope of IRCC rules.

while expected to help support the refugee, and liable to fulfill the sponsorship obligations in the undertaking

Sponsors are responsible to ensure that the necessary financial and non-financial support is provided for the full duration of the sponsorship, normally 12 months. The sponsorship group must show that it has the necessary financial resources, expertise and commitment required to fulfill the terms of the sponsorship undertaking.

Group Five sponsorship group has the following responsibilities:

• Meet and follow all acts and regulations about eligibility and applying to sponsor a refugee that are set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
• Support the refugees they’re sponsoring for the entire sponsorship period listed in the sponsorship undertaking form.
• This support can only stop if we declare a sponsorship breakdown.
• If a refugee can support themselves financially, the sponsorship group:
  • Can stop providing financial support
  • Must still help them settle and integrate during the sponsorship period
  • Must restart financial support if the refugees stop being able to support themselves during the sponsorship period

Post-arrival requirements for private sponsorships

• Meeting the refugee when they arrive in the airport or to their new community
• Finding and permanent temporary housing for them
• Setting up their new home with basic furniture and other household essentials
• Giving them food, clothing and other basic necessities
• Covering the cost of local transportation
• Helping them feel welcome in their new community
• Making sure they know about the service providers in their community that can help them
• Learn English or French
• Find a job
• Find out about other community services they can use
• Assist them to find family/dentist Dr, social Insurance, MHC, MB ID card, and others
• Sponsors also connect the newcomers with agencies to support them in counselling, services and their legal rights.

G5s can only sponsor applicants

who are recognized as refugees by either the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or the government of the country (foreign state) where the refugee lives

The principal applicant must already have refugee status. Having refugee status means that an authorized body (the UNHCR or foreign state) has found the person meets its refugee definition.

You must include the document proving recognized refugee status with the refugee sponsorship application you submit.

Costs of travel to Canada:

The Refugee applicants are responsible for the travel costs for themselves and all dependent family members. An immigration loan may be available to refugees’ transportation costs upon their arrival in Canada.

Settlement responsibilities:

The newly arrived refugee, and sponsors is expected to make every effort for the refugees to become self-sufficient as soon as possible after arriving in Canada.

This may include settlement activities such as language training classes, college or university courses, employment preparation programs, and employment.

Refugees who can be included in the (G-5 PSR) application

Principal Applicant (PA) and their family members

the PA’s spouse or common-law partner

the dependent child of the PA’s spouse/common-law partner

the dependent child of the PA’s spouse/common-law partner’s dependent child

The sponsors that are not allowed for Sponsorship program:

• A person who has been convicted in Canada of the offence of murder or an offence set out in Schedule I or II to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, regardless of whether it was prosecuted by indictment, if a period of five years has not elapsed since the completion of the person’s sentence
• A person who has been convicted of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence referred to in paragraph (a), if a period of five years has not elapsed since the completion of the person’s sentence imposed under a foreign law
• A person who is in default of any support payment obligations ordered by a court
• A person who is subject to a removal order
• A person who is subject to a revocation proceeding under the Citizenship Act
• A person who is detained in any penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison