FAQ – Hope for Afghanistan Refugees & Immigrants

Here’s What You Need to Know About Our Programs and Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about our programs and services by reading through the answers to our FAQ. If you have clarifications and other related concerns, contact Hope for Afghanistan Refugees & Immigrants in North York, Ontario and one of our volunteers will get in touch with you shortly to assist you.

1. Who may be sponsored?

The Private Refugee Sponsorship Program (PRSP) is strictly for sponsoring refugees and persons in refugee-like situations. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, persons who may qualify as refugees for Canada’s refugee and humanitarian resettlement program are grouped into two categories or “classes”: Convention Refugees Abroad and Country of Asylum.

Convention Refugee

Any person who by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion:

Is outside each of their countries of nationality and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of each of those countries
Does not have a country of nationality and is outside the country of their former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to return to that country; and
Is outside Canada
Is seeking resettlement in Canada
Does not have a prospect of another durable solution, within a reasonable period of time, that is:

Cannot return to their country of nationality or habitual residence
Cannot integrate into the country of refuge or the country of first asylum
Does not have another offer of resettlement from a country other than Canada

A member of the Country of Asylum class is any person:

Who is outside all of their countries of nationality or habitual residence
Who has been, and continues to be, seriously and personally affected by civil war, armed conflict or massive violation of human rights in each of those countries
Does not have a prospect of another durable solution, within a reasonable period of time, that is:

Cannot return to their countries of nationality or habitual residence
Cannot integrate into the country of refuge or the country of first asylum
Does not have another offer of resettlement from a country other than Canada

An officer at an overseas IRCC office makes the final decision on whether someone meets one of these definitions and is, therefore, eligible for resettlement. The eligibility decision is normally based on an interview with the applicant, supporting documentation submitted by the applicant and sponsoring group and additional information available to the officer (such as country condition updates).

To be accepted for resettlement in Canada, the refugee must pass medical, security and admissibility checks. In addition, refugees will be assessed on their ability to establish successfully in Canada. In making this assessment, the migration officer will consider whether the refugee has:

Relatives or a sponsor in Canada

The ability to speak, or learn to speak, English or French

The potential for employment and resourcefulness

When a family unit is applying, the settlement potential of all family members is assessed as a single determination. Refugees deemed by the migration officer to be in urgent need of protection or in vulnerable circumstances are not assessed on their ability to establish.

2. Who may not be sponsored?

The following persons do not qualify for private sponsorship:

People already in Canada. Such persons seeking Canada's protection as refugees should contact a local IRCC Centre for information on how to make a refugee claim.
People who were the subject of a previous sponsorship application and were refused, unless:

Their circumstances have changed
New information, which was not presented in the previous application, has come to light
Canadian laws affecting the case have changed

People who fled persecution or civil war some time ago but can now integrate into the country where they are residing or can return home safely.

For more information, schedule an appointment in any of the IRCC offices in Canada.

3. Who may submit a private sponsorship?

The following groups may submit a private sponsorship:

Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs)

Incorporated organizations that have signed a formal sponsorship agreement with IRCC. Most current SAHs are religious organizations, ethnocultural groups, or humanitarian organizations. SAHs, which may be local, regional or national, assume overall responsibility for the management of sponsorships under their agreement. Organizations entering into a sponsorship agreement with IRCC generally submit several refugee sponsorships a year.

Constituent Groups (CGs)

A SAH can authorize CGs to sponsor under its agreement and provide support to the refugees. Each SAH sets its own criteria for recognizing CGs. CGs are based in the sponsored refugee's expected community of settlement and must have their sponsorship application and settlement plan approved and signed by their SAH before the undertaking is submitted to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O).

Groups of Five (G5)

Five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents, who are at least 18 years of age, live in the expected community of settlement and have collectively arranged for the sponsorship of a refugee living abroad. These individuals act as guarantors that the necessary support will be provided for the full duration of the sponsorship.

ROC-O assesses individual contributions of group members to the sponsorship. The financial and non-financial aspects are considered collectively, as well as the settlement plan before the sponsorship is approved. The group’s financial commitment must meet the levels established in the Sponsorship Cost Table in Appendix A of the Guide for Groups of Five to privately sponsor refugees (IMM 2200).

As part of the application package, the sponsoring group will need to include proof that each applicant has been recognized as a refugee by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or by a foreign state. Only a photocopy of the original document is required. If the document is in a language other than English or French, then a certified translation (in either official language) must be submitted along with the photocopy of the original document.

Community Sponsors (CSs)

Any organization, association or corporation located in the community where the refugees are expected to settle can make an organizational commitment to sponsor. CSs must undergo financial and settlement plan assessments by ROC-O each time they wish to sponsor.

Like G5s, CSs must demonstrate that they are willing and able to commit funds toward the sponsorship in line with the levels established in the Sponsorship Cost Table in Appendix A of the Guide for Community Sponsors to privately sponsor refugees (IMM 2201).

As part of the application package, the sponsoring group will need to include proof that each applicant has been recognized as a refugee by the UNHCR or by a foreign state. Only a photocopy of the original document is required. If the document is in a language other than English or French, then a certified translation (in either official language) must be submitted along with the photocopy of the original document.

A SAH, a CG or a CS has the option of formalizing a partnership with an outside party to share in the delivery of settlement assistance and support. Partnerships may be formed with individuals (for example, a family member of the sponsored refugee living in Canada) or other organizations. The partner, or co-sponsor, is expected to sign the Sponsorship Undertaking and discharge the responsibilities that were agreed to in the settlement plan.

4. Who may not submit a private sponsorship?

The following persons and groups are ineligible to participate in the sponsorship of refugees:

Persons and groups liable for a Sponsorship Undertaking that remains in default.
Persons convicted in Canada of the offence of murder or an offence set out in Schedule I or II of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, regardless of whether the offence was prosecuted by indictment, and a period of 5 years has not elapsed since the completion of the sentence imposed under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Persons convicted of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence referred to above if a period of 5 years has not elapsed since the completion of the sentence imposed under a foreign law.

Persons subject to a removal order.
Persons subject to revocation proceedings under the Citizenship Act.
Persons detained in any penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison.
Persons in default of court-ordered support payments.

5. How is a sponsoring group formed?

Sponsorship Agreement Holders

Interested organizations can request an application to become a SAH by writing to IRCC.INPSR-PPPRRI.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

SAHs must be incorporated organizations and must be located in Canada. Generally, new SAH applicants have sponsorship experience and expect to sponsor multiple refugee cases each year. Applicant organizations must have personnel and finances available to ensure the settlement needs of the sponsored refugees are in place before their arrival and must be able to provide financial statements for the most recent 2-year period.

Constituent Groups

Each SAH sets its own criteria for recognizing CGs. Interested parties should contact a SAH directly to inquire about sponsoring under its auspices.

Groups of Five

At least 5 individuals must be eligible to sponsor and willing to contribute to the requirements of sponsorship. At least three group members must contribute funds towards the sponsorship, and each group member contributing funds must complete a personal Financial Profile form (IMM 5373B) (PDF, 101 KB). The sponsoring group must collectively complete a Sponsorship Undertaking and Settlement Plan – Groups of Five (G5) (IMM 5670) (PDF, 2.44 MB).

Community Sponsor

An organization that decides to participate in refugee sponsorship and provides statements demonstrating the ability to meet the required financial obligations. Individual co-sponsors formally partnering with a CS who are contributing personal income towards the sponsorship must complete a personal Financial Profile Form (IMM 5373B) (PDF, 101 KB). The sponsoring group must collectively complete a Sponsorship Undertaking and Settlement Plan – Community Sponsor (CS) (IMM 5663) (PDF, 2.45 MB).

Co-Sponsor

Interested individuals or organizations should contact a SAH, a CG or a CS in their area to inquire about partnering in the private sponsorship of a refugee. Each SAH, CG or CS has its own procedures for screening and approving a co-sponsor as well as for establishing the division of responsibilities in the settlement plan. The decision to accept an individual or organization as a co-sponsor is the choice of the SAH or CS that submits the undertaking.

To apply, use the sponsorship kit for SAH/CGs, G5s or CSs as well as the Application for Convention Refugees Abroad and Humanitarian-protected Persons Abroad (IMM 6000) (overseas application kit), which the refugee must complete.

6. What are the responsibilities of the sponsoring group?

Sponsoring groups agree to provide the refugees with care, lodging, settlement assistance and support for the duration of the sponsorship period. Normally, this is 12 months starting from the refugee's arrival in Canada or until the refugee becomes self-sufficient, whichever comes first.

In exceptional circumstances, the migration officer may determine that the refugee requires more time to become established in Canada and will ask the sponsoring group to extend the sponsorship period to a maximum of 36 months. The sponsoring group has the option of refusing the request for an extension of the sponsorship period. However, the sponsoring group risks having the case refused as a result.

Private sponsors normally support the sponsored refugees by:

Providing the cost of food, rent, and household utilities and other day-to-day living expenses
Providing clothing, furniture, and other household goods
Locating interpreters
Selecting a family physician and dentist
Assisting with applying for provincial health-care coverage

Enrolling children in school and adults in language training
Introducing newcomers to people with similar personal interests
Providing orientation with regard to everyday activities such as banking services, transportation
Helping in the search for employment

Sponsoring groups must reside, or have representatives, in the expected community of settlement (i.e. in the community where the sponsored refugees will live). The intent is to have a group of persons helping refugees to get established in the community, not one person acting alone. Additional information on residency requirements is available on the Refugee Sponsorships Training Program website.

It is not possible to sponsor only one member of a family unit. The Sponsorship Undertaking must name all family members listed on the Application for Permanent Residence, whether they are accompanying the Principal Applicant to Canada or not. In some cases, family members may follow later under the provisions of the One Year Window program (see section 2.12).

Family members include the Principal Applicant and:

Their spouse or common-law partner
Their dependent children
Their spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children

Dependent children of their dependent children (their grandchildren), and
Dependent children of their spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children (their spouse or common-law partner’s grandchildren)

The sponsoring group is obliged to provide support to all family members listed on the undertaking, regardless of the timing of their arrival in Canada. The sponsor is responsible for supporting the non-accompanying family members under the same terms as in the original settlement plan unless the principal applicant is now self-sufficient and able to provide adequately for their family members. De facto dependants (see section 2.13) should also be included in the sponsorship but should be named on a separate undertaking.

7. How can I estimate how much financial support will be required?

The sponsorship application guides provide details of how much financial support will likely be needed to meet sponsorship obligations. They also provide advice on how to determine whether a group has sufficient funds.

Although the cost of living varies across Canada, the Sponsorship Cost Table and the In-Kind Deduction Table included in Appendix A: Financial Guidelines in both the Guide for Community Sponsors to privately sponsor refugees (IMM 2201) and the Guide for Groups of Five to privately sponsor refugees (IMM 2200) can help to estimate the minimum annual settlement cost for a refugee or refugee family.

The sponsorship cost table should be used as a guideline only, as it is one national average of costs and there are several variables that can affect the amount of support required for sponsorship.

To determine the actual amount of financial assistance that may be required in a particular city or province, sponsors should consult the Resettlement Assistance Program rates in the expected community of settlement.

The total sponsorship costs may be reduced through the donation of "in-kind" support, which may include shelter, furniture, and clothing. For more information, see Appendix A of IMM 2200, IMM 2201, or the Guide for Sponsorship Agreement Holders to privately sponsor refugees (IMM 5413).

When assessing the financial capacity of a sponsoring group, ROC-O must be satisfied that the total amount of committed funds plus in-kind donations meets or exceeds the sponsorship cost table amounts after existing financial commitments of the sponsor(s) are taken into account. Existing financial commitments include other active sponsorships and the number of family members that the sponsor currently supports.

Trust Accounts

The sponsoring group may establish a trust fund for the sponsorship, but may not accept or require payment of funds from a refugee for submitting a sponsorship. Any funds held in trust must not have come from the refugee.

In the event that the refugee is not accepted for resettlement in Canada, funds held in trust for the sponsorship of that refugee, including all accumulated interest, must be returned to the donor(s).

IRCC neither promotes nor objects to the use of trust accounts. However, groups should use caution in ensuring that the funds in the account and all interest accrued are used only for the direct settlement costs of the refugees for whom the funds were collected. Groups must be able to account for all expenditures.

8. How long is the Group of Five responsible for providing support to sponsored refugees?

The sponsoring group is responsible for supporting the sponsored refugees financially and with settlement assistance, counselling and support for the duration of the sponsorship period, which is usually one year from the date of the arrival of the refugee.

In exceptional circumstances, sponsors may be asked by IRCC if they can provide more than one year of financial and settlement support (up to 3 years), but IRCC would ask sponsors if this would be possible before the arrival of the refugee(s).

9. How much money does the group need for sponsorship?

Members of the Group of Five must show that they have sufficient financial resources available to support the sponsored refugee(s) for the duration of the sponsorship period. IRCC has created a Sponsorship Cost Table (see Appendix A) that is equivalent to an average of the social assistance rates across Canada. The Sponsorship Cost Table outlines the minimum amount of money that a group must prove to IRCC that they have for the sponsorship. A group should always consider that the actual cost of the sponsorship may be higher than the amounts outlined in the Sponsorship Cost Table.

When calculating the overall budget, the group can factor in any in-kind donations they have received, such as furniture or housing. Please see the In-kind Deductions Table (Appendix B) for the amount of money that can be deducted.

Note that sponsoring groups may not accept money from the refugee for the sponsorship. The financial resources that a refugee family brings with them to Canada could reduce the amount of financial support that a sponsoring group must provide if they are able to contribute to paying their expenses. However, please note that a contingency plan is still needed.

10. Who can be a member of a Group of Five?

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is 18 years of age or older and resides in the community where the sponsored refugee is expected to live for the duration of the sponsorship period is eligible to be a member of a Group of Five. This person must also make a commitment to provide financial and settlement support to the refugee for the duration of the sponsorship period (typically 12 months).

The following persons are unable to be a member of a Group of Five:

Persons who have been convicted inside or outside Canada of a serious criminal offence as set out in Schedule I or II of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (if a period of five years has not elapsed since completion of the sentence)
Persons that are in default of any court-ordered support payments (i.e. child support or a previous sponsorship)

Persons that are subject to a removal order or are subject to a revocation proceeding under the Citizenship Act
Persons that are detained in any penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison

For more information about financial eligibility, please contact RSTP for more information.

11. Do Group of Five members have to provide any money upfront when sponsoring a refugee?

Groups of Five have three options to demonstrate they have the requisite funds to sponsor a refugee:

At least three members from the Group of Five pledge to provide the funds from their personal income (if this option is taken, the financially contributing members of the group must include a copy of their most recent T4 or Notice of Assessment)
The Group of Five opens a bank account (often referred to as a “trust” account) and places all of the required funds into the account
A mix of the two, e.g. half of the funds are pledged from the income of at least three members from the group, and the remaining amount is placed into a bank account.

12. How do I know how much money we must have altogether?

The Sponsorship Cost Table and In-Kind Deduction Table (Appendix A in the Instruction Guide) provide you with information on how much money is required according to the size of the refugee family that you wish to sponsor. It is advised that sponsors use the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) rates for their province for a more detailed breakdown of the level of financial support they are expected to provide (the RAP rates for each province are available on RSTP’s website).

13. Can a Group of Five include members of the same family or household?

Yes, provided they meet the Group of Five eligibility criteria outlined above.

14. Some of our group members don’t live in the same city. Is that okay?

Group of Five members should reside in the community in which the sponsored refugee(s) are expected to live (i.e. the same town or city), as the group is responsible for supporting them during the sponsorship period. If group members do not live in the same town or city, the refugee sponsorship application will be returned to the group for not meeting the residency requirement.

15. Who can be sponsored?

In order to be eligible for refugee sponsorship to Canada under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program, refugees must satisfy the following criteria:

1. They must be outside of their country of nationality or their country of habitual residence if they are stateless.

2. They must not be in Canada.

3. They must have a sponsoring group in Canada.

4. They must not have a durable solution in the country in which they are currently located (i.e. they cannot return safely to their country of origin; cannot locally integrate into the country they are located in; and, have no alternative offers of settlement).

5. They must be able to successfully establish and settle in-Canada.

6. They must meet the Convention Refugee Abroad Class or the Country of Asylum Class definitions.

In addition to the above, refugees being sponsored by a Group of Five or a Community Sponsor must have been recognized or accepted as refugees by UNHCR or the government of the country in which they are currently located (often referred to as the country of asylum or host country).

All refugees being sponsored to Canada must undergo admissibility screening and pass a medical, criminality and security check.

16. How long will it take to process the sponsorship application?

The overseas-processing time of a refugee sponsorship application varies in different Canadian visa offices abroad. To find out about the average processing time at a specific Visa Office, visit the IRCC website.

17. How do we know if the refugee applicant has been accepted or not after the interview?

If a refugee applicant is informed and/or given information by the Canadian Visa Officer on how to obtain a medical exam, it means that the interview was successful. The acceptance of their case now depends on passing the medical, criminality and security checks (admissibility criteria). The interviewing Canadian Visa Officer will inform the refugee applicant if the interview was not successful after the interview. The decision will be confirmed in a letter from the Visa Office.

18. Who arranges the flight details and handles the exit permits?

Generally, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) handles all travel-related matters for sponsored refugees. IOM staff book the flight and arrange for exit permits.

19. The refugee applicant was in the military. Is this a problem?

Not necessarily. Inadmissibility due to previous military involvement depends on the role, rank, and responsibilities that the refugee applicant had at the time of their involvement. Generally, persons who have committed serious human rights violations, crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes or subversive activities are not admissible to Canada.

The Canadian government has designated certain regimes as perpetrators of gross human rights violations. Senior officials of designated regimes may consequently be considered inadmissible to Canada.

20. Why do refugee applicants have to undergo a criminality screening?

The Canadian government conducts criminality checks for all immigrants to Canada, including refugees sponsored for resettlement, to determine whether the applicant has been convicted of any crimes or has committed any acts or omissions that would make him/her inadmissible to Canada.

21. How can I check my application status?

Sponsorship application status inquiries:

Once we have created your application in our system, you can check its status online.

If you would like a case status update and the information is not available online, contact us. Use this email subject line when sending a status inquiry: PA FAMILY NAME, first name, G number, CASE STATUS REQUEST.

You can contact ROC-O when:

You sent an email application and you did not receive the automatic auto-reply (and you have checked the “junk mail” or “spam” folder for the email account you used to send the application, to make sure the auto-reply isn’t there).
More than 60 days have passed since you submitted your paper application and you have not received the first AOR.

More than 6 months have passed since you received your first AOR. If less than 6 months have passed, we will not answer your case status request;
You believe that your application has been erroneously delayed overseas. ROC-O will review the case and advise the mission if an error seems to have occurred in processing the application. ROC-O will not provide you with a response on these case status requests.

Keep in mind that contacting ROC-O takes staff away from processing applications. This delays the processing of your application and applications of others.

Refugee Application Status Inquiries

A case-specific enquiry Web Form may be submitted to the responsible Migration Office to inquire on the status of the refugee’s Application for Permanent Residence – but only when all of the following apply:

The application has been sent to the responsible Migration Office (as indicated online or via confirmation letter from IRCC)

The required information is not available online
The estimated Migration Office processing times have been exceeded

Visa officers will only respond to case status enquiries when estimated processing times have been exceeded and the information is not available in E-CAS.

If you decide to send us an email, please do not ask your Member of Parliament, other sponsors or the Principal Applicant to send an email for the same question. If we receive multiple email enquiries on the same topic, we will only answer the first email.

22. When will I receive information on the processing status of the sponsorship and refugee application?

Sponsorship Application Stage

ROC-O will communicate with sponsors at three stages of processing:

Stage 1 – Intake

For Mailed Applications: The first Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) is sent via email by ROC-O to the sponsoring group to confirm that the sponsorship application package has been received but not yet verified for completeness. This is generally sent within 30 days of receipt of your application and includes the name of the Principal Applicant. This acknowledgment of receipt simply confirms that ROC-O received your application.
For Emailed Applications: An immediate auto-reply is sent to the email address used to submit the application This auto-reply confirms that the sponsorship application package has been received. It does not confirm that your application is complete nor does it include the name of the Principal Applicant.

Stage 2 – Completeness Check

ROC-O reviews the application to ensure that all correct forms have been submitted and signed by all sponsors.

If the application is complete, a second AOR is sent via email by ROC-O to the sponsoring group to confirm that all necessary sponsorship forms have been submitted and signed, and the application has been created in our system. An application number (G number) is provided.

If the application is incomplete, no second AOR is sent.

If the application was sent by mail or courier, it is returned to the sponsoring group via mail.

For an emailed application, an email is sent to all sponsors and the Principal Applicant explaining the reasons for return.

Stage 3 – The Sponsorship Application Decision

A ROC-O officer assesses your application by reviewing the application forms and supporting documents to determine if you meet the requirements to be a sponsor.

If the officer is satisfied that you meet the requirements, the Sponsorship Application is approved and the decision is communicated to all sponsors and the Principal Applicant via email. The entire application (sponsorship application and the refugee’s application for permanent residence) is then electronically transferred to the appropriate IRCC office overseas.

If the ROC-O officer is not satisfied that you meet the requirements, the application is refused and the decision is communicated to all sponsors and the Principal Applicant via e-mail.

Overseas Refugee Application Stage

When the overseas IRCC office starts processing the refugee’s application, they will schedule an interview with the refugee. The sponsor is informed when the interview is scheduled, in most cases.

If the refugee application is approved, IRCC issues a visa. If the refugee application is refused, IRCC sends a letter to both the refugee and the sponsor with an explanation.

After the visa is issued, it may take time to arrange for exit permits, if required by the local authorities.

Travel to Canada

1. IRCC sends a Notice of Approval to the sponsor about 4 to 10 weeks before departure.

2. IRCC then sends a request to the International Organization for Migration to book transportation, deliver orientation sessions about Canada, and arrange for medical escorts (if needed).

3. A Notification of Arrival Transmission (NAT) is sent to the sponsor with travel details about 10 business days before the refugee arrives in Canada.

During the sponsorship period, the sponsored refugees should not access social assistance or welfare.

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