The Canadian Group of Five Sponsorship accommodates foreign nationals whose life circumstances help define them as a Convention refugee. “Section 96’ of the ‘Immigration and Refugee Protection Act’ states “A Convention refugee is a person, who, by reason of a well‐founded fear of persecution for reasons 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 themself of the protection of each of those countries; or not having a country of nationality, is outside the country of their former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to return to that country.”
In this scenario, once a foreign national, currently living outside Canada, has been issued official refugee status by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees they can be sponsored by a Canadian Group of Five people who are family members, friends, or unknown to the refugee and identified by an overseas contact. The group that wishes to help a person in need of protection often offers practical and emotional support along with financial support.
In order to qualify to be sponsors in a Canadian Group of Five Sponsorship each member of the group must:
- be at least 18 years of age
- be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status
- each sign a contract promising financial support for the basic needs of the sponsored person including providing food, clothing, shelter, and incidentals for everyday living, dental care, eye care, and other health needs that aren’t covered by public health services for the designated period of sponsorship, which is usually one year
- show an itemized settlement plan to indicate the above living needs are covered
- prove that the group have sufficient funds to sponsor a refugee, establishing a bank account and depositing the funding for the sponsorship before the refugee enters the country
This process requires precise documentation and attention to detail. It is definitely one of the reasons a qualified immigration specialist is consulted. If you need help sponsoring a refugee to settle in Canada, ask Migrating Bird Immigration Services for professional assistance. We are happy to be your contact with UNHCR Canada.
Another sponsorship program is the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) program which brings refugees with the greatest need into Canada. It’s 3 main benefits include a reduction of the financial burden on private sponsors, prioritizing the most vulnerable refugees through referral organizations, and connecting sponsors with refugees already screened and interviewed, allowing them ready to travel sooner
Yet another program, similar to the BVOR program is the Visa Office Referred Program (VOR program), which requires sponsors to take on all the costs of the sponsorship with no income support from other sources.
All these programs require great attention to detail when submitting an application. When you are ready to take advantage of any of the above-mentioned programs, call us at 001(604)-362-1969, and get the help of Migrating Bird Immigration’s Dr. Tofigh and his team of immigration specialists as they apply their experience in immigration and dedication to success to bring about the results that you seek as a sponsor or a sponsored person. See how this program differs from Canadian Family Sponsorship.