Application and Refugee Status Verification Requirements for Groups of Five and Community Sponsors

Policy effect

Amends the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSRP) rules to require concurrent submission of the foreign national's permanent residence application and the sponsorship undertaking to the Case Processing Centre in Canada, and restricts Groups of Five and Community Sponsors to sponsoring individuals already recognized as refugees by UNHCR or a foreign state. Phase scope: National application to all Group of Five and Community Sponsor refugee sponsorships.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

… the foreign national has chosen to have their application for a permanent resident visa attached to the sponsorship application in accordance with paragraph 140.2(1)(b), the sponsor must send the sponsorship application and the application for a permanent resident visa to the Department’s Case Processing Centre in Canada for processing those applications. 10. Section 334 of the Regulations is replaced by the following: Applications for protection abroad 334. With the exception of subsection 140.3(1) of these Regulations, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act applies to an applicant described … application intake control mechanism has had an adverse impact on the quality of applications and added to growing backlogs and long wait times. Description: The regulatory amendments will affect the PSRP resettlement application process and the Groups of Five (G5s) and Community Sponsors (CSs) sponsorship requirements. First, the changes will require the foreign national’s application for protection from abroad (permanent resident application) to be submitted at the same time as the sponsor’s application (sponsorship undertaking). These changes will also define what constitutes a complete application for protection from abroad and allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to return both applications (permanent residence and sponsorship undertaking) if information is missing. These measures are intended to reduce delays in the processing of privately sponsored refugee (PSR) applications. Second, the amendment to sponsorship provisions will limit G5s and CSs to submitting applications for persons recognized by either the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or a foreign state as a refugee. Limiting access to the G5 and CS refugee sponsorship streams is intended … the G5 and CS streams of the PSRP is intended to complement the introduction of a cap on applications by SAHs in 2012 and is an equally important measure in the management of the global PSR inventory. The amendment will require that applications for sponsorship by a G5 or a CS include documented proof, from the UNHCR or a foreign state, that the applicant being sponsored is a recognized refugee. The amendment will reduce the total number of G5 and CS applications received each year, principally from among those applications least likely to meet the regulatory requirement for resettlement. This … will also increase the approval rates for G5- and CS-sponsored cases, requiring fewer visa officer resources to achieve the same number of landings. Currently, given low approval rates, visa officers must process about two cases for each refugee resettled to Canada. This amendment will improve operational efficiency, decrease processing times and reduce the inventory, which in turn will reduce wait times. The amendment will require applications for sponsorship by a G5 or CS to include documented proof from a foreign state or the UNHCR that the applicant being sponsored is a recognized refugee … protection capacity and engaging civil society in resettlement. Implementation, enforcement and service standards The new requirements will come into force upon registration. Sponsorship undertakings and permanent residence applications submitted prior to the coming into force of the regulatory amendments will not be affected. New application kits outlining the new sponsorship requirements for G5s and CSs will be developed. The CIC Web page explaining refugee sponsorship will also be updated to reflect the new sponsorship criteria. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will work with the UNHCR to ensure …

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

Other Canada changes operative in 2012

• 2012-03-02Five-Year Sponsorship Bar for Previously Sponsored Spouses and Common-Law Partners
• 2012-06-28Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act
• 2012-06-29Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act
• 2012-06-30Order Respecting the Interim Federal Health Program, 2012
• 2012-07-01Updated Ministerial Instructions
• 2012-09-11Imposition of Temporary Resident Visa Requirement for Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent
• 2012-10-25Conditional Permanent Residence for Sponsored Spouses and Partners
• 2012-11-01Regulations Amending the Citizenship Regulations
• 2012-11-23Mandatory In-Person Reporting Requirements for Designated Foreign Nationals
• 2012-12-15Refugee Appeal Division appeal provisions commenced
• 2012-12-19Expedited Asylum Claim Timelines and Work Permit Restrictions for Designated Countries of Origin