Guide 5496 - Request for a Refugee Profile

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

This is not a legal document. For legal information, refer to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations or the Citizenship Act and Regulations, as applicable.

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.

Overview

Application package

This application package consists of:

  • an instruction guide and
  • the required forms

The instruction guide is a tool that provides:

  • the information you must know about this application before sending it to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and
  • assistance with how to fill out the forms and the required supporting documents

Read the instruction guide thoroughly and then fill out each of the applicable forms.

The forms are specifically designed with questions that will assist the processing of your application.

Symbols used in this guide

This guide uses the following symbols to indicate information of particular importance.

Required step
What you must do to have your application processed.
Important information
Important information that you need to be aware of in order to avoid delays or other problems.
Get more information
Where to get more information.
Note:
Tips that will assist you with this application.

The application process

The instructions provided in this guide follow the basic steps you will need to know to complete your application.

  1. Gather documents
  2. Complete the application
  3. Pay the fees
  4. Mail the application

Before you apply

Who can use this application?

This application kit contains forms and information to complete a Request for a Refugee Profile. These groups can use this application :

  • Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH)
  • Constituent Groups of SAHs (CG)
  • Groups of Five (G5) and
  • Community Sponsors

This application package does not provide general information about private sponsorship of refugees. For more details, including definitions, roles and responsibilities, refer to the Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

This guide may be obtained by visiting the Media and Publications section of our website.

Quebec residents

This application kit does not apply to the province of Quebec. Sponsors living in the province of Quebec should contact the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC).

What is a Request for Refugee Profile?

The information that a group can expect to receive on a refugee profile includes:

  • family size and description
  • community affiliation
  • language ability
  • work experience or special skills
  • connections to Canada and location
  • case type (e.g. JAS, Visa office-referred, Blended, Urgent Protection)
  • if the case is ready to travel to Canada or not
  • special medical requirements (if applicable)

Note: Refugees who are referred by the visa office have already been interviewed by an officer and have been determined to be eligible for resettlement in Canada.

What is a SAH and a Constituent Group?

A Sponsorship Agreement Holder is an incorporated organization that has signed a Sponsorship Agreement with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. A SAH can authorize Constituent Groups to sponsor under its agreement and provide support to the refugee(s).

The SAH or Constituent Group may also choose to formally partner with an individual (for example, a family member of the sponsored refugee living in Canada) and/or another organization in carrying out settlement duties. The partner is herein termed the “cosponsor”.

Each SAH sets its own criteria for recognizing Constituent Groups and cosponsors (who collectively will be referred to as the sponsoring group in the remainder of this application kit). The sponsoring group or its representatives must be located in the community where the refugees are destined.

Note: Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms a refugee has the right to live and move anywhere in Canada. Sometimes the refugee(s) may choose to leave the community where the sponsor resides. In rare cases, the refugee(s) may not arrive in the community to which they were destined.

What is a Group of Five?

A Group of Five (G5) is any group of five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are 18 years of age or older and who live in the community where the refugee is expected to settle.

Group members act as guarantors that the necessary support will be provided for the full duration of the sponsorship, which is generally 12 months. The group is expected to show that they have the necessary financial resources, expertise and commitment required to fulfill the terms of the sponsorship undertaking.

Note: Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms a refugee has the right to live and move anywhere in Canada. Sometimes the refugee(s) may choose to leave the community where the sponsor resides. In rare cases, the refugee(s) may not arrive in the community to which they were destined.

What is a Community Sponsor?

A Community Sponsor is an organization, association or corporation that undertakes to sponsor refugee(s). The Community Sponsor must be located in the expected community of resettlement and undergoes an assessment of its finances and settlement arrangements for each sponsorship submitted.

Matching a Sponsoring Group with a Refugee(s)

The Matching Centre in Ottawa assembles and co-ordinates an inventory of Visa Office Referred (VOR) refugees and refugees who require a Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS). These refugees have already been interviewed by a visa officer and are determined to be eligible for resettlement in Canada.

The Matching Centre posts the refugee profiles on a secure Web site accessible only to Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs), local CIC offices and the Centralized Processing Office – Winnipeg (CPO-W) in order to facilitate the matching process.

Using the secure Web site

SAHs may check the secure Web site for a suitable profile and may provide the downloaded profile(s) to their sponsoring groups for consideration (where applicable).

If after reviewing the profile, the group is interested in sponsoring a particular case, the next step is for the sponsoring group to request a more detailed profile from the Matching Centre.

The sponsoring group will make its final decision based on a review of the detailed profile. They must inform the Matching Centre as soon as possible whether they are committed to sponsoring the particular case so that other groups may have the opportunity to review the unmatched case.

The final step is to complete the sponsorship undertaking, attach the detailed refugee profile to the application and submit all necessary documents to the CPO-W.

Using the Matching Centre

If no suitable profile is found on the Web site or if a sponsoring group does not access the Web site, the completed Request for a Joint Assistance Refugee Profile (IMM 5504) should be submitted to the CPO-W who will forward the request to the Matching Centre to keep in their inventory until a match can be made. The Request for a Joint Assistance Refugee Profile contains information on the sponsoring group’s community and on the type of refugee case the group wishes to sponsor.

  • The Matching Centre assembles and co-ordinates an inventory of sponsoring groups requesting a refugee profile and attempts to match the sponsoring groups with a refugee(s).
  • Refugees will be matched to communities where their needs are most likely to be met.
  • Information considered before matching includes but is not limited to: location of any family members in Canada, location of same or similar ethnic communities in Canada, size of family, employment and language skills of the refugee(s).

Matching Process – JAS Cases

  • When the Matching Centre is able to make a successful match, they will refer the detailed profile to the local CIC who will refer the profile to the SAH for discussion with the sponsoring group (where applicable).
  • The sponsoring group should review the detailed profile and notify their local CIC as soon as possible whether they are committed to sponsoring the particular case. Prior to confirming their commitment, the sponsoring group must confirm with the Matching Centre that the case is still available.
  • The final stage is for the sponsoring group to complete the sponsorship undertaking, attach the detailed refugee profile to the application and submit all necessary documents to the CPO-W.

Contact information for your local CIC can be found in the Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

Matching Process - VOR Cases

  • When the Matching Centre is able to find a potential match, they will refer the detailed profile to the CPO-W who will refer the profile to the SAH for discussion with the sponsoring group (where applicable).
  • The sponsoring group should review the detailed profile and notify the Matching Centre as soon as possible whether they are committed to sponsoring the particular case. Prior to confirming their commitment, the sponsoring group must confirm with the Matching Centre that the case is still available.
  • The final stage is for the sponsoring group to complete the sponsorship undertaking, attach the detailed refugee profile to the application and submit all necessary documents to the CPO-W.

Matching Process – General

Sponsoring groups are encouraged to arrive at a decision as soon as possible. More than one sponsoring group may review a particular detailed profile at a time. However, before confirming a commitment to accept the case, sponsoring groups must confirm with the Matching Centre that the case is still available.

  • Profiles must be matched with a sponsoring group within six months or they will be referred back to the visa office for referral to another country for resettlement.
  • Delays in obtaining medical or security results or difficulties making travel arrangements can delay the arrival of the refugee(s).

The application process – Request for a refugee profile

Action you must take: (Optional for SAH only)
Use the Secure Website
Check the secure website to find a suitable profile
What happens next: A profile is found to be suitable
Complete the SAH/CG sponsorship Undertaking IMM 5439 and attach the detailed refugee profile to the application and submit all necessary documents to the Centralized Processing Office – Winnipeg (CPO-W)
What happens next: No profile is found to be suitable

Action you must take: Complete and submit your application (All Sponsoring Group)
Fill out the application forms and mail your completed package as outlined in this guide

CIC process: CPO-W checks your application
Did you include the completed and signed Request for a Refugee Profile form in your package?
CIC process: If yes, CPO-W will process your application.
CIC process: If no, your application will be returned to you. End of process.
CIC process: Acknowledgement of your application
  • an acknowledgement letter will be sent to you within 30 working days of CIC receiving the application
  • If the processing of the application has not been finalized within those 30 days, you will receive a letter with the estimated processing time.
What happens next: The Matching Centre
Refugees will be matched to communities where their needs are most likely to be met. Information considered before matching includes but is not limited to: location of any family members in Canada, location of same or similar ethnic communities in Canada, size of family, employment and languages skills of the refugee(s).

Legend

Action you must take
CIC process
What happens next

Step 1. Complete the application

Filling out the application

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to complete the application forms.

This is the form that must be filled out and submitted:

Request for a Refugee Profile (IMM 5438) (PDF, 94 KB)

Optional:

Use of a Representative (IMM 5476) (PDF, 53 KB)

Note. It is a serious offence to give false or misleading information on this form. The information you provide on your application may be subject to verification.


Important information

Be complete and accurate

Complete all sections. If a section does not apply to you, write “Not Applicable” or “NA”. If your application is incomplete it may be returned to you and this will delay the processing of your application.

If you need more space for any section, print out an additional page containing the appropriate section, complete it and submit it along with your application.

Request for a Refugee Profile (IMM 5438)

Who must fill out this application form?

This form can be completed by:

  • the sponsor

Section A – Visa Office-Referred Cases

There are various types of visa-office referred cases. Indicate which type of case your group is interested in, according to the descriptions given below. You may select more than one case type.

Visa office-referred

An officer determines if a refugee(s) meets the eligibility and admissibility criteria and then sends a request to the Matching Centre to find a sponsor.

The sponsorship is normally signed for a 12-month period and requires the sponsor to provide financial and settlement assistance. Visa office-referred cases have been interviewed and are ready to travel to Canada once a sponsor is found.

Urgent Protection case

Refugee cases that are identified by the UNHCR as being in need of urgent protection receive expedited processing under the Urgent Protection program. Most Urgent Protection cases arrive in Canada within 3-5 days of being referred by the UNHCR. If you are a group that may be able to respond to a case quickly, indicate if you are interested in this type of profile.

Section B – Type of Family/Individual You Wish to Sponsor

In this section, your group can indicate preferences and limitations you have regarding family size, composition, and country of origin of the refugee(s) you can settle. Indicate the reasons for your limitations or preferences (e.g. Spanish-speaking because your group has a number of people who can act as interpreters).

The Matching Centre will do its best to match refugees using the information provided by your group. Be aware that the more flexible your group is regarding the refugee(s) you can settle, the more quickly a potential profile can be sent to you.

Section C – Information on Sponsoring Group

Share relevant background information (personal and professional) about your group that will facilitate the matching process. Helpful information would include any experience or skills group members have with special needs.

Section D – Information on Your Community

Provide information about the receiving community. This information is essential in finding refugee applicant(s) who will adapt quickly and successfully to life in the community.

Use of a Representative (IMM 5476)

Who may use this form?

Complete this form only if you:

  • used the services of a representative to help you prepare or submit your application; or
  • are appointing a representative; or
  • are cancelling a representative’s appointment.

If you have dependent children aged 18 years or older, they are required to complete their own copy of this form if a representative is also conducting business on their behalf.

What is a representative?

A representative is someone who has provided advice, consultation, or guidance to you at any stage of the immigration application process, or in an immigration proceeding. If someone represented or advised you to help you submit your application, then that person is your representative. A representative is also someone who has your permission to conduct business on your behalf with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

When you appoint a representative:

  • you also authorize CIC and CBSA to share information from your case file with this person;
  • your application will not be given special attention nor can you expect faster processing or a more favourable outcome;
  • the representative is authorized to represent you only on immigration matters related to the application you submit with this form;
  • you can appoint only one representative for each application you submit;
  • you are not obliged to hire a representative. We treat everyone equally, whether they use the service of a representative or not.

Important information. You must notify us if your representative’s contact information changes or if you cancel the appointment of a representative.

Types of representatives

Family, friends, and non-profit groups often help applicants who feel the need for support and advice on immigration matters. You can appoint a representative who does not charge fees or receive any other compensation for providing immigration advice or services to represent you before CIC or the CBSA.

There are two types of representatives.

Uncompensated representatives include:

  • friends and family members who do not, and will not, charge a fee or receive any other consideration for their advice and services;
  • organizations that do not, and will not, charge a fee or receive any other consideration for providing immigration advice or assistance (such as a non-governmental or religious organization);
  • consultants, lawyers and Quebec notaries, and students-at-law under their supervision, who do not, and will not, charge a fee or receive any other consideration to represent you.

Compensated representatives:

Compensated representatives charge a fee or receive some other form of consideration in exchange for the advice and representation that they provide. If you want us to conduct business with a compensated representative then they must be authorized by CIC.

It is important to know that anyone who represents or advises you for payment — or offers to do so — in connection with immigration proceedings or applications is breaking the law unless they are an authorized representative or they have a specific agreement or arrangement with the Government of Canada that allows them to represent or advise you. This applies to advice or consultation which happens before or after an immigration application is made or a proceeding begins.

Authorized representatives are:

  • immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC);
  • lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society and students-at-law under their supervision;
  • notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and students-at-law under their supervision.

If you appoint a compensated representative who is not a member of one of these designated bodies, your application will be returned. For more information on using a representative, visit our website.

General Application Information

Check one (1) box to indicate if you are appointing or cancelling the appointment of a representative.

Section A – Applicant Information

Question 1

Write your last name (surname or family name) and given name(s).

Question 2

Write your date of birth.

Question 3

If you have already submitted your application, write:

  • the name of office where the application was submitted;
  • location of office;
  • type of application you are sending.
Question 4

Write your Citizenship and Immigration Canada Identification (ID) or Unique Client Identifier (UCI) number (if known).

Section B – Appointment of Representative

Question 5

Write your representative’s full name.

If your representative is a member of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), a law society or the Chambre des notaires du Québec, print his or her name as it appears on the organization’s membership list.

Question 6

Check one (1) box to indicate if your representative is unpaid or paid.

If your representative is paid, write the membership ID number of:

  • the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC); or
  • a Canadian provincial or territorial law society; or
  • the Chambre des notaires du Québec.
Question 7

Write your representative’s contact information.

Note: By indicating your representative’s e-mail address, you are hereby authorizing CIC to transmit your file and personal information to this specific e-mail address.

Question 8

To accept responsibility for conducting business on your behalf, your representative must:

  • sign the declaration
  • date the declaration, and
  • include the Party ID, only if it is known.

Section C – Cancel the Appointment of a Representative

Question 9

Fill in this section if you wish to cancel the appointment of a representative. Write the representative’s full name.

Section D – Your Declaration

Question 10

By signing, you authorize CIC to complete your request for yourself and your dependent children under 18 years of age.

If your spouse or common-law partner is included in this request, he or she must sign in the box provided.

Release of information to other individuals

To authorize CIC to release information from your case file to someone other than a representative, you will need to complete the form Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual (IMM 5475). The form is also available from Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates abroad.

The person you designate will be able to obtain information on your case file, such as the status of your application. However, they will not be able to conduct business on your behalf with CIC.

Step 2. Mail the Application

Where to mail the application

Mail your completed application in a stamped envelope to the address shown below:

Affix sufficient postage (top right of the envelope)
Sender (top left of the envelope)
 (Your name)
(Your Address)
(Your Postal Code)
Recipient (centre of the envelope)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Centralized Processing Office – Winnipeg (CPO-W)
Box # 1B
400 -25 Forks Market Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 4S9

 

Send the document checklist

Make sure you use the document checklist and include it with your application.


Note

Sign the form

The forms must be signed and dated before they are mailed. If they are not signed and dated, your application will be returned to you.

Submitting Your Application

Mail your application to the CPO-W. Send a copy of your application to your SAH (where applicable).

If there are changes to the information provided after you have mailed the application, advise the CPO-W and your SAH (where applicable).

What happens next?

Application process

Upon receipt of a completed and signed form by the CPO-W, your group will:

  • Receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your request for a refugee profile which will include a file number from the Matching Centre
  • Depending on the inventory of Visa office-referred cases, you can expect a profile within 30 days.

Note: The Matching Centre does not maintain an inventory of Urgent Protection cases. If you requested an Urgent Protection case, you will be contacted shortly after the case is referred to the visa office and will be asked to receive the case within three to five days.


Important information

Updating your contact information

During the application process, you must advise us of any change of address or telephone number by:

  • go to www.cic.gc.ca, click on Change My Address in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of the page,
    or
  • contact the CIC Call Centre by calling 1-888-242-2100.

Note: If your personal situation changes (for example change of marital status, birth of a child, or you wish to withdraw your sponsorship, etc.) after you have submitted your application, you must notify us in writing. For more information, consult our website.

Checking application status on line

You can check the status of your application on-line by doing the following:

  1. Go to the CIC website.
  2. Select Check application status.
  3. Follow the instructions provided.

Note:  Your application status will only appear on-line once the application is received and the initial review by CIC is completed.

To obtain details on how to remove your application status information from the Internet, visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) section.

Protecting your information

Your personal information is:

  • only available to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) employees who need to see it in order to provide the services to you, and
  • not disclosed to anyone else except as permitted under the provisions of the Privacy Act.

For more information. You can obtain additional information on the protection of your data by visiting the Help Centre on our website.

Quality Assurance Program

Our quality assurance program randomly selects applications for a special review. If selected you will be asked to attend an interview with a Citizenship and Immigration official so that we can:

  • verify the documentation you submitted is accurate,
  • verify that your application has been completed properly.

Note: You will be notified in writing should your application be selected.

How to contact CIC

Within Canada

CIC Call Centre:

1-888-242-2100 (toll-free)

Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., your local time

If you are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, or you have a speech impediment and use a text telephone, you can access the TTY service from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. your local time by calling: 1-888-576-8502 (in Canada only).

Email address for the Centralized Processing Office – Winnipeg (CPO-W):
CPOW-BTCW@cic.gc.ca

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