Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

2. Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

2.14 How is the application processed?

Citizenship and Immigration Centre: The local Citizenship and Immigration Centre is the contact point for information on processing processing and settlement issues related to private group sponsorships. Upon receipt of a sponsorship application, the Centre will:

• review the sponsorship undertaking to ensure that it is complete and meets the eligibility requirements;
• acknowledge receipt of the undertaking to the sponsoring group;
• inform the sponsoring group of any decisions or issues related to the application;
• (for sponsor-referred cases) forward the approved undertaking and the completed application for permanent residence (if applicable) to the visa office responsible for the area where the refugee lives; also send a copy of the approved undertaking to the Matching Centre;
• (for visa office-referred cases) forward the completed Request for a Refugee Profile to the Matching Centre;
• (for visa office-referred cases) acquire a refugee profile from the Matching Centre and forward to the sponsor for consideration;
• (for visa office-referred cases) notify the Matching Centre of the successful match with a sponsor;
• provide the sponsoring group with processing updates;
• notify the sponsoring group of the refugee’s date and place of arrival in Canada when a Notice of Arrival Transmission (NAT) is received from the Matching Centre;
• provide the sponsoring group with the names of agencies offering immigrant support services;
• register the refugees for the Interim Federal Health Program; and
• monitor the settlement of the refugees after arrival.

Canadian visa office: Canadian visa offices process applications for permanent residence submitted by refugees living abroad. The visa offices work closely with international service providers who deal with refugees around the world and also maintain contact with local Citizenship and Immigration Centres. The visa office will:

• review the application for permanent residence and prescreen for basic eligibility requirements;
• notify the sponsor and local Citizenship and Immigration Centre when the visa office receives the completed IMM 0008 application and when a selection decision has been made (see 2.16);
• conduct an interview to determine if the applicant is a member of the Convention Refugees Abroad Class or Country of Asylum Class;
• assess the applicant’s ability to establish in Canada;
• initiate medical, criminal and security checks and review the results to ensure the applicant is admissible to Canada;
• (for visa office-referred [VOR] sponsorships) send a completed VOR referral form 1 to the Matching Centre so that the profile can be added to the online refugee profile directory;
• issue a loan for transportation and medical costs;
• issue a permanent resident visa when a positive final decision is made;
• make travel arrangements for the refugee in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration;
• provide the refugee with orientation and travel information in collaboration with international service providers; and
• advise the Matching Centre of the date and place that the refugees will arrive in Canada.

 

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