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Tips for completing the application forms for Community Sponsors

Are you a member of a Community Sponsor organization? Are you working on a refugee sponsorship application? Are you worried about a rejection or return of your application? Do you want some advice and insights?

If you answered ‘yes’ to the questions above, you may find the following tips useful. When completing the forms, first download and save all the required forms, follow the instruction guides and make sure that:

TO BE COMPLETED BY COMMUNITY SPONSOR:

Undertaking/Application (IMM5373)

  • You have picked a reliable person for your group as the main contact person with CIC
  • You have checked the box for ‘Community Sponsor (CR)’ at the top of page 1
  • You have provided a current email address – CIC will use this email address to communicate with you, so make sure someone checks it regularly!
  • Section E: ALL of the applicant’s family members (i.e.: spouse, children, other dependants) are listed even if they are NOT coming with the family to Canada or their whereabouts are unknown
  • Section E: the check box for ‘accompanying’ or ‘non-accompanying’ is selected for each family member
  • Section G is completed only IF you are also submitting applications for other people who are not immediate family members of the refugee applicant but should be resettled together
  • Section H is complete
  • The refugees’ name is spelled the same on all forms and supporting documents!
  • All the fields have been filled out
  • The Community Sponsor representative (main contact person) has signed and dated – original signature required!

Sponsor Assessment (IMM5492) has to be completed by the group representative who signed the Undertaking/Application (IMM5373)

Settlement Plan and Financial Assessment (IMM5515)

  • provide the same group email address as on the Undertaking
  • Section A: make sure the designated contact person listed here is the same as mentioned on the Undertaking and on all other forms. Identify an alternate contact person who can be reached when necessary
  • Section B: provide detailed information about your organization that wants to be the Community Sponsor
  • Section C: Make sure the total monetary support and in-kind donations is not less than the amount required according to the Sponsorship Cost table (see instructions guide)
  • Section C: Provide the names of the volunteers who will be responsible; make sure to provide detailed responses – avoid being vague!
  • Section E: consult the instructions guide for the type of financial support and supporting documents required. Make sure the overall sum is not less than the amount required according to the sponsorship cost table!

Consent form (IMM5729) is included – signed by both refugee applicant and sponsoring group!

The Document checklist is filled out and included

TO BE COMPLETED BY REFUGEE APPLICANT:

Generic Application (IMM8000)

  • Make sure you help the refugee with filling out this form and validating and printing it, if needed!
  • Section ‘Application Details’ – that refugee has picked ‘Refugee’ for question #1 and ‘outside Canada’ for question #2
  • for question #4 check which Canadian visa office is responsible for processing permanent residence applications (look up by country of asylum)
  • province and city of where your group is has been selected for #6
  • skip question #7 (unless going to Quebec)
  • if refugee wants to indicate a ‘current’ or ‘present date’, enter the date of signature
  • make sure contact information is complete and current
  • use ‘Additional dependants’ form if principal refugee applicant has more than 5 dependants
  • the refugee applicant’s name is spelled the same on ALL the forms
  • it has been validated and that a print out of the bar code with signatures has been included
  • the refugee applicant has signed all required forms (original signatures!)

Schedule A

  • Principal refugee applicant, spouse (or common-law partner), and children aged 18 and over must EACH complete a copy – even if not accompanying to Canada!
  • Make sure the dates and activities in section 7 match those in sections 8 – 12 (pay attention to cities, addresses and activities) – do not leave any gaps in your history!

Schedule 2

  • Principal refugee applicant, spouse (or common-law partner), and children aged 18 and over must EACH complete a copy
  • Since being sponsored through your group, should check box beside ‘identified for private sponsorship by a Canadian group’!
  • Skip part C if you are the principal refugee applicants or an accompanying family member
  • For questions 3 – 7, the refugee should be providing a very clear and detailed account – avoid generalizations and vague answers!
  • For question 10, list any skills and personal qualities to illustrate your adaptability to a new situation, resourcefulness, initiative and motivation
  • For question12, be truthful – the amount of money you have or don’t have does not determine your case.
  • Make sure part D is properly signed, checked and dated

Make sure all supplementary and supporting documents have been included (check Appendix A) and that no signatures are missing or photocopied.

 

* Please note that as of September 19, the Canadian Government has temporarily exempt Syrians and Iraqis from the requirement to provide proof of refugee status in order to be sponsored by a  Community Sponsor. Therefore, if you want to sponsor a Syrian or Iraqi refugee, you can submit these applications, even if these refugee applicants do not have a refugee status recognition document.

Mail ALL of the forms and supporting documents together to the Centralized Processing Office in Winnipeg