All In-Canada Processing FAQ
1. What is the ROC-O?
‘ROC-O’ stands for ‘Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa’. All Private Refugee Sponsorship applications must be submitted by mail to this IRCC office.
2. What does the ROC-O do?
ROC-O reviews all submitted PSR applications for completeness and group eligibility requirements. They inform the sponsoring group of receipt of the application and of any decisions about the application. ROC-O sends the complete application package overseas to the responsible Visa Office. ROC-O also responds to status update requests and provides processing updates where applicable.
3. How long does it take to process a refugee sponsorship application?
There are two parts to application processing. The first takes place in Canada when you submit your completed package to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O). The next part occurs when ROC-O sends the package on to the Canadian Visa Office abroad. In-Canada processing time can vary according to the number of applications received by ROC-O, the type of sponsoring group and whether the refugee applicant belongs to a priority resettlement population. See average processing times for PSR processing at overseas Visa Offices.
4. The sponsoring group has not yet received an IRCC acknowledgement letter or a G Number. What should we do?
It depends on how long it has been since you submitted the application package in Canada. Generally, once the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) receives your application, it will be screened to ensure it has been submitted in full and that it has been completed correctly. If the application package is complete, you will receive an automated acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) by email. If the application is approved it will be entered into the electronic system and you will receive a letter with a G number and a Unique Client Identifier (UCI). Both the G number and the UCI are important and should be retained by the sponsoring group and refugee.
5. Will we receive the G number from the Visa Office once they receive the file from ROC-O? Or should we receive the G number from ROC-O?
6. There has been a change in the refugee family – how do we inform ROC-O?
Once a refugee sponsorship application is submitted, the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa and the Canadian Visa Office must be informed whenever there is a change in the refugee applicant’s family composition. In circumstances such as birth or marriage, any new dependant must be added to the application. Please contact RSTP about which forms are required.
7. The Status Update Request Form requires one to have a G number to update mailing information. Will ROC-O still process the update request in a case which has been assigned an IRCC file number but not a G number?
ROC-O advises those who do not have a G number to provide as much information as possible on the Update Form. This includes the ROC-O file number, the name of the refugee applicant, the date of birth of the applicant, the group’s name, and the name of the Group Representative (or the contact person; especially for Groups of Five).