A ‘Group of Five’ is a type of refugee sponsoring program, that allows Canadians and permanent residents to get together and sponsor a refugee and his/her dependents to Canada. Similar to Sponsorship Agreement Holders and Community Sponsors, Groups of Five can take part in refugee resettlement to Canada – however the eligibility criteria may differ.
Refugee applicants must meet the eligibility and admissibility criteria for private refugee sponsorship to Canada. In order to be sponsored by a Group of Five, the principal applicant must be recognized formally and provide proof of refugee status in the country where they currently reside.
In order to form a Group of Five sponsorship application, five Canadian citizens or permanent residents must get together to sponsor a refugee, and/or his/her dependents to Canada. The five members must sign the required application forms but more can join the group to provide settlement support. By doing so, the members of the group take responsibility, financially and emotionally to support the refugee and his/her dependents for the duration of the sponsorship period. Typically the sponsorship period is 12 months from the date of arrival or until the sponsored refugees have become self-sufficient.
All members of the group must be 18 years of age or older and reside in the community in which the refugee wishes to settle down.
As part of the application requirements, they must also prove that they have the necessary financial and human resources, and commitment to full the terms of the sponsorship. A Group of Give can choose to partner formally with an individual and/or an organization in order to carry out the settlement duties, this partner would be a “co-sponsor”.
If you are looking to become a sponsor then contact Rameh Law for more details or call 905-515-0868. Our team can help you achieve your immigration goals. Contact us today!