Groups of Five (G5)

Any group of five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents can sponsor refugees. Most often, Groups of Five (G5) come together as 'onetime' sponsors, either in response to a specific situation, or to sponsor specific refugees that they know. Groups of Five can only sponsor applicants who have been recognized as refugees by the UNHCR or the state authorities of a foreign country (such as the country where the applicant currently resides). Proof of their Refugee Status Determination (RSD) must be submitted with the application package.

The members of the group essentially act as guarantors and assume full responsibility for the support of the refugee(s) during the 12 month sponsorship period. It is important to note that they are even responsible for providing financial and settlement support for non-accompanied family members when a One Year Window application is submitted.

In their application, the sponsoring group must demonstrate that they either have the required financial resources in "funds held in trust" bank account (opened specifically for sponsorship), or from pledged monthly income contributions by at least three of the group members.

CAIR offers support to all Groups of Five sponsors by providing assistance with applications and, we offer connection to pre-arrival information on the settlement process and post-arrival counselling, orientation, and many other settlement services.

Our services include but are not limited to:

If you would like more information on options, criteria, and eligibility requirements and advice on how to complete a Groups of Five application, please contact us at sponsorships@thecair.com