When I sponsor a refugee, do I need to include family members who aren’t coming to Canada at the same time on the application?

Yes. You must include all family members in your sponsorship application whether or not they are travelling to Canada. There are no exceptions, even if the family members are:

• missing
• imprisoned
• unable to leave their country of birth
• presumed dead

Family members must be included on the following forms:

• the Application for Permanent Residence
• the Sponsorship Undertaking

The One-Year Window of Opportunity won’t apply to family members you don’t list on these forms.

Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) have agreed to include all of the family members of the people they sponsor in their applications. It is a serious offense to advise someone to misrepresent themselves on the application or to withhold information from us. This includes telling them not to include all their family members.

If you tell someone to misrepresent themselves or their family on an application, you could face serious penalties, including:

• a fine of up to $100,000
• imprisonment for up to 5 years
• cancelling your sponsorship agreement