The requirement applies to Groups of Five and Community Sponsors
IRCC published dedicated instructions on refugee status determination (RSD) documents on September 3, 2026. A valid RSD document is a sponsorship requirement when a Group of Five (G5) or a Community Sponsor submits a private refugee sponsorship application outside Quebec. It is a sponsorship requirement under paragraph 153(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, not an eligibility criterion for the Country of Asylum or Convention Refugees Abroad classes.
A document is required for the principal applicant, including a principal applicant who is a de facto dependant, but not for dependants included in an application. Sponsorship Agreement Holders are exempt, and Quebec is excluded because it has its own sponsorship requirements.
The document must confirm a positive refugee determination
A valid document is either issued by the state's decision-making authority for asylum claimants, after a positive assessment in a formal RSD process, or issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In both cases it must say that the applicant was recognized as a refugee.
A UNHCR-issued document should include the applicant's name and date of birth, the UNHCR registration number, the date of issue, the name and address of the issuing UNHCR office, the name, title and signature of a designated UNHCR officer, and the UNHCR stamp.
Several commonly held papers are generally not accepted
- An asylum-seeker certificate, whether issued by UNHCR or a state.
- A UNHCR registration card.
- A UNHCR letter issued to a registered person to obtain assistance from government authorities or non-governmental organizations.
- A document issued by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
- A state-issued travel document for Palestinian nationals.
The instructions add that Palestinian nationals outside UNRWA's area of operations can seek RSD through UNHCR.
A moratorium does not cancel an earlier positive decision
If a country suspends refugee status determinations, a positive determination issued before the suspension is still considered valid. Other applicants in that country must apply through a Sponsorship Agreement Holder instead.