Fingerprinting for Refugee Sponsorship in Canada — A Complete Guide for Sponsors in Surrey, BC
Surrey and the Greater Vancouver area are home to some of the most active refugee sponsorship communities in Canada. Churches, mosques, temples, cultural organizations, and groups of neighbours regularly come together to privately sponsor refugees fleeing conflict and persecution. If you are part of a sponsorship group — whether a Group of Five, a Community Sponsor, or a Constituent Group under a Sponsorship Agreement Holder — every sponsoring individual must provide a criminal record check as part of the IRCC application. This guide explains exactly what is required, why it matters, and why Surrey Fingerprint Company has become the trusted choice for refugee sponsorship groups across the Lower Mainland.
Surrey's Most Trusted Partner for Refugee Sponsorship Criminal Record Checks
Surrey Fingerprint Company has helped hundreds of refugee sponsorship groups in Surrey, Langley, Delta, White Rock, and Burnaby get their criminal record checks done accurately and on time. We understand the urgency — a delayed or rejected criminal record check can set back a sponsorship application by months, leaving a refugee family in limbo. Our RCMP accredited fingerprinting provides the most reliable, identity-verified criminal record checks available, completed in one appointment with results returned within days.
Monday–Saturday 9 AM–8 PM · Walk-ins welcome · Groups processed together
(604) 825-8882 · 112-8232 120 Street, Surrey, BC
Why Criminal Record Checks Are Required for Refugee Sponsorship
Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program is one of the most generous in the world — private citizens can literally bring a refugee family from overseas and commit to supporting them financially and emotionally for a full year. With that extraordinary privilege comes responsibility and accountability. IRCC requires criminal record checks for all private sponsors because:
- Refugees are among the world's most vulnerable people. They have fled war, persecution, and trauma. Canada's government must ensure they are being resettled into the care of trustworthy, law-abiding sponsors who will genuinely support them.
- Sponsors make a legal undertaking. By signing the sponsorship forms, you are making a binding legal commitment to financially support the refugee family for one year. IRCC verifies your integrity before accepting that commitment.
- The funds cannot come from the refugees themselves. The Privately Sponsored Refugee program is a humanitarian program which assists vulnerable people in need. The undertaking states that you, the sponsor, have not accepted funds from the refugee(s) you are sponsoring and will not require them to repay any cost of sponsorship. Criminal checks help verify the integrity of this commitment.
- IRCC processes applications in two stages. ROC-O (Resettlement Operations Centre Ottawa) reviews all required application forms and documents. If any required documents are missing or incomplete, the application may be returned. A missing or expired criminal record check is one of the most common reasons applications are returned.
The Four Types of Private Refugee Sponsors — Who Needs a Check?
👥 Group of Five (G5)
Five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are at least 18 years of age, live in the expected community of settlement and have collectively arranged for the sponsorship of a refugee living abroad. Every individual member of the group must submit their own criminal record check — not just the group leader.
🏢 Community Sponsor (CS)
An organization, association, or corporation sponsoring a refugee. The Signing Authority for the CS and individual co-sponsor (if applicable) must submit a copy of a criminal record check (non-vulnerable sector check). The organization itself does not need a check — the signing individuals do.
⛪ SAH Constituent Groups (CG)
Groups that sponsor refugees under the umbrella of a Sponsorship Agreement Holder. The SAH sets its own requirements for constituent groups, but most require criminal record checks for all volunteers who will have direct contact with the sponsored refugee family.
🤝 Individual Co-Sponsors
Individuals who join a sponsorship as co-sponsors alongside a community organization. Individual co-sponsors must submit a copy of a criminal record check (non-vulnerable sector check). If you are named on the sponsorship forms as a co-sponsor, you need a check regardless of your role.
IRCC specifies a non-vulnerable sector check — meaning a standard criminal record check, not a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). A VSC is a different, more extensive check required for positions working with children or vulnerable populations. For refugee sponsorship, you need the standard criminal record check only. Surrey Fingerprint Company provides both types — just let us know you need the standard check for refugee sponsorship purposes.
The 6-Month Rule — Timing Is Everything
This is the single most important detail that sponsorship groups get wrong. Submit for each sponsor a copy of a criminal record check (non-vulnerable sector check), issued within 6 months of the application submission to ROC-O.
This means your criminal record check must be no older than 6 months at the time IRCC's Resettlement Operations Centre Ottawa (ROC-O) receives your complete application package — not the date you start preparing it, not the date you mail it. If you get your check done too early and then your group takes several months to assemble the rest of the application, your check may be expired by the time it arrives in Ottawa.
With a Group of Five, all five members need valid checks simultaneously — within 6 months of application submission. If one member gets their check done 2 months before the others, and the application takes another 5 months to assemble, that first member's check may be just outside the 6-month window. The safest approach: have all group members get fingerprinted on the same day or within the same week, close to when you plan to submit the application. Surrey Fingerprint Company can process your entire group in a single visit.
Fingerprint-Based vs Name-Based — Which Is Better for Your Sponsorship?
IRCC's guidance for refugee sponsorship states that a standard criminal record check is required — and does not specifically mandate fingerprints. A name-based CPIC check can technically satisfy the requirement. However, there are compelling reasons why a fingerprint-based RCMP criminal record check is the superior choice for your sponsorship application:
| Factor | Name-Based Check | Fingerprint-Based Check (Surrey Fingerprint Co.) |
|---|---|---|
| Identity certainty | Searches by name and DOB — could miss records under different spelling or previous name | ✅ Tied definitively to your unique fingerprints — no identity ambiguity |
| Record completeness | May miss records from other provinces or hybrid offences | ✅ Full national search through RCMP CCRTIS database |
| IRCC confidence | IRCC may request additional verification if names are common | ✅ Fingerprint results accepted without question |
| Processing time | Hours to 1 business day (name only) | 3–5 business days (most clean records) |
| Risk of application return | Higher — IRCC may flag name matches for clarification | ✅ Lower — definitive result requires no clarification |
| Where to get it | Local police or online services | Surrey Fingerprint Company — RCMP accredited |
For a sponsorship application that may take months to prepare and represents a life-changing opportunity for a refugee family, the extra 3–5 days for a fingerprint-based check is worth every minute.
What Happens if a Sponsor Has a Criminal Record?
A criminal record does not automatically disqualify someone from being a refugee sponsor. IRCC does not publish a specific list of disqualifying offences for the private sponsorship program. The assessment is holistic — looking at the nature of the conviction, its relevance to the responsibilities of sponsorship, and the time elapsed since the offence.
If any of the sponsors have previous criminal convictions, submit copies of applicable court documents which show the disposition of the charges. This means you must include court records showing how the case was resolved — guilty plea, conviction at trial, sentence imposed, and any subsequent conditions or record suspension.
Offences that involve dishonesty, financial fraud, violence, or exploitation of vulnerable people are more likely to raise concerns in the context of refugee sponsorship. Minor or old offences are generally treated with more leniency. If you are unsure whether your record affects your eligibility, consult an immigration lawyer before submitting your application.
If a sponsoring individual has a record suspension (formerly pardon), their conviction is sealed from standard criminal record checks and will not appear on the check submitted with the sponsorship application. If you are considering sponsoring a refugee and have an old conviction, obtaining a record suspension first may strengthen your application. Surrey Fingerprint Company provides fingerprinting for record suspension applications — the first step in the pardon process.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your Group's Criminal Record Checks Done
Confirm who needs a check in your group
For a Group of Five — every member. For a Community Sponsor — the Signing Authority and any individual co-sponsors named on the forms. For a SAH Constituent Group — follow your SAH's specific requirements, which may include all volunteers with direct refugee contact. Check your application guide (IMM 2200 for G5, or the CS guide) for the exact list of who must submit.
Plan your timeline around the 6-month rule
Estimate your application submission date to ROC-O. Count back 6 months — that is the earliest your checks can be dated. Ideally, get fingerprinted 4 to 8 weeks before your planned submission date to allow time for RCMP processing (3–5 business days for clean records) and assembly of your full application package.
Come to Surrey Fingerprint Company — bring all group members together
Walk in to 112-8232 120 Street, Surrey, BC any time Monday to Saturday 9 AM–8 PM. Bring two pieces of government-issued ID (at least one with your photo — passport, driver's licence, or PR card). All group members can be processed sequentially in one visit. Each person's fingerprints are submitted to the RCMP the same day.
RCMP processes results — 3 to 5 business days
Electronic fingerprints are submitted to the RCMP CCRTIS the same day. For clean records, the RCMP returns your certified criminal record check within 3 to 5 business days. For records requiring manual review, processing can take longer — plan extra time if any group member has a prior conviction.
Include checks with your ROC-O application package
Make a clear copy of each criminal record check certificate for inclusion in your sponsorship application. Documents which are not specific to the case, such as a criminal record check, must be copied and included in each application. If you are submitting applications for multiple refugee families simultaneously, include a copy in each application package.
Submit your complete application to ROC-O or through the IRCC portal
IRCC has expanded the Permanent Residence Portal to private refugee sponsor groups, giving sponsors a more convenient, secure and efficient way to submit their applications. Online submissions provide immediate confirmation and prevent most incomplete applications from being submitted. Both online portal submission and mail submission to ROC-O are currently accepted.
Surrey's Refugee Sponsorship Community — Who We Help
Surrey and the Greater Vancouver area are home to one of Canada's most vibrant and compassionate refugee sponsorship communities. Surrey Fingerprint Company is proud to serve the full range of organizations and groups that work tirelessly to welcome refugees to BC:
Organizations We Regularly Serve for Refugee Sponsorship Checks
Churches and Faith Communities
Surrey's churches, mosques, temples, and gurdwaras regularly sponsor refugee families as Constituent Groups under Sponsorship Agreement Holders
Family and Friend Networks
Groups of Five formed by friends, neighbours, and extended family members sponsoring a specific refugee family known to the group
Cultural and Ethnic Organizations
Community associations serving Afghan, Syrian, Somali, South Asian, and other diaspora communities actively sponsoring refugees from their home countries
School and Workplace Groups
Colleagues at workplaces and school parent communities forming Groups of Five to sponsor individual refugee cases they have learned about through networks
Humanitarian Organizations
Registered charities and non-profit organizations operating as Community Sponsors or Constituent Groups with full-time settlement support capacity
Sponsorship Agreement Holders
Established SAH organizations and their authorized Constituent Groups who sponsor multiple refugee families per year under their IRCC agreement
Why Surrey Fingerprint Company Is the Right Choice for Your Sponsorship Group
We Know Refugee Sponsorship
We have processed criminal record checks for dozens of refugee sponsorship groups in Surrey and the Lower Mainland. We understand the 6-month rule, what IRCC needs, and how to make the process smooth for everyone in your group.
Groups Welcome — All at Once
Bring your entire Group of Five (or more) in one visit. We process all members sequentially and efficiently. No need for five separate appointments on five separate days.
Same-Day RCMP Submission
Every fingerprint is submitted to the RCMP electronically on the day of your appointment. Most clean records return within 3 business days — keeping your application timeline on track.
Evening and Saturday Hours
Open until 8 PM Monday to Friday and all day Saturday. Group members with day jobs can come after work or on weekends without taking time off.
RCMP Accredited
Our fingerprint-based RCMP criminal record checks are identity-verified and definitive — the gold standard for any immigration-related background check.
Multilingual Community
Our Surrey location serves one of Canada's most diverse communities. We welcome clients from all backgrounds and work with sponsorship groups from all faith and cultural traditions.
2025 Updates — What's Changed for Private Refugee Sponsorship
The private refugee sponsorship landscape has seen several important changes in 2025 that all sponsorship groups should be aware of:
- Sudan refugee pathway open until December 2025: Starting April 30, 2025, Groups of Five and Community Sponsors can apply to sponsor Sudanese refugees through IRCC's online portal. A refugee status determination document is not required for this pathway. The cap is 160 applications — first come, first served.
- Online portal now available for all G5 and CS groups: IRCC has expanded the Permanent Residence Portal to private refugee sponsor groups, giving sponsors immediate confirmation of successful submission and preventing most incomplete applications from being submitted. This is a significant improvement over the previous email/mail submission process.
- No new SAH intake for 2026: IRCC has announced there will not be a 2026 application intake for new Sponsorship Agreement Holders. Updates about future intakes will be posted when available. Organizations wishing to sponsor refugees without a SAH agreement should apply as a Community Sponsor or Group of Five.
- All sponsors must sign forms within 90 days: All members must sign within 90 days of submission. Coordinate your group carefully — getting all criminal record checks and form signatures completed within this window is essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Support a Refugee Family? Start With Your Criminal Record Check
Surrey Fingerprint Company is the Lower Mainland's most trusted partner for refugee sponsorship criminal record checks. We process individual sponsors and full Groups of Five in one visit, with results returned from the RCMP within days. Bring your group in any time Monday to Saturday — we will make sure your checks are done right and on time, so your sponsorship application moves forward without delays.
Surrey Fingerprint Company — RCMP Accredited · Refugee Sponsorship Specialists
112 - 8232 120 Street, Surrey, BC V3W 3N4 · (604) 825-8882 · info@surreyfingerprint.com
Monday–Saturday: 9:00 AM–8:00 PM · Sunday: By Appointment · Walk-ins Always Welcome
Serving Surrey, Delta, White Rock, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond & all of BC