Making an application
This resource will help you work through your Community Sponsorship Application to the Home Office, question by question. Click through the links below to learn what is required for each question and where to find more resources to help your group form your answers. If you have already downloaded the application, make sure you are using the most up-to-date version dated December 2021.
Application checklist
Reset’s application checklist is designed to help your group visualise the road ahead in the Community Sponsorship journey. As you work your way through the application guide, we hope that it can assist you in identifying gaps but also demonstrate that with the right planning and support, you can submit an application to the Home Office within a reasonable time frame.
This does not include tasks relating to finding accommodation but is aimed at groups applying for approval in principle who will secure a property and/or funding at a later date.
Application guide
The resources below will guide you through the process of making an application to become a Community Sponsorship group.
Approaching your application
To be approved for Community Sponsorship, you must first submit an application to the Home Office. There are many ways to approach this task and your way will be specific to how your Group is structured. The application is separated into four parts, the third of which is your “Community Sponsorship Resettlement Plan.” This section asks...
Sections 1 and 5 – Organisation and Declaration and Additional Documents
Questions 1.1 – 1.9: This section details the organisation you will be submitting your application through. All organisations applying for Community Sponsorship must be either charity registered in the relevant nation of the UK, a Community Interest Company (CIC) or a body falling within section 10(2)(a) of the Charities Act 2011. 1.10: This is...
Section 2: Your Application
Please note that this will contain their personal data so should not be shared widely. The Home Office will run security checks on the person named here. The person named here must hold authority for the charity or CIC to represent them. This means that this person will usually be a senior manager, Trustee or similar. ...
Questions 3.1a to 3.1e – Arrival in the UK
You don’t need to name who will be at the airport, but the Home Office will be looking to ensure that you are a small enough group to not be overwhelming, and that you will have an interpreter with you. You may decide to not choose which group members will head to the airport until you...
Questions 3.2a to 3.2e – Initial Expenses
The family you support will likely arrive in the UK with minimal knowledge of the UK’s currency, benefits, or banking systems. They will also have to wait about six to eight weeks for their first benefits payment to come through. It is your responsibility to supply them with enough money to get by until their...
Questions 3.3a to 3.3d – Social Welfare Income
If you have never applied for benefits or helped someone apply for benefits, the UK’s social welfare system can seem daunting. Not to worry though, we have created a number of resources that will help guide you through the process of working with a Jobcentre, calculating benefits and applying for benefits. If you are a Community Sponsorship Group based...
Questions 3.4a to 3.4b – Establishing a life in the UK
This is a tick box answer, where your answer must be ‘yes’. This is another tick box answer, and it’s very unlikely the answer to this question would be ‘no’. If, however it is, do explain clearly why you would not do this. You will be introduced to your Regional Contact Officer after you have submitted...
Questions 3.4c and 3.4d – School Registration
This is a tick box answer; whilst the formal registration of children into a school may not take place until arrival, you will need to ensure that there are school places available for them prior to their arrival. This question will require you to demonstrate your preparedness to welcome a family with school-aged children. At the...
Questions 3.4e to 3.4g – English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Please confirm that: ESOL will be monitored andeach adult will receive English language tuition within one month of arrival This is a tick box question to check that you are aware of your sponsor obligations in regard to helping adults to access English language learning. This part of the application is for you to demonstrate...
Questions 3.4h to 3.4j – GP registration
As you prepare your application for the Home Office, you will not have an understanding of the family’s specific medical needs, but you don’t need to be a health expert to help the refugees you support navigate the healthcare system in the UK. At one point in our lives, we have all registered with a...
Questions 3.5a to 3.5c – Your Local area
Your local area is a subject in which you and your Group members are likely experts already! As enthusiastic as you may be to show your local area to the resettled family, remember that a key part of this project is empowerment with the goal of helping the family to gain access to the area...
Question 3.5d – Access to neighbourhood and community activities
Here you can consider the approach you will take to introducing the refugee family to their area. It’s great to show them around the place, but getting to know new shops, public transport routes and other areas of interest can be a great opportunity for some active learning. Will you always lead the way? Or...
Questions 3.5e to 3.5f – Access to employment
There are many different ways to help the adults you support gain access to employment, including interview prep, CV writing and focusing on English vocabulary for the field in which they’d like to work. Remember that successful integration may not depend on getting into paid work as soon as possible. By encouraging the family members to focus...
Question 3.5g – Assistance with accessing digital services
Your answer could include how you will help refugees get on-line for a wide variety of reasons including claiming benefits, accessing information, accessing online banking (if used), for students in the family to do their homework and most importantly, communicating with others, whether this is family at home, or in host countries as well as...
Questions 3.5h to 3.5k – Interpretation services
This is a tick box question to confirm you agree to providing interpreting support for 12 months to the family It’s unlikely that the refugees you support will have a high enough level of English to communicate with you in English at first, so you’ll need to research and budget for the use of interpreters....
Questions in section 3.6
Questions in section 3.6 of the application will ask you about accommodation for the resettled family, however, you do not need to secure accommodation to be approved in principle. Many Groups find applying for approval in principle makes the process faster, so that you can approach potential landlords knowing that every other thing you need to do...