What is the Family Sponsorship program?
The main purpose of family sponsorship is to reunite close family members in Canada. The Canadian government strongly supports the families for reunification as family reunification is one of the pillars of the Canadian immigration system. If you are a Canadian citizen/permanent resident with a family member who wants to immigrate to Canada, you may be able to help them become a permanent resident. For sponsorship, you must be able to prove that you will be supporting your family members financially when they arrive while being able to provide for your own needs as well.
How to Sponsor your family members?
Spousal and Common-Law Partner Sponsorship:
The Spousal Sponsorship Program is part of Family Class immigration category. A Canadian citizen/PR may sponsor a spouse or common-law partner or dependent children for Canadian Permanent Residency. For this purpose, the Sponsor and the person being sponsored must be approved by IRCC. A spouse; common-law partner; or a conjugal partner can be sponsored if they are at least 18 years old and the relationship is genuine. Under any circumstances, if it is proved that they entered the relationship just to get a permanent residency in Canada, the application may be rejected.
If you’re sponsoring your spouse/ partner under this category, he/she must live with you in Canada.
Sponsoring a dependent Child:
Definition of a Dependent Child
To be eligible for sponsorship, children must meet the definition of a dependent child. Whether they are the biological or adopted child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, a child is considered to be a dependent if they are not married or in a common-law relationship and are under the age of 22. A child over the age of 22 will be considered a dependent if they suffer from a physical or mental condition that prevents them from being able to support themselves.
Dependent Child Sponsorship Requirements
As with all family sponsorship streams, both the sponsor and the sponsored person must meet eligibility requirements in order for the child to be granted permanent residence. Parents wishing to sponsor their child must:
- Be a Canadian citizen /PR living in Canada
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Not be in prison, charged with a serious offense, or bankrupt Sponsoring your Parents/Grand Parents:To apply for a parent or grandparent sponsorship, you need to submit an online application to show your interest. You will need to know whether you are eligible as per minimum income requirements and what supporting documents you need to express your interest and successfully sponsor your family members to immigrate to Canada.Super VisaThe Parent and Grandparent Super Visa allows the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to come to Canada as visitors for a period of up to two consecutive years at their initial visit without having to renew their status.The visa can remain valid for up to 10 years, allowing for re-entry during this period of time. The Super Visa presents older generations of a family to visit loved ones in Canada for an extended period without work rights.Sponsorship Obligations:
All sponsors are required to sign an undertaking to provide the sponsored person with the basic requirements from the day they enter Canada until the term of the undertaking terminates. The undertaking is a contract between the sponsor(s) and IRCC that the sponsor will repay the government for any social assistance payments made to the sponsored person. Sponsors remain
obligated to the undertaking agreement for the entire period of the contract, even in a change of circumstances such as marital breakdown, separation, divorce, or a financial change in circumstances.
In the case of a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, a sponsor is required to sign an undertaking to reimburse the federal or provincial governments from the date in which they become a permanent resident for the period of three years.
In the case of a child under the age of 19 years, of the sponsor or the spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, the obligation commences on the day that the child becomes a permanent resident of Canada for the period of 10 years or until the child reaches the age of 25 years, whichever is earlier.
In the case of a dependent child over the age of 19 years, of the sponsor or the spouse, common- law partner, or conjugal partner, the obligation commences on the day that the dependent child becomes a permanent resident, for a period of three years.
In the case of parents and grandparents, the sponsorship obligation extends for a period of 20 years from the date in which the member of the family class becomes a permanent resident. For all other family members, the obligation is of a duration of 10 years.