What is the Family Sponsorship program?

Family reunification is one of the top priorities for the Canadian Government. If you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen with a family member who wants to immigrate to Canada, you may be able to help them become a permanent resident. Family reunification remains one of the pillars of the Canadian immigration system. There are many options for Canadian Citizens and permanent residents to sponsor your spouse, partner, dependent children, parents and grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada.

Apart from the basic requirements for you in order to sponsor your family members to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you must be able to prove that you will be supporting them financially when they arrive while being able to provide for your own needs as well. You also need to make sure that they won’t need any social assistance from the government when they are in Canada.

How to Sponsor your family members to Immigrate to Canada?

Sponsor your Spouse, Partner of Children:

Under this category an eligible citizen or a permanent resident of Canada can sponsor their spouse; common-law partner; conjugal partner or their dependent child. To be eligible for a permanent residency the applicant must not be inadmissible to Canada. 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 or partner under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in-Canada Class, they must live with you in Canada. They also may be eligible for an open work permit.

Sponsor your dependent Children:

Sponsoring a dependent child: a dependent child is someone who depends on their parent for financial or other support. They must be:

• Less than 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner; or
• Is 22 years of age or older and has depended substantially on the financial support of the parent since before the age of 22 and is unable to be financially self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition.

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Sponsor your Parents or Grand Parents:

To apply for a parent or grandparent sponsorship, you need to submit an online application to show your interest. Submissions are accepted by the IRCC, reviewed, checked for duplicates and then select 20,000 applications on first come first serve basis. The online submission form to show your intent to sponsor opens at noon on January 28, 2019. 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.

Sponsor your relatives and extended family members

You may be eligible to sponsor orphaned close relatives and other extended family members as per the following requirements. To sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must meet set income guidelines, and should be able to financially support them beginning on the date they become permanent resident until the age of 20. The person who is being sponsored also has a responsibility to make an effort to support themselves.

Orphaned close relatives: An orphaned close relative who is under the age of 18 and without a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner may be sponsored. They need to be related to you by blood or adoption (siblings, nephews, nieces, grandchildren).

Other relatives: You may sponsor one relative of any age who is blood-related or adopted under the condition that you don’t have a living relative you could sponsor instead, such as a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, son or daughter, parent, grandparent, sibling, uncle or aunt and nephew or niece. These relatives should not already be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.