Canadian family sponsorship

Book an appointment

Sponsor your Family to Immigrate to Canada

Every year, the IRCC approves more than 100,000 immigrants, 80% under the partners, spouses, and children program, into the country. The parents and grandparents program takes the remaining 20% of immigrants into Canada. Keep reading to learn how to use these programs to sponsor your family in Canada.

Overview of Canadian Immigration Family Sponsorship

The aim of the Canadian government since the post-covid period has been to welcome more than 400,000 immigrants into the country every year. Under the family program, about 100,000 are considered, while different other programs cover the remaining. This movement will not only strengthen the Canadian economy but will also help families to come together.

Before now, the department that manages these immigration duties was Citizenship Immigration Canada (CIC), but it is currently called Immigration, refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The IRCC is responsible for all the administration concerning family sponsorship programs and all the applications involved.

What is Canadian family sponsorship?

When you use the family sponsorship program, it comes in two different aspects

The family member sponsored can migrate to Canada and be eligible for a permanent residence

You will be required to show proof that you can financially support the family member

How has COVID-19 impacted family sponsorship?

The pandemic has impacted Immigration into Canada, yet the government has taken innovative steps that have helped manage the interruptions.

STEP 1

To properly attend to the massive number of applicants, the IRCC has hired more staff to help with the application processes

STEP 2

The IRCC is also formulating a project to convert the paper application to a digitalized one to reduce processing time.

STEP 3

The biometrics and interview procedure are also under review to enable applicants to get it done virtually.

STEP 4

Through an employment insurance and Canada emergency Response Benefit (CERB) that you have received, it can be useful to sponsor any family member.

STEP 5

The sponsorship will still stand even if the sponsored person gets a CERB during the application process.

Can I be a sponsor?

Yes, you can be a sponsor if you are 18 years and above, currently a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and can financially sponsor the person for many years.

Who can I sponsor?

You can sponsor your dependent children, a spouse, common-law partners, parents, and grandparents.

The list goes on for extended family members, provided you obey these rules:

  • The dependent children are legally adopted
  • If the proposed sponsored person doesn't have any other immediate family that can help with the sponsorship.

What is the least income requirement needed to sponsor?

Before you can be considered a sponsor, you need to sign an agreement form indicating that you will be sponsoring the family member chosen. When that is signed, you are expected to provide for the person’s every need, including health care.

Not all sponsorships are the same; for some, you will need more than the low-income cut-off in your account to be a sponsor. This applies to you if the following is the circumstance following the sponsorship:

  • The sponsored person has a dependent child who also has a dependent child they need to take along.
  • The sponsored person has more than one dependent children
  • The sponsored person is a parent or grandparent.

What is a sponsorship undertaking?

This means an undertaking binds you to the sponsored family member and makes you responsible for every payment they need to make in the country. This undertaking remains valid and doesn’t change even if the family member becomes a Canadian citizen. However, there is a length for the undertaking to remain valid, and it depends on the sponsored person, the age, and many other factors. The general rule for the years of validity of any undertaking is as follows:

If it is a spouse or a joint law partner, the undertaking remains intact for three years

For dependent children, the undertaking will be valid until age 25 or after ten years.

If the dependent child is 22 years before the undertaking, then it lasts only three years

For parents or grandparents, the undertaking remains valid for 20 years.

Any other relative has about ten years validity period for the undertaking

This length of undertaking differs a bit for Quebec residents. The following is the variation for different categories.

Spouse and common partner have about three years before the undertaking expires

If the dependent child is below 16 years, the undertaking will last for ten years or until the child is 18 years.

If the dependent child is 16 years or above, they have just three years before the undertaking expires or until they are 25 years old.

For other relatives, they maintain a ten-year- validity period also.

How to Apply for Family Sponsorship

STEP 1

Make sure you check through the sponsorship eligibility and meet them.

STEP 2

Confirm that the proposed sponsored relative meets the eligibility conditions.

STEP 3

If you are going to any region outside Quebec, apply at the federal level of the IRCC. But if you are in Quebec, going through the provincial level is the best way to submit both your sponsorship application and the PR application of your family member. When the review is done, you can proceed to sponsor.

STEP 4

Pay the family sponsorship application fee to the correct quarters.

STEP 5

Check through the government website for the right application address and send your application.

How to Apply for Family Sponsorship

The Spouse or Common Law-Partner Sponsorship

Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident that wishes to sponsor can do it for

  • A legally married spouse
  • A common-law partner that has lived with you for the last 12 months, even if you aren’t legally married
  • A conjugal partner that is not legally married to you but doesn’t stay in Canada

Some of the eligibility criteria include:

  • The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent citizen living in Canada and 18 years or above.
  • Has proof of financial capability to cater to the spouse and themselves.
  • Show using valid documents that your spouse is genuine.

Before a spousal sponsorship can be declared valid, the sponsored person must not be closely related to the sponsor and should be at least 18 years

The two application types for married or
common-law sponsorship are as follows:

Inland

This application is made when the beneficiary of the sponsor is currently residing in Canada. The applicant will conveniently live in Canada with this sponsorship until the permanent residency application is complete. During this process, the sponsored person can apply for a work permit which would be useful till the application is successful. That means partners can first enter the country using a temporary resident visa and work while their partners begin the process for sponsorship.

Outland

This application is made from another embassy outside of Canada. The sponsored person can come to visit during that time but cannot stay permanently until the sponsorship is approved.

Sponsor your Dependent Children

Dependent Child Sponsorship

If you have dependent children, either biological or adopted, you can sponsor them to become Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
If the children meet the following criteria, then they are eligible to be sponsored by you:

  • The dependent child will be considered dependent if they are not in a common-law relationship or married and is still under 22 years.
  • A child over 22 years will still be considered dependent if they are not mentally or physically fit to stay on their own.

This program is only for those:

  • Who has the approval of IRCC for both themselves and their child to receive a visa.
  • Who has proof of their relationship with the sponsored child.

Sponsor your Parents or Grandparents

Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship

You can use two programs to sponsor your parents and grandparents to Canada. You could use the Parent and Grandparent sponsorship program (PGP) or the super visa program.

Some of the eligibility criteria include:

Must be a Permanent resident or Canadian citizen

Must be a minimum of 18 years

Must be a direct offspring or grandchild of the person being sponsored

Must sign an undertaking that makes you responsible for the sponsored person’s upkeep

Must meet the income requirement that shows you can provide for your expanding family

Must sign other agreements if you are resident in Quebec.

If you sign the undertaking with your spouse, these criteria will be easier to meet.

If your spouse is signing, they must meet the following requirement:

The spouse shouldn’t be the one being sponsored

The spouse must have lived with you for one year

Super Visa Program

This program allows parents and grandparents to get sponsored in Canada. The program involves multi-entry visas that would be valid for ten years. Interestingly, you can apply for both the super visa program and the Parent grandparent program simultaneously.

The criteria that make your parent/grandparent eligible for the Super Visa program are:

  • They must be a parent/ grandparent of either a permanent resident or Canadian citizen
  • They must have medical insurance
  • They must have signed the letter sent by their child/grandchild inviting them to the country
  • They can only apply for the super visa from another country

The sponsor must also prove they have the minimum necessary income to provide for the household.

FAQs