Family Sponsorship
If you are a permanent resident or Canadian citizen with a family member abroad who is interested to immigrate to Canada, you may be able to help them become a permanent resident. Family reunification is fundamental in Canadian immigration system.
This program helps to the permanent residents or Canadian citizens to sponsor their family come to Canada.
A person who is eligible for sponsorship must be a:
• Spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
• Dependent child
• Parent
• Grandparent
• Sibling, nephew, niece, or grandchild under 18 years who is unmarried and whose parents are deceased
Who can become a Sponsor?
You can become a sponsor if you are:
• at least 18 years old
• a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident living in Canada:
o If you are a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative(s) become(s) a permanent resident.
o You can’t sponsor someone if you are a permanent resident living outside Canada.
• able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability, and;
• can provide for the basic needs of any person you are sponsoring (and in some limited situations, that you meet the low-income cut-off).
Who could be a Spouse or Partner in Canadian immigration system?
Below mentioned people are eligible for sponsorship:
Spouse: legally marriage in country of origin and under Canadian law
Common-law partner: At least 1 year of uninterrupted cohabitation in a relationship
Conjugal partner: Conjugal relationship for at least 12 months (permanence and commitment similar to marriage or common-law) where couple is prevented from living together due to immigration barriers, religious reasons, sexual orientation or marital status (e.g. married to someone else, where divorce is not possible in country of origin)
Same-sex relationships: considered for immigration purposes under these categories
Who is a Dependent Child?
A child of the sponsor, or a child of the sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner, can be considered a dependent child if they are under age 22 and don’t have a spouse or common-law partner of their own. Children over age 22 can be dependents if they relied on their parents for financial support before age 22, and are unable to financially support themselves due to a mental or physical condition.
If you sponsor a relative to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you must:
• support your relative financially when they arrive
• be able to meet basic needs for yourself and your relative, such as:
o food
o shelter
o clothing
• make sure your relative doesn’t need social assistance
Ref. IRCC website