Family Sponsorship

If you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and have family members who want to immigrate to Canada, you might be able to assist them in doing so. One of the cornerstones of the Canadian immigration system is still family reunion.

By allowing adults who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents to sponsor a relative for immigration, the Family Class Sponsorship Program helps to reconnect families. The applicant for sponsorship must fit the criteria to be eligible.

• 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

Except in cases when they are temporarily residing legally in Canada, such as with a work or study permit, the individual being sponsored must reside outside of Canada.

People that fit into the following categories are eligible for sponsorship:

• Spouse: Canadian law and a legally binding union in the spouse’s country of origin
• At least a year of continuous cohabitation in a romantic relationship is required to become a common-law partner.
• Conjugal partner: A person with whom a couple has been in a committed, long-term relationship for at least a year but who is unable to live together because of obstacles to immigration, religious convictions, sexual orientation, or marital status (e.g. married to someone else, where divorce is not possible in country of origin)
• Same-sex relationships are accepted under these categories for immigration reasons.

If the child is under the age of 22 and does not have a spouse or common-law partner of their own, the child of the sponsor or the child of the sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner may be regarded as a dependent child. If a child above the age of 22 was financially reliant on their parents before turning 22, and they are unable to support themselves due to a mental or physical condition, they may still be considered dependents.

Children who have a former spouse’s sole custody are still counted as dependents and must be disclosed on the sponsorship application. If the dependent kid being sponsored has one or more dependents of their own, the sponsor must demonstrate their ability to pay by earning less than a certain amount.

An adult Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 years old must serve as the sponsor. A sponsor must live in Canada, unless they are a Canadian citizen who is currently residing overseas and intends to move here when the sponsored person arrives.

A person is not eligible to sponsor if they:

• are incarcerated
• They are governed by a deportation order
• are in the bankruptcy process
• receiving government social aid (except for disability)
• Have been found guilty of (or attempted/threatened to commit) a crime that involved violence or sexual assault or that injured a family member
  have missed payments for child support
• have made late or skipped payments, or have not repaid immigration debts
• had sponsored a relative in the past, but failed to comply with the requirements
• have sponsored a former spouse or partner who hasn’t had a green card for more than three years.
• were themselves sponsored, and less than five years ago, they were granted permanent residency.