If you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen and have a family member who wishes to immigrate to Canada, you may be able to assist them in obtaining permanent residency. One of the part of the Canadian immigration system is family reunions.
The Family Class Sponsorship Program allows adult permanent residents or citizens to sponsor a relative for immigration to Canada, reuniting families. To be eligible, the person seeking sponsorship must be one of the following:
- Wife, common-law partner, or conjugal partner
- reliant child
- Parent
- Grandparent
- Unmarried sibling, nephew, niece, or grandchild under the age of 18 whose parents have died
- Unless they are legitimately residing in Canada temporarily, such as with a work or study permit, the person sponsored must live outside of Canada.
What is a Spouse/Partner?
Individuals in the following categories are eligible for sponsorship:
Spouse: means a marriage that is legally valid in both the place of origin and under Canadian law. A common-law partner must have at least one year of continuous cohabitation in a conjugal partnership.
Conjugal partner: A couple who has been in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 months (with permanence and commitment comparable to marriage or common law) but is unable to live together due to immigration barriers, religious reasons, sexual orientation, or marital status (e.g. married to someone else, where divorce is not possible in the country of origin).
Same-sex relationships: these are regarded as valid for immigration purposes.
What is a Dependent Child?
A dependent kid is a child of the sponsor or a child of the sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner who is under the age of 22 and does not have their own spouse or common-law partner. Children beyond the age of 22 can be considered dependents if they are financially reliant on their parents before the age of 22 and are unable to sustain themselves owing to a mental or physical ailment.
Children in the sole custody of a prior spouse remain dependent children and must be disclosed on the sponsorship application. If the sponsor has one or more dependent children, the sponsor must demonstrate their financial capabilities by meeting a low-income cut-off.
Who can Sponsor?
A sponsor must be an adult Canadian permanent resident or citizen who is at least 18 years old. A sponsor must live in Canada unless they are a Canadian citizen who is currently residing overseas and intends to relocate to Canada after the sponsored individual arrives.
A person may not be able to sponsor if they:
- Are incarcerated
- Are you the subject of a deportation order Are you in the process of declaring bankruptcy
- Receive government social aid (except for disability)
- Have been convicted of (or attempted/threatened to conduct) a violent or sexual offense that resulted in bodily damage to a family member Have failed to pay child support payments
- Have not paid back immigration loans or made late or missing payments
- Have previously sponsored a family member and failed to meet the conditions
- Have sponsored an ex-spouse or partner who has not been a permanent residence for more than three years
- They were sponsored and became permanent residents less than five years ago.
Other Requirements
Fees
Sponsorship and processing costs are required by the Canadian government for Family Class applications. There is also a “Right of Permanent Residence Fee” for each sponsored relative who is not a dependent child; this is the sole money that will be repaid if the application is withdrawn or refused.
Sponsorship Agreement
Notably, the sponsor must pledge to financially support their family member if they are unable to meet their own demands. This is done to ensure that the new permanent resident does not need government help. The length of this financial responsibility is determined by the person being sponsored:
Spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner: 3 years
Dependent child: 10 years OR when the child reaches age 22 (whichever comes first); 3 years for a dependent child over age 22.
Parent or grandparent: 20 years
It is important to note that this financial commitment does not go away if the sponsored individual becomes a citizen, divorces or separates from the sponsor, or relocates outside of Canada.
Medical exam
At the time of application, the sponsored individual must provide the results of a medical checkup, including biometrics for candidates from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Police Certificates
Applicants and family members over the age of 18 must produce police certificates from the nation where they have spent most of their lives, as well as any country where they have lived for more than 6 months.
Quebec Requirements
After federal standards are completed, the province of Quebec requires additional conditions for family sponsorship. Potential sponsors who live in Quebec will get an email or letter with instructions to submit a specific agreement to the Quebec government after applying for sponsorship.
Other Options
provided a person does not satisfy the aforementioned standards and thus does not qualify for Family Class Sponsorship, they may still be able to immigrate through the Express Entry system provided they have experience or skill in a certain profession or occupation.
Through Provincial Nominee Programs, a handful of provinces also offer family sponsorship; some have less qualifications and enable sponsorship for more distant relatives.
Applications to sponsor an adopted kid cannot be processed directly through the Family Class Sponsorship program. Adoptions are the responsibility of Canadian provinces and territories, thus interested sponsors should check the website of their province or territory before contacting Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Permanent resident of Canada and over the age of 18. Furthermore, a sponsor cannot be subject to a removal order, be imprisoned, or be in breach of any previous sponsorship undertaking or payment obligation imposed by the court.
Finally, a sponsor cannot have declared bankruptcy or be receiving social assistance for any cause other than incapacity. In terms of criminal convictions, a sponsor will be ineligible if they have been convicted of any sexual offense or of an offense that resulted in the bodily harm of a family member.
How To Start
In most situations, the sponsor must be a Canadian resident in order to submit a sponsorship application. A Canadian citizen, on the other hand, can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, or If the sponsor will live in Canada when the sponsored individual becomes a Canadian Permanent Resident, the sponsored individual may have a dependent child while residing overseas. Start the Application process now on that page.
