Family Sponsorship
Under family sponsorship, Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents can sponsor their close family members for permanent residence.
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Canada has one of the most generous family reunification programs in the developed world. Canadian government is committed to keeping families together whenever possible, and prioritizes the processing of sponsorship applications.
Citizens of Canada or Permanent Residents (P.R.) can reunite with their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner under spousal sponsorship. Spousal sponsorship is considered the fastest and the easiest way for couples to reunite as long as they meet the requirements as laid out by the government.
Who can be invited under spousal sponsorship: (Note: same-sex marriages are recognized under Canadian law.)
- Spouse: A person you are legally married to, either in Canada or in any other country. The marriage should be valid and in accordance with the law of the country where it took place.
- Common Law Partner: You and your partner should have been living in a conjugal relationship for at least one year (12 months) continuously.
- Conjugal Partner: If you and your partner have not been able to physically live together due to exceptional circumstances beyond your control.ย In this case, the level of permanence and commitment between the two partners is considered.
A sponsor must
- Be a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada and at least 18 years of age.
- Be willing to sign the undertaking that as a sponsor, they are financially responsible for the sponsored person for up to 3 years and in case of dependents upwards of 10 years after they enter Canada as Permanent Residents.ย
- Be able to show a legal marriage either in Canada or under the laws of the jurisdiction that it was carried out in.
- Be able to show evidence of a dependent relationship for a minimum of 1 year in the case of a Conjugal or Common Law Partner.
There might be additional requirements for people who have been married for less than 2 years and have no children. The Government of Canada has taken steps to prevent abuse of the system and identify any โMarriages of Convenience.โ
Dependent children can be sponsored by Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents (PR). This could include children of their spouse/partner; or children that are adopted; an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild may also be eligible under this sponsorship as long as they meet the requirements as laid out by the government and are proven to still be dependent on the parental sponsor. In case the dependent you want to sponsor is an orphaned relative, he/she must be under the age of 18 and should be unmarried or involved in a common-law relationship. In addition, ability to provide for their well being should be proven in the application. Also, legal consent from their present guardians is required before they can leave their home country.ย In exceptional cases, other family members may also be eligible.
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To sponsor a dependent child one must:
- Be a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada.
- Be willing to sign an undertaking for 10 years or until the dependent child becomes 22 years old.
- Meet the minimum financial obligations required by the government of Canada.
A Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident can reunite with their parents and grandparents by sponsoring them. As a sponsor one must prove relationship with their parents and grandparents to IRCC. In order to prove the relationship, one can use their birth certificate, school certificates, and passport showing names of parents etc. as proof of relationship. If grandparents are being sponsored, one must show their birth certificate as well as birth certificate(s) of their parents.
Other than proving a relationship, sponsors also need to meet the Federal Income Table for Sponsors of Parents and Grandparents. You may find it on IRCC website. If an individual alone is not eligible to sponsor due to income requirements, they can add their legally married spouse or a common law partner as a co-signer for application/undertaking.
It is worth noting that the program reaches its capacity quickly and there is a limited number of applications that are accepted each year. As an alternative, one can invite their parents/grandparents on a Super Visa, which allows them to stay in Canada for up to 2 years at a time.ย
Requirements to sponsor a Parent or Grandparent:
- Sponsor has to be a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada.
- Has to sign an undertaking/agreement with the government that they will be financially responsible for sponsored people for the next 20 years.
- Meet the minimum financial obligations required by the government of Canada.