A Permanent Resident or citizen of Canada can sponsor a family member to immigrate and settle in Canada.
Currently, family member eligible for being sponsored include husband/wife, common-law spouses, conjugal partners, dependent children (including adopted children), parents and grandparents. Brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons also qualify if they are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship. If none of the above relatives could be sponsored, and the applicant has no other relatives who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, he/she may sponsor any other relative regardless of relationship or age.
Requirements for the Sponsor
The Sponsor is required to financially support the immigrant (and dependents) and to provide for their essential needs. For this the Sponsor must be willing to sign a sponsorship agreement between the Sponsor and the government of Canada or Quebec promising to support the sponsored person for a prescribed period of time.
The Sponsor also needs to meet certain income requirements. The strict income requirement will be exempt if the Sponsor is sponsoring a spouse or an unmarried, dependent child under the age of 19. Nevertheless the Sponsor will still need to demonstrate his or her ability to financially support the immigrant.
The Sponsor should be physically residing in Canada unless they are a Canadian citizen residing abroad. In the latter case the Sponsor needs to demonstrate their intention to return to Canada upon approval of the sponsorship application.
Sponsorship programs
Currently There are four different programs by which a Canadian citizen or permanent resident may sponsor a family member: Spousal Sponsorship, Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class; Parental Sponsorship and Dependent Child sponsorship. Each program has different requirements and different processing time.
Contact us for a complete assessment of the Sponsor’s eligibility and choosing the right program.
More on:
Canadian permanent residence application
Humanitarian and compassionate application