Family Sponsorship

Canada upholds family values by perceiving family reunification as the hallmark of its immigration strategy. You can explore a broad spectrum of Family Sponsorship programs to reunite with your loved ones in Canada. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouses, children, parents, and grandparents through various family sponsorship programs. Partnering with a knowledgeable and compassionate immigration consultant facilitates your plan of beginning a new life with your family members in Canada.

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Overview

Canada’s family sponsorship program enables Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their relatives to Canada as permanent residents. Sponsors should accept responsibility for providing financial support and fulfilling basic requirements to the sponsored family member. 

The department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) operates Canada’s family sponsorship program by establishing eligibility criteria, assessing applications, and approving permanent residence. Family sponsorship allows relatives to come to Canada as permanent residents. They can live in Canada to pursue studies or work.

The family sponsorship program of Canada assures the following advantages to family members:

  • They need not pass any points threshold to qualify for permanent residence through the Family Sponsorship program.
  • Permanent residents arriving in Canada through the Family Sponsorship program can live, study and work in Canada.
  • Parents can apply for Canadian citizenship if they are living in Canada on a dependent visa for three years. 
  • Sponsored children and other relatives can access free healthcare and education until they reach 18 years of age.
  • Family members can access Guaranteed Income Supplement, Old Age Security, and Canada Pension Plan benefits. 

Family sponsorship requires an individual to satisfy a few essential eligibility criteria besides being above 18 years. These are:

  • Being a permanent resident or Canadian citizen
  • Being able to support relatives for up to three years by taking care of their basic and financial needs
  • Should ensure that family members do not seek Social Assistance

The sponsor must submit an undertaking to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) mentioning that they will support the relative for the relevant period.

  • Parents and Grandparents- 20 years
  • Relative– 10 years
  • Dependent child below 22– 10 years or until the child reaches 22
  • Dependent child above 22– 3 years

Spouse or common-law partner– 3 years

An individual is not eligible to sponsor a relative under the following circumstances:

  • Bankruptcy
  • Be in prison
  • Failure to pay child support or alimony
  • Defaulted on payment of immigration loan 
  • Failure to comply with sponsorship terms earlier
  • Convicted in sexual or violent crime
  • Recipient of social assistance (except disability)

One can sponsor the following relatives by satisfying the eligibility requirements:

  • Spouse or common-law partner 
  • Child
  • Parents and grandparents
  • Adopted child or other relatives

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Types of family sponsorship

Canada’s Family Sponsorship programs allow eligible candidates to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner. The program applies to a spouse or partner living abroad or in Canada with a temporary visa. A spouse may become eligible for an open work permit to help the couple meet financial needs.

Couples living together for minimum of one year are eligible for a spousal sponsorship program as Canada recognizes the live-in as a common-law partnership.

Canada’s Family Sponsorship policy covers parents and grandparents as it values family reunification. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents by demonstrating the ability to support them financially. They need to meet certain Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) criteria to support parents and grandparents permanently.

There is an option for the Super Visa if the sponsor cannot meet MNI requirements. Super Visa allows parents and grandparents to visit their children and grandchildren, who are permanent residents or Canadian citizens multiple times.

Canada allows immigrants to include dependent children while applying for immigration programs. Immigrants to Canada may sponsor their dependent children if they did not accompany the immigrants earlier. The child sponsorship program allows parents who are permanent residents or citizens to sponsor their adopted or biological children, under 22.

Canada allows sponsoring an orphaned sister, brother, grandchild, nephew, or niece. They must be below 18 and unmarried, besides having a blood relation with the sponsor.

Family sponsorship application process

These are the standard steps to apply for the family sponsorship program:

  • Check and confirm your family sponsorship program eligibility
  • Check and confirm the eligibility of relatives you will sponsor
  • Apply to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada along with the application for your relative’s permanent residence
  • Pay the sponsorship application fee
  • Check the relevant website of the Canadian government for more information 

A background check is crucial for relatives applying for permanent residence through the family sponsorship program. It includes criminal inadmissibility with relevant police clearance certificates.

Sponsorship applicants should use Canada’s online tool to know the requirements of biometrics. IRCC will send information about the process after paying the necessary fees. A medical examination is crucial to demonstrate medical admissibility. The applicants will receive instructions for medical examination after submitting the sponsorship application.

Hiring a reputed immigration consultant boosts your chances of reuniting with your family members through Canada’s Family Sponsorship program. Royal Citizen Immigration has an enviable track record of helping families come together in Canada. Our professional legal services span the sponsorship of children, parents, grandparents, and spouses. 

We provide comprehensive immigration support, including application, documentation, follow-up, and reporting to speed up the process. Talk to us to experience our prompt and reliable immigration services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can use family sponsorship programs to bring their family members, like a spouse, common-law partner, dependent children, parents, and grandparents, to live with them as permanent residents. Family sponsorship program requires the sponsorship of financial obligations of family members.

The application process to sponsor a relative includes: 

  • Downloading the application form and guide from the IRCC website 
  • Filling out the application form, payment of application fees
  • Sending the application to the relevant address.

 

The typical processing times vary as per the sponsorship application. It takes around 12 months for spousal sponsorship and up to 24 months to process the application for sponsoring parents and grandparents.

Canada plans to welcome over 100,000 family sponsorship immigrants each year.

Jail term, a conviction of a violent crime, bankruptcy, default on loan or child support payments, and a history of violating sponsorship agreements can disqualify a person from sponsoring relatives.

Yes, Canada does not prohibit the sponsorship of same-sex partners.

The person sponsoring a family member must meet the Minimum Necessary Income criteria. They should prove their ability to support relatives financially. Having a job is not a mandatory criterion to sponsor a relative.

Separate sponsorship applications are necessary if you are sponsoring more than one relative.

In 2022, 212,050 immigrants became permanent residents through the family class sponsorship program.

Contacting an experienced immigration lawyer is necessary for appealing the case.

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