Canada Family Class Sponsorship

Canada offers several sponsorship programs for immigrants who have become permanent residents or citizens of the country. These programs allow them to bring their family members and loved ones to Canada conveniently and with reduced processing times. 

Whom Can You Sponsor

As a permanent resident or citizen of the country, you are legally allowed to sponsor your spouse, conjugal partner, and common law, regardless of whether they reside abroad or live in Canada on a temporary visa. Those who are already in Canada at the time of filing the sponsorship application can also apply for and get a work permit. It gives the couple or the family the opportunity to ease their financial troubles.

Sponsorship for Parents or Grandparents

Canada also allows its citizens to bring their parents and grandparents through the popular

parent and grandparent sponsorship program. The applicant must demonstrate that they have the financial resources to support the needs of their parents and grandparents needs. This is done by complying with the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for the size of their family unit. Sponsors unable to support their parent or grandparent for the long term may be eligible for a Super Visa. It’s a multiple-entry visa for parents and grandparents of permanent residents and citizens.

Sponsorship For Child And Other Dependent 

If you want to include your child in your Canada immigration plan as an accompanying dependent, you are allowed to do so. They can still join you later if they are not part of your original migration plan. The child sponsorship program is designed to sponsor biological or adopted children under the age of 22 for permanent residence. They must be unmarried and must not have physical or adopted children.

 Orphaned Siblings or Relatives

As a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, you might be able to sponsor your orphaned siblings or niece, nephew, or grandchild to join you in Canada. The sponsored relative must be under 18 years of age, have a blood relation, and be unmarried. 

Under some exceptional circumstances, you can also sponsor other relatives if you satisfy the definition of a lonely Canadian. As a sponsor of an extended relative, you must have no spouse, common-law partner, parent, child, or grandparent.

Eligibility to Sponsor a Family Member

The minimum eligibility requirements to sponsor a family member are that you must be:

• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• At least 18 years old
• Financially sound to support the needs of the sponsored relative/family for at least three years.
• Be living in Canada or plan to return to Canada when the sponsored family member becomes a permanent resident of Canada.

When You Are Not Eligible To Sponsor

As a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, you are not eligible to sponsor for the following reasons. You have:

• Or currently undergoing a jail term.
• Defaulted on payment of alimony or child support payments.
• Declared bankruptcy and have not yet been cleared from the same
• Received social assistance for reasons other than a disability
• Defaulted on an immigration loan
• Sponsored a relative in the past and failed to meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement
• Been convicted of a violent crime

Cost Of Sponsorship

For sponsoring a child or a spouse, you must pay CAD 150 for every child included in the sponsorship. If you are including the spouse or partner of the relative in the sponsorship list, a price of an additional $1,050 must be made.

The processing fees levied by the government to sponsor a relative in Canada are as follows:

• Sponsorship fee $75
• Principal applicant processing fee $475
• Right of permanent residence fee $500
• Biometrics: $85
• Total: $1135

Minimum Income Requirement for Canadian Family Sponsorship

Some sponsorship applications entail minimum income requirements. The sponsors of such applications must satisfy the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) based on the size of their family unit. They must also provide proof by way of Canada Revenue Agency-issued Notices of Assessment (NOA) for the past three years.

When you plan to sponsor a family member to Canada, you must provide an undertaking to ensure financial support to meet the basic needs of the person/s being sponsored. This undertaking acknowledges that you promise to reimburse or refund all social assistance benefits paid to the sponsor and their family member(s) for 20 years.

The number of years for which you provide the undertaking will depend on the category of sponsorship. For sponsoring a spouse, the length is three years from the day the sponsored person is granted Canadian permanent residency.

If you are sponsoring your dependent children, you are not required to meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) unless the sponsored child has dependent children of their own.

Do Sponsors Need To Show Proof of Employment?

All sponsors of family members except those sponsoring spouses or partners must meet MNI requirements. It is not mandatory to provide proof of a job, but sponsors must provide proof of sufficient income from the past three years to be eligible for sponsorship.

What Is The Average Sponsorship Processing Time

Sponsorship applications can take around 12 months to process from the time the applications. However, the time taken will depend on the nature of the individual case and the applicant. If it is a complicated case or the authorities require more proof of your relationship, there could be an extended delay.

How Many Relatives Can Be Sponsored?

There is no limit to the number of eligible family members you can sponsor as a citizen. However, you must submit a separate application for each eligible family member you want to sponsor.

Age Limit For Sponsorship

To be able to sponsor a family member, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and of least 18 years of age. There is no maximum age limit applicable.

Do you have any confusion about sponsoring a family member for Canadian residency? Are the processes not very clear? We can help. We have many years of experience in Canadian immigration services and have successfully helped many sponsors achieve their goals. Call us or visit us for more details.