Family Sponsorship

Family reunification is one of the pillars of Canada’s immigration system. Since the end of the Second World War, Canada has sought to welcome immigrants to strengthen its economy, bring families together, and on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. One of the most popular streams of Canadian immigration, family sponsorship programs make it easy for citizens and permanent residents to bring their spouse and immediate family members to Canada with reduced processing times, because Canada knows that family should never be put on hold. There are multiple programs from which you can sponsor your family and relatives.

GENERAL SPONSORSHIP ELIGIBILITY

To sponsor a family member, you must be:

a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
18 years of age or older
must not have criminal record
able to support the sponsored person for several years

Whom you can Sponsor:

Spouses and common-law partners
Dependent children
Parents and grandparents

There are exceptions to this rule, however, and it may be possible to sponsor a non-immediate family member (for example, a sister, niece, or uncle) if:

you do not have any other immediate family members you could sponsor, or
you have legally adopted them and they meet the definition of a dependent child.

INCOME REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED TO SPONSOR

As a sponsor, you are required to sign a Sponsorship Agreement with your sponsored family member. This is a commitment by you to provide financial support for the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, and health needs not covered by public health services) of the person you are sponsoring.

For some types of sponsorship’s, you will also have to meet or exceed the Low-Income Cut-off (LICO), for instance, if:

you are sponsoring a spouse or partner who has a dependent child and that dependent child has one or more children of their own, or
you are sponsoring a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own, or
you are sponsoring a parent or grandparent.

If you reside in Quebec, you will have to meet Quebec’s sponsorship requirements and your income will be assessed by the Quebec immigration ministry.

SIGNING SPONSORSHIP UNDERTAKING

You will be required to sign an “undertaking” making you legally responsible for the family member you are sponsoring. If that family member should need government social assistance, you will have to repay this money.

The undertaking will stay in effect for a period based on the family member you are sponsoring and will not be cancelled even if circumstances change i.e. if the person you are sponsoring becomes a Canadian citizen if you divorce or separate if you have financial problems.

The length of the undertaking you will be required to sign will depend on the family member you are sponsoring and, in the case of children, their age:

Sponsored Person	Length of undertaking (excluding Quebec)
Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner	3 years
Dependent child	10 years, or until age 25, whichever comes first
Dependent child 22 years of age or older	3 years
Parent or grandparent	20 years
Other relatives	10 years

For Quebec residents, the length of the undertaking also depends on the family member you are sponsoring and, in the case of children, their age:

Sponsored Person	Length of undertaking
Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner	3 years
Dependent child under 16 years of age	Minimum 10 years (or until age 18), whichever is longer
Dependent child 16 years of age and older	Minimum 3 years (or until age 25), whichever is longer
Other relatives	10 years

Canadian immigration comprises of various programs. Contact us today for full details about how we can work with you based on your profile. We are glad to discuss your immigration-related questions or queries.
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