Every year around 1,00,000 family class immigrants migrate in Canada. Most of these immigrants come through sponsorship categories like Spouses, Partners, and Children category or Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
Canadian Government allows its permanent residents to sponsor their family members to come and live in the same country. These can be spouses, common-law partners, or conjugal partners. There are two options to choose from while sponsoring, Inland & Outland sponsorship.
IRCC has prescribed some rules according to which applicants can sponsor their family members.
A person who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, registered under Canada’s Indian Act, and 18 or older is eligible to sponsor his family for permanent residence in Canada.
Who is eligible to sponsor?
- should be 18 years of age or older;
- a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident living in Canada, or registered under Canada’s Indian Act;
- should live in Canada, or is a Canadian Citizen planning to return to the country;
- should not be receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability;
- should provide basic needs, those of spouse and partner, & if applicable those of dependent children.
As a sponsor you must:
- Be able to support your partner financially;
- Make sure they will not require social assistance from the government.
The basic need to sponsor in Canada:
- Housing, including utility bills;
- Food & Personal Hygiene products;
- Clothing and other items necessary for daily living;
- Medical Expenses not covered by Public Health Insurance, such as Dental and eye care.
Apart from sponsoring spouse, partner, parents, or grandparents, there are two other categories as well, which are:
Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild.
Following are the conditions to sponsor an Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild:
- they are your relative either by blood or through adoption;
- both of their parents passed away;
- they are below the age of 18;
- they are not married or in common law or conjugal relationship.
According to IRCC, that family member can not be sponsored who:
- have a parent that is still alive;
- the location of their parents is unknown;
- they were abandoned by their parents;
- they are being cared for by someone else while one or both of their parents are still alive;
- their parent is in jail or otherwise detained.
Other Relative:
One relative that is, related by blood or adoption of any age can be sponsored if these conditions are fulfilled:
- the sponsor should not have a living relative that he could sponsor instead such as a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, child, parent, grandparent, or an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild;
- the sponsor should not have any relative that is a Canadian citizen, PR or is registered under the Indian Act.
How to apply?
The sponsorship application process goes through two steps. You will apply to sponsor your relative, and they will apply for permanent residence. Both the applications must be submitted to IRCC at the same time.
IRCC guidelines on how to prepare and submit the application:
- confirm that you and your relatives meet the eligibility criteria;
- read the application guides carefully;
- provide all the requested documents and evidence in your application such as Proof of Income, and sign legal declarations such as committing to financially support your relative upon their arrival to Canada;
- be truthful when answering all the questions;
- pay applicable fees;
- ensure your relatives and their close family complete required health and security checks.
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