Sponsorships

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Understanding the significance of family bonds, Canada's Family Class Immigration category offers various spousal sponsorship options. The Canadian spousal sponsorship program enables individuals to sponsor their spouse, conjugal partner, or common-law partner for permanent residency, emphasizing the importance of family reunification.

To sponsor your spouse, you must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Age Requirement: Be 18 years or older.
2. Residency Status: Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
3. Residency Intent: Reside in Canada or have the intention to live in Canada after your spouse is granted permanent residency.
4. Financial Commitment: Commit to financially support your spouse for a period of 3 years.

When sponsoring your spouse, you'll need to provide evidence of your relationship, including:

1. Completed relationship information and sponsorship evaluation questionnaire.
2. Marriage certificate.
3. Wedding invitations and photos.
4. Birth certificates or adoption papers for any children in the relationship.
5. Proof of marriage registration with a government authority.

1. Common-Law Partnership: Recognizing couples living together for 12 consecutive months without legal marriage. This includes valid, short, and temporary separations due to obligations. Same-sex relationships are also included.
2. Conjugal Partnership: Acknowledging a close relationship for one year, where living together or marriage was impeded by immigration or legal barriers. This category is applicable for opposite and same-sex relationships, excluding cases where both partners reside in Canada.

1. Previous Sponsorship: If you have sponsored a spouse in the past, a waiting period of at least 3 years since their permanent residency is required before sponsoring a new spouse.
2. Financial Responsibilities: Defaulting on social assistance payments received by a previous sponsor, failing to repay an immigration loan or performance bond, or neglecting alimony or child support payments can pose barriers.
3. Legal Issues: Bankruptcy declarations that are not discharged, convictions for violent or sexual crimes, or causing bodily harm can be grounds for ineligibility.
4. Recent Spousal Sponsorship: If you were sponsored through spousal sponsorship in the last 5 years, you may face restrictions on sponsoring a new spouse.
5. Removal Order: If a removal order has been issued against you, it can affect your eligibility for spousal sponsorship.
6. Incarceration: Being in jail during the application process can be a barrier to spousal sponsorship.
7. Application Already Under Processing: Attempting to sponsor a new spouse while a previous application is still in process may lead to complications.

To sponsor your parents or grandparents for permanent residency in Canada, you need to meet specific requirements set by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Here's an overview:

1. Age and Residency:
   
   • Be at least 18 years old.
   • Reside in Canada.

1. Legal Status:
   
   • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.

1. Financial Eligibility:
   
   • Meet the minimum necessary income requirements.
   • Provide financial support to ensure your family members do not rely on social assistance from the Canadian government.

1. Financial Commitments:
   
   • Commit to providing financial support for your family members for 20 years after they become permanent residents.
   • Agree to repay any social assistance received by your sponsored family.

1. Sponsorship Agreement:
   
   • Agree to a sponsorship agreement, indicating your commitment to providing for the basic needs of your sponsored family.

The process of sponsoring your parents or grandparents involves the following steps:

1. Expression of Interest:
   
   • Submit an expression of interest for sponsorship, providing basic information about the applicant and sponsor (name, address, date of birth, etc.).
   • If the information is complete, you'll receive a confirmation number.

1. Invitation to Sponsor:
   
   • A limited number of sponsorship applications are accepted.
   • If selected, you'll receive an invitation to sponsor your parents or grandparents.

1. Application Submission:
   
   • Submit a completed application within 60 days of receiving the invitation.

Exclusions from Sponsorship:You are not eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent if you:

• Are in prison.
• Are in default on an immigration loan.
• Have an undischarged bankruptcy.
• Didn't pay court-ordered alimony or child support.
• Didn't provide financial support to your last sponsor.
• Have a conviction for a sexual or violent crime that caused bodily harm and didn't receive a record suspension.

1. Insufficient Income:
   
   • The sponsor fails to meet the minimum income requirement, making them ineligible to support the sponsored family members financially.

1. Application Form Issues:
   
   • Incorrect or outdated application forms can lead to complications in the sponsorship process.

1. Ineligible Relationship:
   
   • The relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored individuals doesn't meet the eligibility criteria.

1. Inadmissibility:
   
   • The applicant(s) may be deemed inadmissible to Canada due to various reasons, such as criminal history or health issues.

To sponsor your dependent children to Canada, you need to meet the following requirements:

1. Sponsor Eligibility:
   
   • You must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.
   • You should be 18 years or older.
   • You must not be in prison, convicted of a crime, or bankrupt.

1. Proof of Relationship:
   
   • Provide official documents such as a birth certificate or adoption papers to establish the relationship with your dependent children.

1. Financial Responsibilities:
   
   • Demonstrate a Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) to support your dependent children.
   • If the dependent child has their own child, proof of income to support the entire family is required.
   • A child is considered dependent if under 22 and unmarried.
   • For children over 22, they can be considered dependent if disabled or have a mental condition.

1. Commitment to Financial Support:
   
   • Commit to providing financial support for a specified duration:
     • For children under 16: 10 years or until they are 18, whichever is longer.
     • For children 16 or older: 3 years or until they are 25, whichever is longer.

1. Financial Undertaking in Quebec:
   
   • If you reside in Quebec, you must commit to a financial undertaking to support your dependent children.

Depending on your circumstances, you can sponsor two categories of relatives:

1. Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild.
2. Other relative related by blood or adoption.

Sponsorship applications for dependent children can be refused due to various reasons. Some common ones include:

1. Undeclared Family Member:
   
   • The dependent child was previously undeclared. Exemptions may apply based on specific circumstances.

1. Incorrect or Outdated Forms:
   
   • Submission of incorrect or outdated application forms can lead to refusal.

1. Permanent Resident Residing Outside Canada:
   
   • If the sponsor is a permanent resident and resides outside of Canada, it could be a reason for refusal. Sponsors need to meet residency requirements.

1. Non-Payment of Court-Ordered Family Support:
   
   • The sponsor has not fulfilled court-ordered family support payments, which may impact the application.