If you are a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident and wish to bring your family members to Canada, you may be eligible to apply under the Canadian Family Sponsorship Programs. The Canadian Government makes it a priority to assist its Citizens and Residents in reuniting them with their family members.
Family Sponsorship
ELIGIBILITIES
To be eligible for the Canada Family Sponsorship Program, the sponsored person must fall into one of the following categories:
Spouses, partners, or dependent children
Parents, grandparents, siblings, orphaned grandchildren, or nephews/nieces
In addition to this, there are certain qualifications that a sponsor and their family must meet in order to qualify for family sponsorship.
AS A SPONSOR, YOU MUST:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who has not yourself been sponsored in the last five (5) years,
- Be at least 18 years of age,
- Meet the financial requirements for sponsoring a family member (*note that sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner does not need to meet the requirement),
- Undertake full financial responsibility for the person you are sponsoring. Ensure that your sponsored family member will not require assistance from the Canadian government. If you are sponsoring a spouse or common-law partner, you must take financial responsibility for three (3) years from the time they become permanent residents. For dependent children, you must take financial responsibility for ten (10) years or until they turn 25, whichever happens first.
FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WISH TO BE SPONSORED MUST:
To be eligible for the Canada Family Sponsorship Program, the sponsored person must fall into one of the following categories:
Spouses, partners, or dependent children
Parents, grandparents, siblings, orphaned grandchildren, or nephews/nieces
In addition to this, there are certain qualifications that a sponsor and their family must meet in order to qualify for family sponsorship.
AS A SPONSOR, YOU MUST:
Have a family member who is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and whose relationship fits into one of the categories listed above.
Show that they have plans by which they will be able to financially support themselves and any of their dependents,
Successfully complete medical, criminal and background screenings.
The process of sponsoring a loved one under the above categories can be frustrating and confusing for some applicants. There are numerous requirements of documents and information which needs to be provided in an accurate manner to ensure your intentions are genuine and that a sponsored person will not be a burden or threat to Canadians.
DEFINATION OF A DEPENDENT CHILD
under 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner
22 years of age or older, have depended substantially on the financial support of the parent since before the age of 22 and be unable to support themselves financially due to a physical or mental condition (it is the financial dependency that must have been ongoing since before the age of 22. It is not necessary for the physical or mental condition to have existed before the age of 22.)
Dependent children who do not have a physical or mental condition must remain unmarried and not in a common-law relationship for the duration of processing, up until the point of becoming a permanent resident.
In regard to civil status, a dependent who is single, divorced or widowed, whose marriage has been annulled or who is no longer in a common-law relationship at the time of the initial receipt of the application is considered to meet the definition of a dependent child and must continue to meet the definition of a dependent child for the duration of processing. (Source IRCC, 2021)