Family Sponsorship

sponsor your family members

Family reunification is one of the top priorities of Canadian immigration that is why the Canadian government has developed a number of immigration programs that allow Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada to sponsor their family members to become PR and live together in Canada. Below are some options under the family sponsorship program.

Spousal Sponsorship

Spousal Sponsorship is a subcategory of Family Class immigration and facilitates Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents over the age of 18 years to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner to become Permanent Resident with a potential to become a Canadian citizen once the residency requirements are met. The application process is not as simple as it may sound though. It takes lots of documentation and evidence to prove that a relationship is genuine.

Below are the three categories of spousal relationship defined by the Canadian government.

Spouse

is someone you are legally married with, and the marriage must be legal and recognized in Canada and where it took place.

Common-law Partner

is someone with whom you are living together in a conjugal relationship for at least one year continuously.

Conjugal Partner

is someone outside Canada has had a mutually dependent relationship for at least one year as the same level of commitment as in a marriage or a common-law relationship but the circumstances beyond their control such as immigration barriers, religious or legal restrictions that prevented them from qualifying as a spouse or common-law partner.

There are two classed under which the spousal sponsorship application can be made:

1. Inside Canada Class:

This option is for the spouse/common-law partner of a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident living together in Canada, and they have a temporary status in Canada, i.e. visitor, student, worker. Also, the spouse/common-law partner being sponsored can be eligible for an open work permit which allows them to work for any employer during the processing of their application.

2. Outside Canada Class:

This is applicable when the sponsored person is living outside of Canada. However, the sponsored person can be living in Canada and still can apply through this class.

There are two classed under which the spousal sponsorship application can be made:

1. Inside Canada Class:

2. Outside Canada Class:

This is applicable when the sponsored person is living outside of Canada. However, the sponsored person can be living in Canada and still can apply through this class.

You can be eligible to sponsor if you are:

At least 18 years of age and a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident.
Financially capable of providing basic needs to the person you are sponsoring.
Willing to sign a promissory agreement (know as undertaking) with the Canadian government that the sponsor will be responsible for all the financial concerns of spouse or partner for 3 years from the day he/she becomes a permanent resident.
Not receiving any social assistance for any reason except for disability.
Meeting certain other requirements.

There are some reasons which can prevent you from becoming an eligible sponsor your spouse or partner.

You can be eligible to be sponsored (the applicant) if you are:

Quick Facts:

Canadian law recognizes same-sex relationship and can be eligible to apply under one of the categories mentioned above if they meet.
A person living in Canada is not eligible to be sponsored as a conjugal partner.
Permanent Residents living outside Canada cannot sponsor a spouse/common-law partner or conjugal partner, but Canadian Citizens can do so provided they plan to live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes Permanent Resident in Canada.
Processing times have been reduced from 24 months to 12 months now.
The sponsor has appeal rights for the negative decision on your application if you applied under “outside Canada class.”
If you sponsored a person, you cannot sponsor anyone else under spousal sponsorship for 3 years since the sponsored person became a permanent resident
If you were sponsored as a spouse or partner, you cannot sponsor anyone else under spousal sponsorship for 5 years since you became a permanent resident
There is no minimum income requirement for sponsoring spouse and partner.

Parents/Grandparents Sponsorship

Parents/Grandparents sponsorship is a subcategory of Family Class immigration, and that facilitates Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents over the age of 18 years to sponsor their parents/grandparent to become Permanent Resident with a potential to become a Canadian citizen once the residency requirements are met. To be eligible as a sponsor, you must meet some requirements.

Earlier in 2018, IRCC introduced a randomised lottery system for parents/grandparents sponsorship applications. But it saw a lot of criticism as unfair for those who might have been waiting for many years to sponsor their parents/grandparents. As a result, the Canadian government scrapped the lottery system and replaced it with a first-come-first-served process in 2019. Application cap was also increased from 17,000 to 20,000 for 2019. The new program opened on January 28th, 2019 and lasted for almost in 10 minutes as it reached the application cap of 20,000. However, the program reopens at the beginning of every year, so you should plan well in advance in you wish to sponsor your parents/grandparents.

There are some reasons which can prevent you from becoming an eligible sponsor your spouse or partner.

You can be eligible to sponsor if you are:

At least 18 years of age and a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident living in Canada.
Financially capable of supporting parents/grandparents you are sponsoring by providing specified income proof for each of the 3 taxation years right before you apply.
Willing to sign a promissory agreement (know as undertaking) with the Canadian government that the sponsor will be responsible for all the financial concerns of parents/grandparents for 20 years from the day they become a permanent resident.
Meeting certain other requirements.

You can be eligible to be sponsored (the applicant) if you are:

Quick facts

The sponsor cannot sponsor his/her spouse’s parents/grandparents (in-laws).
The sponsor’s spouse can co-sign the application to meet the income requirement threshold.

Dependent Children

Canadian citizens or permanent residents can sponsor their dependent children to become a permanent resident of Canada under this category.

To be eligible for this program, you must fulfil the following minimum requirements.

At least 18 years of age and a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident.
Financially capable of providing basic needs to the person you are sponsoring.
Not receiving any social assistance for any reason except for disability.
Willing to sign a promissory agreement (know as undertaking) with the Canadian government that sponsor will be responsible for all the financial concerns of the dependent child for up to 10 years from the day dependent child becomes a permanent resident.
Meeting certain other requirements.

There are some reasons which can prevent you from becoming an eligible sponsor your spouse or partner.

You can be eligible to be sponsored as a dependent child if you are:

Under 22 years old or,
22 years old or older, you must have depended on your parent(s) for financial support since before your age 22 and;
Unable to self-support financially as a result of mental or physical disability.
Not married or in a common-law relationship.
Criminally admissible to Canada.

Quick Facts:

There is no minimum income requirement for sponsoring a dependent child(ren) unless the dependent child has his/her own dependent child(ren).

There are different immigration rules for family sponsorship for the sponsors living in the province of Quebec.

How can Pentagon Immigration Help you?

Immigration law is complex and always keeps changing. Even a single minor error in your application may cause delay or rejection of the file. At Pentagon Immigration Services, we provide comprehensive expertise for your family sponsorship application. Our professional practice involves competent knowledge, honest advice and personalized services. No one can guarantee you the success of your application; it’s at full discretion of the visa officer. What we guarantee you is the careful, error-free and strategic submission of your family sponsorship application so you have high likelihood of success. We stand by our clients right from initial consultation to the final decision on the file. And this is not it. We care for our clients, that’s why we provide them with pre-departure orientation and settlement services so they can be well integrated in Canada comfortably.

To know more about Family Sponsorship, get in touch with us today!

FAQs

Can I sponsor my spouse or common law partner if I am unemployed?

Yes, you can, as long as you have enough money to provide basic needs to your spouse or common law partner and you are not on social assistance other than the disability benefits.

What is meant by "Basic Needs" for sponsorship application?

It means:

Food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities of life
Dental and eye care and other health needs not covered by public health services available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Pathway to Dreamland Canada!