Family Sponsorship to Canada
Sponsor your parents, grand-parents or children to move to Canada permanently.
Family Sponsorship Canada
Your relatives can live, study and work in Canada if they become permanent residents of Canada by applying for the Family Sponsorship Class for immigration to Canada.
Family sponsorship is amongst the most popular ways to gain permanent residence in Canada and is expected to boom as international travel restrictions ease up after the pandemic.
Glossary of terms used on this page.
Who can be a Sponsor in a Family Sponsorship application?
You can sponsor certain relatives to come to Canada if you’re at least 18 years old and a:
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Canadian citizen or
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person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or
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permanent resident of Canada
What are the categories of Family Sponsorship?
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Spouse (Under Spousal Sponsorship Category)
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Common-law partner (Under Spousal Sponsorship Category)
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Conjugal partner (Under Spousal Sponsorship Category)
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Dependent children (read definition here)
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Parents – (Additional conditions apply)
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Grandparents – (Additional conditions apply)
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Brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons who are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
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Another relative of any age or relationship but only under specific conditions
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Accompanying relatives of the above (for example, spouse, partner and dependent children).
What are the requirements to be a sponsor for Family Sponsorship application to Canada?
To be considered an eligible sponsor:
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You must be 18 years of age or older.
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You and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits you to provide financial support for your relative, if necessary. This agreement also says the person becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support her or himself.
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You must provide financial support for a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for three years from the date they become a permanent resident.
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You must provide financial support for a dependent child for 10 years, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.
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Prove that you will be able to financially support their family member and any dependent, if necessary
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Enter into an agreement with the Government of Canada or Quebec, as well as the sponsored relative, where the sponsor will agree to support the family member for a certain amount of time. The sponsored relative must make an effort to support themselves, as well.
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Either reside in Canada or prove your intention to live in Canada when your sponsored relative arrives in Canada
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Not be incarcerated or charged with a serious offence
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Not be bankrupt
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Not be under a removal order for Canada
What is process for Family Sponsorship for Canada?
Step 1: Ensure you meet eligibility criteria to be a sponsor.
Step 2: Ensure that the relatives you intend to sponsor meet the sponsorship eligibility criteria.
Step 3: You will need to apply at the federal level to the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and, if you are a Quebec resident, at the provincial level to the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI). You must submit your sponsorship application and the permanent residence (PR) status applications of your family members or relatives together. Once you have been deemed eligible to sponsor, your PR application will be reviewed.
Step 4: You will be required to pay the family sponsorship application fee.
Step 5: Send your application to the right address. You will find this information in the sponsorship guide that is available for download on the government website.
How long does it take to process Family Sponsorship applications?
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Spousal sponsorship applications take approximately 12-17 months to process.
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The processing time of applications for dependent children varies by country.
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The processing time of PGP (Parent Grand-Parent) applications may take between 20 and 24 months.
What are the financial requirements for Family Sponsorship to Canada?
As part of your Sponsorship Agreement with your sponsored family member, you need 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.
Depending on the type of sponsorship, you also need to match or exceed (30% + required threshold) the Low Income Cut-off (LICO), for example:
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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
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you are sponsoring a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own, or
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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.
Previously sponsored persons cannot be excluded from calculation of the family size unless any of the following apply:
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the sponsor chose to withdraw the application if found to be ineligible to sponsor (as they indicated on the IMM 1344 form)
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the sponsor withdraws the application during processing (that is, prior to the applicant)
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the processing of the application is suspended [R136] (see Suspension of processing) pending a decision whether or not to continue processing
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if a decision is made to continue processing, the sponsor’s financial circumstances must be reassessed for any active applications including these sponsored persons in the calculation of family size
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the office processing the application for permanent residence determines that the sponsor is ineligible based on one of the following:
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agreement with the CPC’s negative sponsorship eligibility decision
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information received that was not available to the CPC when they assessed sponsorship eligibility
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a determination that the sponsored person is inadmissible
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What is the duration of a sponsorship undertaking?
What are the income requirements to sponsor my parents and grandparents?
As the sponsor (alongside your co-signer, if there is one) you must prove you have enough income to support all the people you’ll be financially responsible for once you become a sponsor. This includes yourself.
If you’re invited to apply, you have to provide proof that you meet the income requirements for each of the 3 tax years before the date you apply.
What is the Super Visa Program for immigrating to Canada?
The PGP Super Visa for Canada is yet another program that showcases Canada's commitment for family reunification. The Super Visa for Canada. It is a multiple entry visa which allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit Canada for extended periods.
Super visas are typically granted for up to two years, with the ability to apply for extensions of one year at a time.
To be eligible for the Super Visa program, parents and grandparents must meet standard visitor visa requirements. In addition, they must:
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Provide proof of financial capability along with a written undertaking of support from their child or grandchild in Canada;
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Provide proof that the sponsor in Canada meets minimum income requirements (check LICO table);
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Provide proof of a valid Canadian health insurance (before landing in Canada) for the duration of at least one year; and
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Complete an immigration medical examination.
Based on the nationality of the Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, parents/grandparents may need to acquire a Temporary Resident Visa in addition to a Super Visa.
What is the eligibility criteria for a Super Visa?
Source - canada.ca
To be eligible for a super visa, you must:
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be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
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have a signed letter from your child or grandchild who invites you to Canada that includes:
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a promise of financial support for the length of your visit
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the list and number of people in the household of this person
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a copy of this person’s Canadian citizenship or permanent resident document
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have medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company that is:
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valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry
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at least $100,000 coverage
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have proof that the medical insurance has been paid (quotes aren’t accepted)
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You must also:
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apply for a super visa from outside Canada
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take an immigration medical exam
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meet certain other conditions
What are the steps to apply for a Super Visa?
Before you apply for a super visa, you need:
1. A letter of invitation from your child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada that includes:
a) A written commitment of Financial support for your duration of stay in Canada.
b) Their proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence.
c) The list and number of people in the household of this person
2. Proof of your child's minimum necessary income
3. Proof of medical insurance from a Canadian insurance provider. The medical insurance must be at least 1 year in term from the date of entry to Canada and have a minimum coverage of C$100,000.
4. Proof of medical examination (from a panel physician) before coming to Canada.
Who else can I include in the family sponsorship application other than the primary applicant?
The following individuals can be included in the sponsored person's application for a Canada immigration visa:
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The spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner of the sponsored person
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The dependent children of the sponsored person
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The dependent children of the sponsored person's spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner
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The dependent children of the sponsored person's dependent children
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The dependent children of the sponsored person's spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner's children.
On what grounds can my Family Sponsorship application to Canada be refused?
Similar to any other application for immigration to Canada, Permanent residence through family sponsorship could easily be denied or rejected based on (but not limited to):
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Ineligibility to Sponsor.
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Ineligibility to be Sponsored.
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Application filed while the permanent resident was residing outside Canada.
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Undeclared Family members.
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Misrepresentation in the Application Form.
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Inadmissibility to Canada.
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Medical or health ineligibility.
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Etc...
How Can I Avoid a Canadian Immigration Refusal?
Refusal or denial can be painful and stressful. Most people think that they know what they're doing and will do it right. Not all of them can actually claim that they will not make a mistake. Immigration applications to Canada are a 1-time opportunity. A mistake can lead to irreparable damage to your profile. Therefore, you may want to consider hiring a professional immigration consultant who has the knowledge and expertise in matters of Canadian immigration laws.
Contact us now to connect with our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC).