IMPORTANT: Whether you are in Edmonton or a different city in Alberta, or anywhere else in Canada, or even in a different country, we can help you with Canadian Family Class Sponsorship.

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What Are The Requirements To Sponsor Family Members To Canada?

The reunification of families is a grand priority for the Canadian Immigration program and there are multiple ways through which this can be done. Sponsors must meet certain criteria before they can sponsor family members.

General requirements include:

1) Being over the age of 18 and being a Canadian Permanent Resident or citizen

2) Signing an undertaking promising to provide the sponsored person’s basic requirements. The length of the undertaking will vary based on who you are sponsoring. See list below¹

3) Signing an agreement with the sponsored person

4) Meeting certain income requirements ²

In addition to the requirements above, sponsors cannot:

1) Be receiving social assistance

2) Be in default of a previous undertaking or support payment

3) Be bankrupt

4) Be subject to a removal order from Canada

5) Have been convicted of a violent or sexual offense against a relative

¹ List 1) Sponsorship length of undertaking

– Spouse or partner: 3 years

– Dependent child under 22: 10 years or until age 25 (whichever comes first)

– Dependent child over 22: 3 years

– Parent/Grandparent: 20 years

– Other relatives: 10 years

² Minimum income will not be a deciding factor for spousal and child sponsorship.

Who Can I Sponsor?

Parents and grandparents Sponsorship

There are 2 ways to invite your parents/grandparents to Canada.

1) The Supervisa is a Temporary Residence Program that allows entry for up to 2 years at a time and is valid for up to 10 years. This is great for those parents and grandparents who might prefer to still reside in their home country. In addition to the requirements listed above, sponsors must purchase valid Medical Insurance. Click here (telephone:+1-780-982-9548) to get the cheapest insurance quotes from multiple companies.

2) Through a lottery system, interested Canadians can sponsor parents for a PR invitation to Canada. The interest form to apply usually opens every year in January / February, while the invitations for PR are sent to the lucky winners in the summer or fall of each year.

To qualify you must meet certain income requirements for the past 3 years. Click here for the latest minimum income cut-off. (https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1445&top=14)

Sponsor spouse or common law partner to Canada

There are 3 definitions of people in this category.

1) Spouses are legally married and have a Marriage Certificate to prove this relationship. You both must have been physically present at the time of marriage. In other words, a Zoom wedding where you are not together, does not count.

2) Common Law Partners are those who cohabit in a marriage-like relationship, without having been married. This relationship needs to have been ongoing for at least 1 year of living together; however, brief periods of separation are acceptable.

3) Conjugal Partners are those who due to circumstances beyond their control cannot be classified as spouse or common law partners. Circumstances can include immigration barriers, legal restrictions or restraints based on religious differences or sexuality. Their relationship needs to have been ongoing for at least 1 year and at the same commitment level as that of spouses or common law couples.

There are 2 types of applications for spousal sponsorship:

1) Inland(inside Canada): If your spouse is already in Canada on a Temporary Visa, you can submit an in-Canada application for PR, alongside an Open Work Permit application.

2) Outside Canada: If your spouse is outside of Canada, this application does not include an Open Work Permit. The benefit of outside Canada sponsorship is that it can be faster for processing.

Sponsor Children to Canada

To sponsor your dependent children, they must be less than 19 years old and not be in a spousal or a common law relationship, OR be over the age of 19 and have been dependant on their parents since before the age of 19, due to not being able to be self-sufficient because of mental or physical conditions.

Both adopted and biological children are included in these definitions.

In the case of adopted children, it must be done in the best interest of the offspring, in accordance with the laws in both countries, and with the consent of the children’s legal guardian. We also help with the immigration part of the adoption application. Contact us to learn more about it.

Brother, Sister, Grandchildren, Niece/Nephew

To sponsor your sibling, brother, sister, grandchildren, or niece/nephew, they must be below 18 years of age, not already married AND be orphaned.

You cannot sponsor a brother or sister that is above 18 directly. They would gain additional points for having you as a Canadian family member, but ultimately, they must qualify on their own merit to come to Canada. Usually this is done through the Express Entry or PNP program pathways.

Sponsoring Other Relatives to Canada

There is a special program made available for people who want to sponsor other relatives.

A Canadian who does not have any relatives as Canadians and cannot sponsor anyone through the traditional pathways listed above (spousal, parents, etc.), is eligible to sponsor 1 relative of any age.

Example:

Person A is an unmarried male and has no kids or relatives in Canada. His parents recently passed away in their home country or else he could have sponsored them through the Parent Sponsorship Program. In this case, he is eligible to sponsor 1 family member, so he decides to sponsor his niece. Normally, he wouldn’t be eligible to sponsor her, as she is over the age of 18 and not orphaned, but because Person A meets the criteria for this special program, he can now sponsor his niece to Canada.

How long does the process take?

The processing time is based on a few factors such as:

– Type of program applied for. In-Canada Spousal sponsorships can take up to 2 years, while out of Canada can be finished within 12 months.

– Country of application. Developing countries can have a slower processing time due to bureaucratic bottlenecks and checking for document authenticity.

– Medical, criminal and personal background of the application.