Sponsorship in Canada
An immigration sponsorship is when Canadian citizens and permanent residents sponsor family,which enables them to immigrate to Canada.
Who Can Receive a Canadian Sponsorship?
The applicant can be sponsored if they fall into one of the categories below. Once sponsored, the applicant can later apply to become a permanent resident of Canada, along with the applicant’s dependent children.
Spousal Sponsorship
When applying for a spousal sponsorship, here are a few things to keep in mind.
If the applicant and sponsor:
- Got married in Canada, they need to have a marriage certificate issued by the city or territory they got married in
- Got married outside of Canada, the marriage must be legally recognized in that country and under Canadian law
Important: A marriage certificate itself does not prove that the marriage is genuine. Providing your marriage certificate in the submission is a requirement, it does not guarantee approval.
- A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
- At least 18 years of age
- Sign a sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Government to financially support the spouse or partner
- Must not align with certain defined Canadian Immigration regulations that makes you ineligible to sponsor. A few examples of this are listed below:
- Did not meet the terms of a sponsorship agreement in the past
- Did not pay alimony or child support even though a court ordered its
- Got social assistance for reasons other than being disabled
- Have been charged of a serious criminal offense or sexual assault
- Were sponsored as a spouse or common-law in the past and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago
- Have declared bankruptcy which has yet to be discharged
Common-Law Partner Sponsorship Requirements
When applying for a common-law partner immigration sponsorship, here are a few things to keep in mind.
The applicant and sponsor will
- Need to prove that they have a household together and that their affairs are combined.
- The common-law partner can be of the same or opposite sex
Please find a list below of certain documentation that can help prove that the applicant and sponsor’s relationship is genuine:
- Joint back accounts or credit cards
- Joint ownership of a home
- Joint residential leases
- Joint rental receipts
- Joint registration or payment of utilities (electricity, gas, telephone bills)
- Joint management of household expenses
- Joint purchases, especially of household items
- Mail addressed to either person or both people at the same address
A sponsor must be:
- A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
- At least 18 years of age
- Sign a sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Government to financially support the spouse or partner
- Must not align with certain defined Canadian Immigration regulations that makes you ineligible to sponsor. A few examples of this are listed below:
- Did not meet the terms of a sponsorship agreement in the past
- Did not pay alimony or child support even though a court ordered its
- Got social assistance for reasons other than being disabled
- Have been charged of a serious criminal offense or sexual assault
- Were sponsored as a spouse or common-law in the past and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago
Have declared bankruptcy which has yet to be discharged
Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship
When applying to sponsor parents or grandparents, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Before starting the application process, the sponsor needs to be invited to apply. The invitation is sent after an intake process. This intake process usually opens at the beginning of the year and stays open for a limited time.
- After being invited, an application for permanent residency can be submitted within a certain time frame provided
- Is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
Dependant Child Sponsorship
When applying for a dependant child sponsorship, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- A person can sponsor a dependent child who is of 21 years of age or less
- If applying for a spousal immigration sponsorship for an applicant who already has dependant child at the time of the marriage, the dependant child can also be added into the application
- In the above situation, the applicant must fill out the information and complete any medical exams at the same time as the initial spousal sponsorship
There are situations when the dependant child is non-accompanying. However, in case they change their mind later, the paperwork and medical exams must be completed at the time of the initial spousal sponsorship. If the applicant does not get the medical exams for the dependant child completed, the dependant child will not be considered as part of the family, and it will not be possible to sponsor them in the future.
Orphaned Child and Sibling Sponsorship
Relatives such as a brother/sister, nephew/niece, or grandchildren, can be sponsored under very specific situations. All the requirements listed below must be met
The person being sponsored:
- Must be related to the sponsor by blood or adoption
- Has lost both parents (orphan)
- Is less than 18 years of age
- Is single
The person cannot be sponsored if:
- Whereabouts of the parents is unknown
- No proof of the parents’ passing
Close Extended Family Immigration Sponsorship
There are two types of people that can fall under this category. These people must meet certain criteria to be eligible to be sponsored under this program.
- Does not have a living relative that can be sponsored, such as a spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, grandparent, orphaned nephew/niece, orphaned grandchild
- Does not have any relatives, including aunts and uncles, living in Canada who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
One de facto family member, a person who does not meet the definition of a family member class, can be sponsored if there exists compelling H&C reasons to allow them to immigrate to Canada:
- Dependency should be bona fide; there is a genuine need for the applicant to be sponsored
- Impact of separation if the application is not successful
- Level of dependency, duration, and stability of the relationship
- The ability and willingness of the family in Canada to provide support
- Details of other options, such as applicant’s family outside of Canada who are able and willing to provide support
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