Family Sponsorship
Eligibility:
To be eligible for Family Class Sponsorship, a person wishing to immigrate to Canada needs to have a close relative to sponsor them. That relative must be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident and meet the family class sponsorship requirements. Sponsors must be at least 18 years of age
The sponsor must be a:
- spouse, common-law partner (living together in a relationship for at least 1 year) or conjugal partner (In a relationship for at least a year and have been prevented from living together or marrying)
- parent or grandparent
- dependant child (under 22, financially dependant on you because of disability, or a full-time student)
- brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild who is orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
- intended adopted child under 18
- other relative (only if the sponsor has none of the above relatives
Applicants must go through medical, criminal and background screening. When you sponsor a relative you must promise to support them financially and must meet certain income requirements.
In order to be a sponsor you must :
- sign a sponsorship agreement along with your sponsored relative committing to support them financially and that they will make every effort to support themselves.
- provide this financial support for a spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner for 3 years from the date they become a permanent resident
- you must provide financial support for a dependant child for 10 years or until they turn 25, whichever comes first.
You will be ineligible to be a sponsor if:
- you have failed to provide financial support for a previous sponsored relative
- defaulted on a court-ordered support order (example: child support or alimony)
- eceived government financial assistance, other than for a disability
- were convicted of a violent criminal offence – depending on the circumstances
- defaulted on an immigration loan (late or missed payments)
- are in prison
- have declared bankruptcy and have not yet been released
- in Quebec you must also meet Quebec immigration sponsorship requirements