Components of Canadian family sponsorship?

Sponsorship has two major components:

• It enables a member of your family to immigrate to Canada and get permanent residence (PR).
• It requires you, as an individual, to commit to meeting basic necessities and financially supporting that person.

Can I participate as a sponsor?

To sponsor a family member, you must meet various qualifications, including being:

• A citizen of Canada or a permanent resident of Canada
• 18 years of age or older
• 18 years of age or older

Who am I able to sponsor?

• Common-law partners and spouses
• Children who are dependent
• Grandparents and parents

However, there are several exceptions to this restriction, and it may be acceptable to sponsor a non-immediate family member (such as a sister, niece, or uncle) if:

• You do not have any other direct family members to sponsor.
• You have legally adopted them and they are a dependent child.

What is the minimum income required to sponsor?

You must sign a Sponsorship Agreement with your sponsored family member as a sponsor. This is your promise to offer financial help for the person you are sponsoring’s basic necessities (food, clothes, shelter, and health needs not covered by public health services).

For several forms of sponsorships, you must also meet or surpass the Low Income Cut-off (LICO), for example, if you:

• You are supporting a spouse or partner who has a dependent kid with one or more children of their own
• You are sponsoring a dependent child with one or more dependent children of their own
• You are sponsoring a parent or grandparent.

If you live in Quebec, you must meet the province’s sponsorship standards, and your income will be evaluated by the Quebec immigration ministry.

What exactly is a sponsorship project?

You will be asked to sign a “undertaking” in which you agree to be legally accountable for the family member you are sponsoring. You will be required to reimburse this money if that family member requires government social assistance.

The undertaking will remain in effect for the duration specified by the family member you are sponsoring and will not be terminated even if circumstances change

The length of the agreement you must sign will be determined by the family member you are supporting and, in the case of young children, their age:

For Quebec citizens, the duration of the undertaking is also determined by the member of the family you are supporting and, in the case of young children, their age:

Who can be included in the applicant’s application for a Canada immigration visa who is sponsored?

The following people can be included in the sponsored person’s application for a Canada immigration visa under family sponsorship programs:

1. The sponsored person’s husband, common-law partner, or conjugal partner
2. The sponsored person’s dependent children
3. The sponsored person’s spouse, common-law partner
4. Conjugal partner’s dependent children
5. The dependent children of the sponsored individual
6. The children of the sponsored person’s husband, common-law partner, or conjugal partner.

How to Request Family Sponsorship?

• Determine whether you are eligible to be a sponsor.
•  Confirm that the relatives you seek to sponsor fit the qualifying requirements.
• You must apply to the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) at the federal level and, if you are a Quebec resident, to the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration at the provincial level (MIFI). You must submit your sponsorship application as well as the applications for permanent residence (PR) status of your family members or relatives jointly. Your PR application will be reviewed once you have been determined to be eligible to sponsor.
• You must pay the application fee for family sponsorship.
•  Deliver your application to the appropriate address. This information can be found in the sponsorship guide, which is accessible for download on the government website.

Sponsor your husband, wife, or common-law partner

Sponsorship by a spouse or common-law partner

You may sponsor if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada:

• Your partner (you are legally married)
• Common-law spouse (you are not legally married but have been living together for at least 12 months in a conjugal relationship).
• Conjugal companion (you are not legally married or in a common-law relationship and they are living outside Canada)

To be eligible for spousal or common-law partner sponsorship, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old, a Canadian permanent resident living in Canada or a Canadian citizen
• Demonstrate your ability to meet the fundamental necessities of yourself and your spouse or partner
• Provide supporting paperwork to demonstrate your actual relationship with the sponsored person.

To be eligible for spousal or common-law partner sponsorship, the sponsored individual must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old and not related to you in any way

Spousal or common-law sponsorship applications are classified into two types

Inland: Because the person you seek to sponsor is currently in Canada, the application can be made from within Canada. This sort of sponsorship enables applicants to remain in Canada while their application for permanent residency is completed.

If the application is made from within Canada, the person you are supporting may apply for an open work visa that would allow them to work for any employer in Canada while the sponsorship application is being reviewed.

Spouses or partners may enter Canada by first filing for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).

Out of the country: The application is made through an Embassy or Consulate in another country.

In this instance, the person you are sponsoring who lives outside of Canada will usually wait for permanent residency out of the country but may join you in Canada.

Sponsor a Dependent Child

You can sponsor dependent children, whether biological or fostered, to come to Canada and live with you as legal residents.

To qualify for sponsorship, minors must meet the following criteria of a dependent child:

• A minor is deemed a dependent if they are under the age of 22 and are not married or in a common-law relationship.
• A child beyond the age of 22 may be classified as dependent if they have a physical or mental disability that prohibits them from supporting themselves.

To be qualified for this program, you must:

• To acquire a visa, you and your child must be authorized by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• You must provide proof of your relationship with the child you are sponsoring, such as a birth or adoption certificate.

Sponsor Parents and Grandparents

Both the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP) and the Super Visa Program allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to welcome their parents and grandparents to Canada.

To be eligible for the Parents and Grandparents Program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• Be at least 18 years old, be the child or grandchild of the person(s) you are sponsoring,
• Meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) required for the size of their family unit and provide Canada Revenue Authority issued notices of evaluation as proof
• Sign a sponsorship agreement that acknowledges your promise to provide for the basic needs of family member(s) for a period of 20 years.
• If you live in Quebec, you must sign an additional agreement.
• By co-signing the undertaking, your spouse or common-law partner can assist you in meeting the income criteria.
• If you have a co-signer who is assisting you in meeting the MNI requirements

The co-signer must meet the same eligibility standards as you, the sponsor. Furthermore, your co-signer must:

• Not being the one being sponsored.
• Have been in a conjugal relationship with you for at least one year.

Program for Super Visas

The Super Visa program permits parents and grandparents to enter Canada on extended multiple-entry visas that can be valid for up to ten years. This program is always open, and you can apply for it at the same time you apply for PGP.

To be eligible for the Super Visa Program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
• Have a letter of invitation signed by your kid or grandchild
• Have medical insurance, and apply for the super visa from outside Canada
• Furthermore, your Canadian kid or grandchild will be required to demonstrate that their household meets the minimum required income

How much does spousal sponsorship cost in Canada?

If you are sponsoring your spouse and they has dependent children, you must pay an extra $150 for each child included on the application.

An extra cost of $289 CAD will be paid if the sponsor resides in Quebec or plans to reside in Quebec when permanent residence is granted.

How can I provide IRCC with proof of my relationship with my partner?

According to IRCC, your evidence should include:

• IMM 5532 questionnaires completed (this is included in your application package)
• If any member of the pair was previously married, evidence of divorce from a past spouse is required.
• If any member of the pair was previously in a common-law relationship with someone else, an IMM 5519 form must be completed.
• If both members of the couple have children in common, long-form birth certificates displaying both parents’ names
• Photographs of the couple
• At least two of the documents listed below (or a written explanation if you are unable to supply documentation from at least two of the following):

• Documentation proving that the couple is in a common-law relationship (such as employment or insurance benefits)
• Evidence of the couple’s shared expenses or financial support
• Proof that friends and/or family are aware of the relationship (letters, social media information showing the relationship is public)

If the couple is living together, they must submit proof of at least two of the following documents (or a written explanation for why they are unable to provide at least two of the above documents):

• Evidence of joint ownership of residential property rental agreement demonstrating the couple’s occupancy of the property evidence of joint utility accounts (such as electricity, gas, telephone, internet)
• Joint credit cards or bank accounts.
• Automobile insurance demonstrating that the couple has both disclosed to the insurance provider that they live at the same address government issued identification demonstrating the same address (such as a driver’s license)
• Other documents supplied to the couple proving their address (such as cellphone bills, pay stubs, financial statements, tax records, insurance policies, etc)

If the couple is not living together, they must provide proof that they formerly lived together for at least one year by submitting the following:

• Evidence that they have been in communication via letters, printed text messages, email, social media conversations
• Other papers prove they have been in contact. This should be no more than ten pages of evidence.
• Flight tickets or boarding cards
• Passport photocopies with stamps are proof that the Canadian citizen or permanent resident has visited their partner.
• If no visits were made, the sponsored individual must provide an explanation in the IMM 5532 questionnaire (Part C, question 4).

What is the cost of sponsoring a family member in Canada?

The amount of money needed will depend on the form of sponsorship you choose and the number of family members you already care for. You will be expected to sign a promise to provide for the family member you are sponsoring’s basic requirements.

In order to be qualified to sponsor, several sponsorship alternatives will additionally require you to demonstrate that you have a minimum income. This is true, for example, of the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program.

You must have earned more than the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) defined by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for each of the three previous taxation years prior to the date you submit your application. Your MNI is calculated using the information in your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment.

Sponsors from the province of Quebec must meet various income restrictions

How long will it take for my sponsorship application to be processed?

• The processing time for spousal sponsorship applications is usually 12 months.
• The processing of dependent child applications differs by nation.
• PGP applications are processed within 20 and 24 months.

Is the sponsor required to enter into any other agreements?

The sponsor is required to engage into a sponsorship agreement with the person being sponsored (s). By signing this agreement, the sponsor offers to provide the “Essential needs” of the sponsored person(s), and the sponsored person(s) promises to work hard to become self-sufficient.

If you do any of the following, you may be ineligible for sponsorship:

• Are incarcerated
• Have not paid your child support payments
• Have filed bankruptcy
• Have not yet been dismissed have defaulted on an immigration loan, made late payments, or defaulted on payments have previously sponsored another relative and have not followed with the requirements of the sponsorship agreement.