| You can sponsor close family members living abroad, including :Parents Grandparents Children adopted outside of Canada or intended to be adopted in Canada Brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, grandsons or granddaughters who are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner;Any other family member if there is no spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, niece or nephew who is a Canadian citizen, registered Indian or permanent resident or whom you may sponsor.If you want to be re-united in Canada with a relative or family member living abroad, you must sponsor that relative or family member to immigrate as a member of the Family Class. Free Online Assessment |
There are two different processes for sponsoring family. One process is used for sponsoring spouse, conjugal or common-law partner and/or dependent children. Another process is used to sponsor other eligible relatives.
As of November 5, 2011, no new applications to sponsor parents or grandparents will be accepted for processing for up to 24 months. This temporary pause will allow those applicants who are already awaiting a decision and reduce the backlog in the parents and grandparents category. This does not affect sponsorship applications for spouses, partners, dependent or adopted children and other eligible relatives.
Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents have a new option for visiting Canada. As of December 1, 2011, they may be eligible to apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa and enjoy visits to Canada of up to two years without the need to renew status.
Who can sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child
One can sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children if he/she is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. To be a sponsor, person must be 18 years of age or older.
You can apply as a sponsor if your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or accompanying dependent children live with you in Canada, even if they do not have legal status in Canada. However, all the other requirements must be met.
You can also apply as a sponsor if your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children live outside Canada, and if they meet all the requirements.
When you sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada, you must promise to support them financially. Therefore, you have to meet certain income requirements. If you have previously sponsored relatives to come to Canada and they have later turned to the government for financial assistance, you may not be allowed to sponsor another person.
To be a sponsor you and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits you to provide financial support for your relative for three years from the date they become a permanent resident;You must provide financial support for a dependent child for 10 years, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.
You may not be eligible to be a sponsor if you failed to provide financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor another relative in the past;defaulted on a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support
It is usually faster to apply to sponsor a spouse from outside Canada. However, the requirements to immigrate to Canada are the same in both cases, except some differences between the processes: