Family Sponsorship
Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who are 18 years of age or older can sponsor their spouse or dependent children to come to Canada as a permanent resident providing that you are able to support them financially when they arrive in Canada. When you apply to sponsor your spouse or dependent children they may live outside Canada or live with you in Canada, even if they don’t have legal status in Canada. Sponsorship of other relatives such as parents, grandparents, brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons is possible under conditions that are described in related section.
Who can sponsor?
A sponsor must be over 18 years old and must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. By signing an agreement the sponsor commits to financially support his or her relatives in case it is necessary. The duration of this monetary support is 3 years and 10 years for spouse and dependent children respectively (note that whenever the dependent children turns 25, the duration of financial support ends). The financial support of other relatives may last 3 to 10 years (depending on their age and relationship to the sponsor). The agreement is also signed by the sponsored relative and by signing the agreement he or she commits to make every effort to support himself/herself (relatives under age 22 do not need to sign the agreement).
A person who meets all above requirements may still not be eligible to be a sponsor if he or she:
A sponsor must be over 18 years old and must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. By signing an agreement the sponsor commits to financially support his or her relatives in case it is necessary. The duration of this monetary support is 3 years and 10 years for spouse and dependent children respectively (note that whenever the dependent children turns 25, the duration of financial support ends). The financial support of other relatives may last 3 to 10 years (depending on their age and relationship to the sponsor). The agreement is also signed by the sponsored relative and by signing the agreement he or she commits to make every effort to support himself/herself (relatives under age 22 do not need to sign the agreement).
A person who meets all above requirements may still not be eligible to be a sponsor if he or she:
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signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor another relative in the past and failed to provide financial support when it was necessary;
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defaulted on a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support;
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received government financial assistance for reasons other than a disability;
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was convicted of a criminal offence - depending on circumstances such as the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred and whether a pardon was issued;
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defaulted on an immigration loan—late or missed payments;
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is in prison; or
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has declared bankruptcy and have not been released from it yet
Sponsoring Spouse and dependent children
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Spouse: A spouse (wife or husband) is a person who is legally married to the sponsor. If the marriage occurred in Canada there must be a marriage certificate issued by the province or territory where the marriage was held. The marriage that occurred outside Canada must be valid regarding Canada law and the law of the country where it occurred. Spouse’s age must not be under the age of 16. The sponsor (or the person who is sponsored as spouse) must not be married to someone else at the time of his/her marriage. In addition, the sponsor and the spouse must not be lived apart more than one year.
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Dependant Children: Only dependant children can be sponsored to come to Canada as permanent resident. The term “dependent” here means children who are unmarried and under the age of 22. Though, a child who is married or is over the age of 22 may be eligible to be sponsored if he or she :
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has remained full-time student and has been financially dependent on a parents since reaching the age of 22 or since marriage
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is financially dependent on a parent since reaching the age of 22
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Sponsoring other relatives
Some other relatives than spouse and dependent children are eligible to be sponsored receive Canada residency. These relatives are:
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parents
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grandparents
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brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons who are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
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another relative of any age or relationship if none of the above relatives could be sponsored, and you have no other relatives who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
Learn more:
FAQs – Family Sponsorship
FAQs – Family Sponsorship
For more information contact us
If you are Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and are interested in sponsoring your spouse, children or other relatives to come to Canada as a permanent resident, the Immigration Bureau & Legal Services of Mozhgan Rahmani can help you as a knowledgeable and reliable consultant.
or ask us your questions using the Ask a Free Question section of this website.
