Canada Sponsorship Services

Immigration Attorney / Consultant

Family / Spousal Sponsorship Immigration Canada

Family Sponsorship Program

For a Canadian permanent resident or a citizen with a family member who wishes to immigrate to Canada, they may be able to help them immigrate to Canada and become permanent resident. Family reunification is one of the most important component of the Canadian immigration system. The family class sponsorship program reunites families by allowing adult permanent residents or citizens to be able to sponsor a relative for immigration to Canada. To be eligible, the person seeking sponsorship must be spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, grandparent, parent, dependent, sibling, niece or grandchildren (under 18) who is unmarried and whose parents are deceased.

The person sponsored must live outside Canada, unless they are residing legally in Canada temporarily. For example, with a work permit or study permit.

A sponsor must be an adult Canadian permanent resident or citizen over the age of 18. A sponsor must reside in Canada, unless they are a citizen currently living abroad and planning to reside in Canada once the sponsored individual arrives.

An individual may not sponsor if they:

Are in prison

Are subject to a removal order

Are in the process of bankruptcy

Receive social assistance from the government (except for disability)

Have been convicted of (or attempted/threatened to commit) an offence of a violent or sexual nature, or resulting in bodily harm of a family member

Have failed to pay child support payments

Have failed to pay back immigration loans, or have made late or missed payments

Have sponsored a family member in the past and failed to meet the terms

Have sponsored a previous spouse or partner who has not been a permanent resident for more than 3 years

Were themselves sponsored and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago

Sponsorship Agreement

Importantly, the sponsor must agree to financially support their family member in case if their relative is not able to fulfill their own needs. This is to ensure that the new permanent resident will not require government assistance. The length of this financial obligation depends on the individual being sponsored:

Spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner: 3 years

Dependent child: 10 years OR when the child reaches age 22 (whichever comes first); 3 years for a dependent child over age 22.

Parent or grandparent: 20 years

Note that this financial obligation does not disappear if the sponsored person becomes a citizen, divorces or separates from the sponsor, or moves away from Canada.