Who can become a sponsor

To be eligible to become a sponsor and help your loved ones immigrate to Canada, you must meet the following criteria:

• are over 18 years of age;
• are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• prove that you do not receive social assistance from the government (except for disability);
• be able to provide for the basic needs of the sponsored person (food, shelter, clothing, etc.).

If you are a Canadian citizen living outside of Canada, you must show that you will be living in Canada when your sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.
When you apply, you will need to complete and sign a form that includes 2 basic requirements for family reunification:

1. Commitment (undertaking):

To provide financial support to your family members from the time they become permanent residents of Canada;
repay any social assistance from a province or territory that your sponsored family members receive during this time.

2. A sponsorship agreement under which:

• you will provide for the basic needs of your family members;
• the person you are sponsoring will make every effort to support themselves and their family members.

Income Requirement

In most cases, it is not necessary to prove income to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child. It is only required in the following cases:

• you are sponsoring a child who has a child of his or her own;
• you are sponsoring a spouse or partner who has a child and that child has a child of his or her own.

In these situations, you must show the minimum required annual income. It depends on the size of the family:

Who cannot be a sponsor

You cannot sponsor a spouse, partner or child if:

• are temporarily in Canada: tourism, study, work;
• you have applied for permanent residency but it is still being processed;
• do not have the means to support the people you plan to sponsor (if applicable in your case);
• have already applied to sponsor the person and a decision on the application has not yet been made;
• have not paid back money for an immigration loan;
• have not paid court-ordered child support. If paid and settled, you may be able to sponsor the person;
• have not financially supported a person you have sponsored before;
• have been declared bankrupt;
• have been convicted of attempting, threatening or committing a violent criminal offense, any crime against a relative, or any sex offense inside or outside of Canada;
• are in prison;
• are unable to remain lawfully in Canada.

You may not be eligible to sponsor your spouse or partner if:

• have been sponsored by a spouse or civil partner yourself and it has not been 5 years since you became a permanent resident;
• you are still financially responsible for the previous spouse or partner you sponsored.

Requirements for sponsored family members

Your parents, grandparents and their dependents must provide:

• completed forms and required documents;
• any additional information that may be requested during application processing, including:
• medical examination results;
• a police certificate;
• biometrics.

Spouse
Can be of either gender and also:

• is legally married to you;
• 18 years of age or older.
• civil partner

Can be of any gender, and also:

• is not legally married to you;
• 18 years of age or older;
• has lived with you for at least 1 consecutive year without a long separation. This relationship will need to be proven.

Dependent child

Children may be considered dependents if they meet the following requirements:

• they are under 22 years of age;
• they do not have a spouse or civil partner.

Children 22 years of age or older are considered dependents if they meet the following requirements:

• are unable to financially support themselves due to a mental or physical condition;
• have been dependent on their parents for financial support since age 22.

To check if your child is a dependent under Canadian standards, you can check the official website at this link.

When sponsoring only your dependent child:

• it is worth considering that if you are a Canadian citizen, he or she may also be a Canadian citizen, even if born in another country. You cannot sponsor a child who is already a citizen;
• if you are sponsoring only your child without a spouse or civil partner, you must list the child as the main applicant on the application. You will also need to show that the other parent or legal guardian agrees to the child's immigration;
• if your child has a child of their own (your grandchild), they must also be listed as a dependent.

When sponsoring a spouse or partner and his or your common child:

• the application must list the spouse or partner as the primary applicant and the child as a dependent;
• if the child has a child of his or her own, the child must be listed on the application.

Processing time and fees for the Family Sponsorship Canada program

Processing time for spouse or partner reunification in Canada is about 12 months, for a child it depends on the country.

Step-by-step sponsorship process

To apply for sponsorship, you must submit 2 applications at the same time: the first to sponsor you and the second to sponsor your spouse, partner or child permanently.

There are 3 main steps in the spouse, partner or child sponsorship process:

1. Prepare an application pack.


It is available at this link. It includes:

• a list of documents for you and the people you want to sponsor;
• forms for you and the people you want to sponsor to fill out;
• instructions to help you and your family members fill out the forms correctly.

2. Before submitting, be sure that:

• you are eligible to be a sponsor;
• you have listed all family members (spouse or partner and children and children's children);
• all information on the application is true;
• the application is completely filled out.

3- Pay fees.

In most cases, fees will include:

• sponsorship fee;
• a fee for permanent residency in Canada;
• biometrics fee.

All fees must be paid online at this link. You can also calculate the fees for your specific situation there.

You will also face additional costs for:

Passing a medical examination;
obtaining a police certificate in some situations;
shipping the application package to Canada;
translation of documents.

4. Apply.

Having prepared all the necessary documents and forms, it is required to send them by regular mail or courier to Canada for consideration.

After submitting the application, as well as paying the fees, your family members will be sent letters asking them to provide biometric data. Within 30 days of this, they will be required to submit the biometrics, taking these letters with them.

Also during the processing of your application, a request for a medical examination will be sent to your family members. It must be completed by your spouse or partner and dependent child, even if you are not sponsoring them on the current application.

Any changes in your family situation must be reported to Immigration Canada. These changes include:

• birth or adoption of children;
• marriage or divorce;
• death of the applicant or a dependent.