Tips for Parental Sponsorship

Submitting an application to sponsor your grandparent  or parent can be a stressful endeavor. Many of our clients have an easy enough time locating application forms online but have no idea where to start with respect to gathering documents.

Akrami & Associates will guide you every step of the way with this.

If you intend on submitting your application without the support of a representative, there are a couple of factors you should keep in mind.

Eligibility

You may not be eligible to be a sponsor if you:

• did not meet the terms of a sponsorship agreement in the past,
• did not pay alimony or child support even though a court ordered it,
• get government financial help for reasons other than being disabled,
• were convicted of
  • an offence of a sexual nature,
  • a violent crime,
  • an offence against a relative that resulted in bodily harm or
  • an attempt or threat to commit any such offences, depending on the details of the case, such as
    • the type of offence,
    • how long ago it occurred and
    • whether a record suspension was issued

Finances

Unlike the other sponsorship types, parental and grandparental sponsorship has a financial requirement. This requirement is called the “minimum necessary income” and is based on the “low income cut off” or LICO. The LICO is based on statistics gathered by Statistics Canada and is an income threshold below which a family will likely devote a larger share of its income to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than an average family would. The current LICO is below:

Documentation

The documentation you submit for a parental or grandparental sponsorship is different than typical sponsorships in the sense that, in addition to the other requirements, you will need to demonstrate your financial ability. This can be done by submitting banking information, statements of income, pay stubs, taxation information as well as proof of any assets you may have. An officer will refuse you if you do not meet the low-income cut-off. Aside from this, civil identity documents to demonstrate the relationship between you and your parents/grandparents will be required.