Sponsoring Family to Canada

Sponsoring Family to Canada for Permanent Residence

If you want to sponsor a family member to come to Canada and become permanent resident the principal applicant and the sponsor have to meet certain requirements to be eligible under the Family Class. One of the main requirements is that the family member (principal applicant) has to go through a medical and police background check and pass the check-ups. One of the main requirements for the sponsor is that he/she must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and be able to support the family member(s) financially when they arrive in Canada. This blog will discuss who you can sponsor under the family class and basic requirements you need to meet to be eligible as the sponsor and applicant.

Who can I sponsor to Canada?

Under the Family Class you are able to sponsor:

• Orphaned close relatives and other relatives depending on the circumstances
• Spouse, common law or conjugal partner
• Parents and Grandparents
• Dependent children

See below for details

Sponsoring Orphaned Close Relatives

You are able to sponsor close relatives if they are related by blood or adoption these can include brother, sisters, nephews, nieces and grandchildren. To be able to sponsor them you have to meet all the conditions listed below:

• They are orphaned
• They are under the age of 18
• They do have a spouse, common law partner, or conjugal partner

Sponsoring other Relatives

You are able to sponsor one relative if they are related by blood or adoption and they can be of any age. The person you are sponsoring cannot be your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner they fall under a different category.

• you can sponsor son or daughter
• you can sponsor parent
• you can sponsor grandparent
• you can brother or sister
• you can sponsor aunt or uncle

The above named relatives cannot be Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian under the Indian Act. The relative you want to sponsor if they have a spouse, partner, or dependent children and like to come to Canada they have to be included in the same sponsorship application.

What if my Relative does not qualify to get sponsored?

If your relative does not meet the requirements to get sponsored they may potentially qualify for permanent residency through the Express Entry as a skilled immigrant. Express Entry manages certain economic immigration programs and picks out qualified applicants for their skills, experience and ability to contribute to Canada economy. Express Entry is point based system the better your score the higher the chance for getting selected. So if you have relatives in Canada you get points for having family members in Canada. Please refer Express Entry blogs for more information.

Sponsoring Spouse/Common Law or Conjugal Partner

You are also able to sponsor your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner to Canada under the Family Class. One thing they all have in common is demonstrating the relationship is genuine and not applying under the category to obtain status in Canada.

When sponsoring your spouse (wife or husband or same-sex partner) to Canada you need to have the main document in hand which is the marriage certificate. You would have to meet the laws of the country in which the marriage took place and the laws of Canada. For example, if you have Nikah certificate which is a form of marriage certificate with most Islamic countries this type of document will not be accepted in Canada. Even though it is recognized in your home country but it has to be recognized in Canada as well, so you have to get the proper marriage certificate for you application to be successful. Some of the documents include civil documents, proof of relationship documents and other documents such police & medical clearances, translation documents etc.

When sponsoring a common-law partner the most important aspect of the application is proving you have resided with your partner 12 months consecutively with short distances apart. This can be done by providing the follow documents:

• Proof of shared bank accounts
• Proof shared credit cards
• Proof of shared lease
• Receipts of shared rental
• Proof utilities shared together such as electricity, gas, phone bills
• Proof of household expenses you share together
• Proof of mail address shared together
• Proof of important documents that get sent to the same address such driver license

Any other documents you feel it shows you been living together. Remember you don’t have to provide every document but the more you provide the better the chance of success.

When sponsoring your conjugal partner you have to provide proof you have attempted to get married or live as common-law partners but you were unable to do so either due to immigration or religious barrier or sexual orientation. Your relationship as conjugal partners must exist for at least at 12 months and it must be a genuine relationship. Let’s us say you are Canadian citizen and fell in love with Pilipino women that is still married to her husband as divorce is not permitted in Philippines and Canada does not accept dual marriages. Under these unique circumstances the couple may qualify under conjugal sponsorship.

Sponsoring Parents or Grandparents

As a Canadian citizens or permanent resident you are able to sponsor your parents or grandparents as long as the requirements are met by the sponsor and applicant. One of the most important requirements for sponsoring a parent is being able to demonstrate you are able to support them financially once they arrive in Canada. This is very important because you will be financially responsible for them for a period of them time. The government of Canada wants to make sure they will not depend on the government for social assistance. Unfortunately, this category closed Feb 2, 2017; the government of Canada randomly selects 10,000 applicants each year. The form will be available from January 3 – February 2, 2018 and they may get selected next year. Duplicate applications get removed and if you get chosen you will get an email telling you have been invited to apply. Once chosen you have 90 days to send your complete application if not chosen then you can show interest for the following year.

Sponsoring Dependent Children

You can sponsor your dependent child as Canadian citizens or permanent resident as long the child meets the definition of dependent child. “A child who depends on their parent (i.e. the principal applicant and/or the sponsor) for financial or other support. A son or daughter is a dependant of their parent when the child is:

• under 19 years old and does not have a spouse or partner or
• 19 years old and over and has depended substantially on the parent’s financial support since before the age of 19 because of a physical or mental condition”

If you are applying for more than one dependent child a complete application form and documents must be submitted for each child. Also, these applications can only be processed from outside of Canada.

Of course there are many other requirements for each category but this blog focus was only on the main requirements. For detailed information on each category refer to our other blogs.

Contact Akrami & Associates

If you are looking to sponsor a loved one to Canada but not sure if you are eligible to sponsor them then contact our office at 416-477-2545 for more information. Akrami & Associates has submitted many successful family sponsorship applications and we love to unite you with your loved ones as well.

With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!