A family reunion is the second most common reason for Canadian immigration. You may be eligible to sponsor family members to join you if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. However, if you are in Canada temporarily as a student or worker, you may be eligible to bring your family with you!
To be viable as a sponsor, you need to be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act, or a permanent resident. You also need to meet an income and financial threshold and have enough space for your spouse or partner to live with you in your house or apartment. Similarly, if you’re living without a partner you must have enough money for your family members to account for the household’s financial needs.
This is known as Family Sponsorship, and it is the second-largest type of Canadian immigration, trailing only economic immigration. Under family sponsorship, three types of family members are eligible:
- Spouse or common-law partner
- Dependent children
- Parents or grandparents
1. Spouse or Common-Law Partner
You can petition for your spouse or common-law partner to become a permanent resident of Canada. This includes:
- Your spouse or common-law partner
- Your same-sex partner
- A conjugal partner (a relationship with a partner living outside of Canada). This is only if the conjugal relationship is not punishable as a crime in Canada.
A common-law partner is an adult of any gender who is not legally married to you but has lived with you for at least 12 consecutive months without any breaks. Any time apart should have been short and temporary. You will be required to provide documentation of your common-law relationship.
Conjugal partners are people who live outside Canada who are not legally married to you or in a common-law relationship with you for 12 consecutive months. They must also not live with you in their country of residence or marry you because of significant legal and immigration reasons accepted by Canada.
To sponsor a spouse or partner, they would have been included in your application for permanent residence, be at least 18 years or older. Furthermore, they must be legally married to you or have a valid common-law relationship. They also need to live at the same address as you. In addition, you can also sponsor their children’s immigration.
2. Dependent Children
Any biological or legally adopted child you have under 22 can be sponsored as a permanent resident of Canada. You can also sponsor your legal stepchildren for permanent residency. To sponsor your children, they have to:
- Be included in your permanent residency application.
- Be under the age of 22 with proof of age.
- Be unmarried.
- Live with you and be economically dependent on you.
- Have met all of the requirements for getting a visa, passport, or travel documents.
- Health coverage.
3. Parents or Grandparents
You can sponsor your parents or grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada. To sponsor a parent or grandparent, they have to:
- Be included in your permanent residency application.
- Be your parent or grandparent, with legal proof.
- Be able to live with you.
- Have health coverage.
- Get financial support from you.
What to Expect
To show they meet the eligibility requirements, your spouse, partner, dependent child and their dependent children (if applicable), you must provide all required forms and documents with their application. This includes any additional information requested during processing, like medical exams and biometrics.
To sponsor your family to immigrate to Canada, you must fill out a “Permanent Resident Application.” The process for sponsoring your family may differ depending on whether your family members are in Canada or not.
Moreover, depending on your case and the type of family members you want to sponsor, the process for bringing them to Canada will be different.
Conclusion
Sponsoring your family to come to Canada is a big responsibility. You have to prove you can financially support them. If you don’t meet the income threshold, the immigration officer may not approve your application. Be prepared to provide evidence or documents. Contact your local IRCC office if you have any questions about sponsorship applications.
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If you’re looking for professional help from a trusted firm, please contact us at info@brightimmigration.com or call 1-888-404-8472.