Family Sponsorship
A Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada can sponsor their spouse, conjugal or common-law partner, dependent child (including adopted child) or other eligible relatives to become a permanent resident under the Family Class. Sponsored spouses or partners must live together in a legitimate relationship for two years from the day they receive permanent residence status.
Applicants under family sponsorship do not have to meet the point system or discretionary selection criteria used in the other application categories. There are two different processes for sponsoring your family under the family class. One process is used for sponsoring your spouse, conjugal or common-law partner and or dependent children. There is another application that is used to sponsor other eligible relatives.
Family Sponsorship Program Requirements
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who live in Canada can sponsor their loved ones and help them to get a Permanent Resident Spouse Visa for Canada through the Family Class program.
Who can be sponsored for a Canadian spouse visa?
As a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident you may sponsor a spouse or common-law partner or conjugal partner and his/her dependent children. Your partner (husband or wife) can be either of the opposite sex or same sex.
Spouse:You are a spouse if you are married to your sponsor and your marriage is legally valid.
Common Law Partner: You are a common-law partner -either of the opposite sex or same sex - if you have been living together in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.
Conjugal Partner: This category is for partners -either of the opposite sex or same sex- in exceptional circumstances beyond their control that prevent them from qualifying as common-law partners or spouses by living together.
Subjectivity plays an important part in Canadian spousal sponsorships. Errors or omissions could delay your spouse visa application or even lead to refusals. Therefore it is important to prepare your application carefully at the time of filling for sponsorship.
The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa (PGSV) is a temporary resident permit that allows parents and grandparents to stay for up to 2 years in Canada per visit.It is a long-term, multiple-entry visa for parents and grandparents of permanent residents or Canadian citizens. A regular multiple-entry visa only allows stays of up to 6 months per visit.
Who is eligible for this visa?
This visa is for parents and grandparents of permanent residents or Canadian citizens. The parent or grandparent must be considered admissible to Canada and meet other conditions. For example, applicants need a letter of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada, who meets the minimum required income.
Applicants also need to purchase and show proof of Canadian medical insurance that meets the minimum requirements and covers them for at least 1 year. The process is different if the parent or grandparent is from a country where a visa is required to enter Canada as a visitor.
You may be eligible to sponsor adopted children and other relatives living outside of Canada if:
- The person you want to sponsor is a member of the family class. If they are not, you will be not be able to sponsor them;
- You are 18 years of age or older;
- You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- You reside in Canada;
- You sign an undertaking promising to provide for the basic requirements of the person being sponsored and, if applicable, his or her family members;
- You and the sponsored person sign an agreement that confirms that each of you understands your mutual obligations and responsibilities; and
- You have an income that is at least equal to the minimum necessary income that Canadian government determines each year. This is also known as the "Low Income Cut-Off" or "LICO."
The LICO income is based on your Gross Annual Income. You have to provide Citizenship and Immigration Canada with documents that show your financial resources for the past 12 months and prove you are financially able to sponsor members of the family class. You may get the help of a cosigner.
Who is eligible to be sponsored?
You can sponsor relatives or family members under this class if they are:
- A child whom you adopted outside Canada and you were a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada at the time the adoption took place, or a child whom you intend to adopt in Canada
- Your brother or sister, nephew or niece, grandson or granddaughter, if he or she is an orphan, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
Professional immigration consultants, the ones you can really trust, work in a tightly regulated industry with strict standards of conduct and accountability. Do your homework. Go to the website of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) and make sure the consultant you hire is currently a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in good standing. Don’t put your self at the mercy of unauthorized representatives who will happily take your money and leave you on your own at the first sign of complications.
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