Canada Family Sponsorship Program

The Canadian way of life lays great emphasis on family and its value. As a result, the Canadian government came up with several programs to support people’s wish for family reunification when they have already immigrated to Canada. So, if you are one of those applicants who have got your permanent residency and is considering bringing your family to Canada, then the Family Sponsorship Program is for you.

Who is the Sponsor and who are the people that can be sponsored under this Program?

We have used the word ‘sponsor’ several times in this article before. Do you know what is meant by the term under this program?

Moreover, as already mentioned, family members like spouse/partner, dependent children, parents, grandparents, siblings, nephews/nieces can be sponsored. We all know about parents and grandparents. But there might be confusion about people who come under the ‘Spouse’ and ‘Dependent Children’ category.

So, let us get to know a few details on this.

Who can Sponsor?

In simple words, a sponsor must be a Canadian permanent resident or citizen over the age of 18. He/she must reside in Canada unless they are a citizen currently living abroad due to certain reasons and planning to live in Canada once the sponsored individual arrives.

Who is a Spouse/Partner?

Individuals under these categories are eligible for sponsorship:

Spouse: A person who is legally married in the country of origin and under Canadian law.

Common-law partner: A person who has lived for at least 1 year of uninterrupted cohabitation.

Conjugal partner: Conjugal partner who has a relationship for at least 12 months where the couple is prevented from living together due to immigration barriers, religious reasons, sexual orientation. But, the relationship needs to have permanence and commitment similar to marriage or common-law.

Same-sex relationships: Same-sex relationships are considered valid for immigration purposes under these categories.

• Who is a Dependent Child?

A child/children of the sponsor or the sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner, can be considered a dependent child if they are not yet 22 years of age and are single.

Children can be considered dependents if they have been relying on their parents for financial support before they turn 22, and are still (after they are 22 or above) unable to financially support themselves due to certain mental or physical conditions.

Children in the sole custody of a previous spouse are still considered dependent children, and this should be declared on the sponsorship application.

Requirements:

To be a sponsor

There are certain conditions that can make you a sponsor. They are:

• You must be 18 years of age or older and a Canadian citizen or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident of Canada.
• You and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement. This agreement will prove that you are committed to providing financial support for your relative, if necessary. It also mentions that the person becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support herself or himself.
• You must provide financial support for a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for three years from the date they become a permanent resident.
• You must provide financial support for a dependent child for 10 years, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.

There are certain circumstances when you cannot be a sponsor. They are listed below:

• If the sponsor is in prison for being convicted of (or attempted/threatened to commit) an offence of a violent or sexual nature resulting in bodily harm of a family member.
• The sponsor is subject to a removal order.
• The sponsor is on the verge of bankruptcy
• The person receives social assistance from the government (except for disability) himself/herself.
• The sponsor has failed to pay child support payments or pay back immigration loans, or have made late or missed payments.
• The person has sponsored a family member earlier and had failed to meet the terms or has sponsored a previous spouse or partner who has not been a permanent resident for more than 3 years.
• The sponsor was himself/herself sponsored and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago

Fees

The Canadian government needs you to pay for sponsorship and processing fees for Family Class applications. Moreover, there is a “Right of Permanent Residence Fee” for every sponsored relative who is not a dependent child. While the processing fee is not refundable, the Right of Permanent Fee is the only fee that will be refunded if the application is withdrawn or refused.

Sponsorship Agreement

One of the noted requirements is that the sponsor must agree to financially support their family member if their relative cannot provide for their own needs. Again, it is to ensure that the new permanent resident will not become dependent on government assistance.

The length of this financial responsibility depends on the individual being sponsored:

Spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner : 3 years

Dependent child: 10 years OR when the child reaches age 22 (whichever comes first); 3 years for a dependent child over age 22.

Parent or grandparent: 20 years

The financial obligation will not be removed if the sponsored person becomes a citizen, divorces or separates from the sponsor, or moves away from Canada.

Medical exam

The sponsored individual is required to submit the results of a medical exam at the time of application, including biometrics for the applicants. This requires a certain amount of money to be paid with the application.

Police Certificates

Applicants and each family member over age 18 must submit police certificates from the country where they have lived most of their life, in addition to any country where they resided for more than 6 months. It is to prove that they will not cause any harm to the country or have been a part of some illegal actions.

It is estimated that in 2021, Canada plans on reuniting 300, 000 – 410, 000 family members through the Family Sponsorship Program. So, if you have been waiting for that moment, go ahead and submit your application.