You are eligible to sponsor certain close family members from other countries if you hold the title of a Canadian Citizen or are a Permanent Resident in Canada and must be 18 years of age or older. These family members are entitled to a Permanent Resident Status within Canada. You need to provide financial support for a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for a minimum of three years from the date they become a permanent resident. Financial support also needs to be provided for a dependent child for 10 years or until the child turns 25 years of age, whichever happens first. The sponsor needs to show that he or she has sufficient income and/or assets to support their family members upon arrival to Canada without requiring social assistance.
Persons that can be sponsored under the Family Class include:
⚫ Spouse:
A spouse is defined as a husband or wife that is legally married to one another. If the marriage did not occur in Canada, it needs to be legal in the country where it occurred; this will be accepted by Canadian Immigration Authorities. The sponsor must sign an undertaking, promising to give financial support for the basic needs of your spouse or partner and their dependent children. The length of undertaking is 3 years from the day your spouse, common- law partner or conjugal partner becomes a permanent resident.
⚫ Common-law partner:
The individual and the sponsor have lived together continuously for a minimum of one year in a conjugal relationship. A conjugal relationship is one that is defined as a “marriage- like” relationship.
⚫ Conjugal Partner:
An individual that has been in a genuine committed and interdependent relationship with the sponsor for a minimum of one year. A “marriage-like” relationship but due to external circumstances have not been able to live together. This category is NOT intended as a type of fiancée visa, rather it is an exception category for individuals who have not been able to marry or live with one another.
⚫ Dependent child:
Dependent children under the age of 22 who are unmarried and residing in another country are eligible for sponsorship. The exception for children over the age of 22 is that since reaching the age of 22 or from the date they were married, they have remained as a full-time student with financial dependency on the sponsor. If you are sponsoring a dependent child under 22 years of age the length of undertaking is 10 years from the day your dependent child under 22 years of age becomes a permanent resident, or until the child becomes 25 years old, whichever comes first.
⚫ Parent and grandparent super visa
A super visa lets your parent and grandparent to visit your children or grandchildren for up to 5 years at a time. It’s a visa that provides multiple entries for a period up to 10 years. When they enter Canada, a border services officer will confirm how long you can stay. Proof of financial support (proof of funds) and minimum $100,000 worth valid medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company is needed.
⚫ Sponsor parents and grandparents
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption with their spouse and dependent children. In case of divorce, you’ll need to submit separate applications if you sponsor divorced parents and grandparents. If your divorced parents or grandparents have a current spouse, common-law partner or a conjugal partner, these people become dependent on the application and can immigrate to Canada with your parents and grandparents, if approved. In the application, you can include your brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters, or stepbrothers and stepsisters only if they qualify as dependent children. You must meet the income requirements for all the people you want to sponsor and their dependents (spouse, partner, and children). They may require submitting medical exams, police certificates and biometrics.
⚫ Orphans:
An orphan is an individual whose parents both are deceased. An orphaned sibling (brother or sister), niece or nephew and/or grandchild can be sponsored if they are under the age of 18 and are unmarried.
⚫ Adopted Children:
You can sponsor a child from another country for adoption, you must: be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident (if you do not currently reside in Canada, you must do so when the adopted child becomes a permanent resident); live in Canada; and. Be at least 18 years old. Depending on the child’s country of origin, the process may take two years or longer. Adoption cases are processed on a priority basis.
⚫ Other Relatives:
You may be able to sponsor certain relatives to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class In the circumstance that the sponsor does not have a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, child, parents, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, nephew or niece living in Canada and no relative living abroad who may be sponsored under the regular categories mentioned above, they may sponsor any other relative regardless of their age. You must support your relative financially when they arrive and be able to meet basic needs for yourself and your relative, such as: food, shelter, clothing and make sure your relative doesn’t need social assistance. Government Fees on April 30, 2022: Sponsor a child: from $150 / Sponsor an adult (22 years or older): from $1,080
