Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor spouses and common-law partners, dependent children, parents and grandparents.
Earlier there was a category known as Conditional Permanent Resident but this has now been removed and replaced with the Canada Family Class because the government is convinced that a majority of the family sponsorship applications are genuine.
Reunification of families is one of the pillars of the immigration system in Canada, because studies show that immigrants are better able to integrate socially and culturally when they have family support. Families also contribute more to the economic well-being of the country, as many couples who immigrate are highly-educated and have some amount of work experience in high paying jobs.
Canada is also regarded as a welcoming, family-friendly country and the immigration policies are designed to align with this aspect.
Benefits of Family Immigration
- Social and economic integration: Communities and diaspora have been the backbone of social and cultural immersion into new cultures and host countries. Families and social/ethnic groups provide enormous support and resources to newcomers in the form of a ready-to-use system that helps them to find suitable jobs, offers psychological, emotional, and sometimes financial
assistance as well. Families form the basis of thriving ethnic communities that add to the multi-cultural mix of Canada. Many highly-skilled immigrants choose to settle in countries that welcome their families and provide good opportunities for education and employment. - Provides assistance to future work-force: Parents and grandparents who immigrate on Family Class are of great support to young working couples and parents with young children. This helps in providing safe and affordable assistance to families while contributing to long-term macro-economic aspects for the country.
- Business development: Many of the global high-technology businesses started out as family-owned enterprises, created by immigrants. Highly-skilled immigrants and their families take advantage of the host country’s opportunities and benefits to set up businesses that contribute to the nation’s growth and competitiveness. In many parts of the world, immigrants have re-
vitalized run-down neighborhoods and failing businesses, allowing them to thrive and grow. Higher rates of self-employment and earnings have been noted among family members who have been admitted as part of the Family Class. - Better control over the flow of immigration: Family based immigration helps the government to monitor the type and class of people who enter the country. Hence, it also provides more information to policy-makers and planners when it comes to making economic and social policies.
Family Class Sponsorship
The regulations are subject to frequent changes, and an experienced, well-established, reputed immigration consultant can give the right advice and assistance. Currently, sponsors who wish to help their families to immigrate to Canada must be:
- Above 18 years old
- Be a permanent resident of Canada or
- Be a Canadian citizen or a person registered as an Indian in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act
They are ineligible to sponsor if they:
- are in prison or subject to removal order
- have been convicted of violent crimes, sexual violence
- have been convicted of having threatened/committed bodily harm to family member
- are in the bankruptcy process
- are in receipt of government social benefits other than for disability
- failed to pay child/spousal support
- didn’t repay immigration loans, including delayed/missed payments
- failed to meet the conditions of previous sponsorship
- were themselves sponsored and attained permanent residency less than five years ago
- have sponsored spouse/partner who has not yet attained permanent residency or one who has been a permanent resident for less than 3 years
To be eligible for sponsorship, the person being sponsored has to be living outside Canada or residing temporarily and legally on a work permit or studying. They may be:
- Spouse
- Common-law partner or conjugal partner
- Dependent child
- Parent
- Grandparent
- Sibling, nephew, niece, grandchild below 18 years, unmarried and whose parents are deceased
Each of these relationships is clearly defined in the immigration policy.
Spouse, Common-law or Conjugal Partner: Spouse is one who is legally married in the home country and this is recognized by Canadian law. Common-law partnerships must be of at least one year’s continuous duration. Conjugal relationships are those where the couple was unable to live together due to certain barriers. This should have endured for at least 12 months. Same-sex relationships are recognized in Canada and same-sex spousal/common-law/conjugal partnerships are valid under Canadian law.
Dependent Child: Children of the sponsor or spouse/common-law/conjugal partner under age 22. Children above 22 who suffer from a mental/physical disability that renders them unable to support themselves financially are also considered to be dependents.
The processing fees vary for each of these categories.
Sponsors undertake to support the relative financially when they arrive, they must ensure their food/shelter/clothing needs and ensure that they don’t need socialassistance. Sponsors must themselves exceed the minimum income requirements designated for this program. These may vary according to location and number of family members being sponsored.
Proof of sponsor’s financial ability for sponsorship has to be given in the form of income tax assessment notices from the Canada Revenue Agency for the last three taxation years.
How To Apply
The sponsorship process is clearly explained on the IRCC website. You have to request the online application package which comprises a set of guidelines, application forms and document checklist.
Understand them thoroughly before you begin and keep all your documentation ready.
Sponsors can also help their relatives to fill in their application forms as their representative after getting permission.
Once you pay all the relevant fees, you can submit your application. Sponsorship could be refused on various grounds.
You can withdraw sponsorship at any time, even after the relative arrives in Canada, provided they have not yet become permanent residents.
In case of change in any circumstances during the sponsorship process: birth, death, divorce, adoption etc, you need to notify IRCC immediately.
Processing times can vary and can take up to one year. You can track the application status online.
Relatives can become permanent residents after sponsorship and arriving/settling in Canada, and they must apply for this on their own once they meet the eligibility conditions.