FAMILY SPONSERSHIP
FAMILY SPONSERSHIP
Spousal and Common Law Sponsorship
The spousal sponsorship program allows a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident to sponsor a spouse or common law partner for Canadian Permanent Residency. The Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident who is sponsoring their spouse is responsible for their care and well-being upon arrival.
The spousal sponsorship application has 2 steps:
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident applies to sponsor his/her spouse or common law partner
- The spouse or common-law partner applies for Permanent Residence
There are two types of applications:
- Inland sponsorship category, the foreign spouse/common-law partner must have legally entered in Canada.
- Inland application generally takes longer as compared to the outland, however the person being sponsored through the inland program may be eligible to get an open work permit while his or her application is being processed.
The outland sponsorship route is generally chosen when the sponsored person is living outside Canada.
The main requirement of this program is that both parties must be able to prove their relationship and should fall under one of three categories:
- Spouse (hyperlink to Canada definitions)
- Common Law Partner
- Conjugal Partner
The following are requirements for a Sponsor:
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Must not have sponsored a spouse within the last 5 years
- Clean criminal record and no bankruptcy filed
The following are requirements for a Sponsored Person:
- Must be of legal age to get married
- Should be medically healthy
- Clear criminal record in country of origin
Parental Sponsorship/Grandparents Sponsorship
Often, Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents bring their parents and grandparents to Canada through 2 programs: Family Class Sponsorship or the Super Visa programs.
The Family Class sponsorship program includes a stream for parents and grandparents of Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents. Successful applicants (parents and grandparents) under this program will be able to apply for Citizenship four years after approval.
To be eligible under the Family Class sponsorship, the applicant must:
- Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Sponsor and sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement addressing financial support for the sponsored relative.
- The sponsor must promise to provide financial support for the sponsored relative for a period of 20 years (which begins the day the relative becomes a PR)
- Exceed a minimum necessary income level required under this program (incomes may be combined for both parties).