Family Sponsorship in Canada: Bringing Your Loved Ones Home

You can sponsor: your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, your dependent children (including adopted children), your parents and grandparents, and in some cases, other relatives (if you have no other family members to sponsor and meet specific conditions).

You cannot sponsor: someone who is inadmissible to Canada, someone whose previous sponsorship ended less than 3 years ago (in some cases), or someone if you're receiving social assistance (except for disability).

Spousal sponsorship is the most common type of family sponsorship. Requirements include: you must be 18 or older, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you must not be receiving social assistance (except disability), you must not be in prison, you must not have been convicted of certain offenses, and you must not have failed to pay previous sponsorship obligations.

Your sponsored spouse or partner must: be in a genuine relationship with you (not a marriage of convenience), be admissible to Canada, and undergo medical and security checks.

There are two streams: Inland Sponsorship - for partners already in Canada (includes work permit eligibility while application is processed), and Outland Sponsorship - for partners outside Canada or with temporary status in Canada.

Processing times vary: Inland applications typically take 12-14 months, while Outland applications typically take 12-15 months depending on the visa office.

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents. This program has specific requirements: you must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for the past 3 taxation years, income requirements are significantly higher than for spousal sponsorship, you must sign an undertaking to financially support your parents/grandparents for 20 years.

The PGP operates through an invitation system: IRCC announces when applications will be accepted, potential sponsors submit an Interest to Sponsor form, IRCC randomly selects candidates and invites them to apply, selected candidates have 60 days to submit a complete application.

Competition is fierce, with many more applicants than available spots. If not selected, consider the Super Visa as an alternative that allows parents and grandparents to visit for extended periods (up to 2 years at a time).

Sponsors must meet financial requirements to demonstrate they can support the sponsored family member. This includes: meeting the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for your family size, including the sponsored person, providing proof of income through Notice of Assessments from CRA, and for parents/grandparents, meeting higher income thresholds.

By signing an undertaking, you agree to: provide financial support for the duration of the undertaking period, repay any social assistance received by the sponsored person during this period, and meet these obligations even if your circumstances change (divorce, job loss, etc.).

Undertaking periods: 3 years for spouses and partners, 10 years for children under 22, 20 years for parents and grandparents, and 10 years for other relatives.

Failure to meet undertaking obligations can result in: inability to sponsor anyone else, debt to the government, and legal action to recover costs.

Proving Genuineness of Relationship: IRCC carefully scrutinizes spousal applications for marriages of convenience. Provide strong evidence including: relationship timeline, photos together over time, communication records, joint financial accounts, letters from friends and family, and explanation of any cultural practices that might seem unusual.

Income Requirements: If you don't meet income requirements, consider: adding a co-signer (for certain sponsorships), waiting until your income increases, or providing evidence of assets or other financial resources.

Inadmissibility Issues: If your family member has criminal history, medical issues, or other inadmissibility concerns, work with an immigration lawyer to: assess options for overcoming inadmissibility, prepare strong applications for criminal rehabilitation or medical waivers, and present the strongest possible case to IRCC.

Documentation from Foreign Countries: Obtaining documents from some countries can be challenging. Work with local contacts or professional document retrieval services, ensure all documents are properly translated by certified translators, and be prepared to provide alternative evidence if documents are unavailable.