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Being together with your family in the same country can help you feel much more at home. If you have a family member, spouse, conjugal partner, or dependent child that is not a permanent resident in Canada but would like to be, there are ways that you can sponsor someone and bring them into Canada with a permanent resident status.

While the sponsorship and immigration process can seem confusing, understanding the legal rights and intricacies of the sponsorship process is important for you and the sponsored individual.

Who Can Be A Sponsor?

Be a Canadian Citizen

When it comes to sponsoring someone outside of Canada, there are few requirements that are needed to be eligible to sponsor. First and foremost, a sponsor needs to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Or, you must be a registered Indian under the Indian Act. The basic understanding is that you cannot sponsor someone to Canada if you are not a permanent resident of Canada.

Be Financially Able to Support Someone

Another requirement is that you are not on any social assistance (including child support) except for disability. Because you are financially responsible for the person you sponsor, you have to show that you can provide the basic needs and requirements for the sponsored person.

You will have an obligation to care for your relatives financially when they arrive in Canada. This agreement will have to be in writing in order to continue through the process. Financial support, while not the most important condition, is still necessary to consider when you want to undertake a family sponsorship.

While there aren’t usually income requirements or minimum necessary income needed from permanent residents when sponsoring someone into Canada, there are a few cases where some proof of income will be needed. These include:

• The dependent child you are sponsoring has dependent children of their own
• Your sponsored spouse or partner has dependent children who also have dependent children of their own
• If you are sponsoring your parents or grandparents

Age Requirement

One last condition when it comes to sponsoring someone is the minimum age limit. If you want to sponsor someone to Canada, you must be at least 18 years of age.

Who Can You Sponsor?

Canadian citizens and permanent residents have a few options when it comes to sponsoring someone. The types of individuals that you can sponsor into Canada include:

• Spouse, Common-Law Partner, Conjugal Partner (of the opposite or same-sex)
• Dependent Child
• Adopted Child
• Certain Relatives (Under the Last Living Relative Exception)
• Parents and Grandparents
• Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild
• Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild

There are different rules, exceptions, and conditions for each of these types of sponsorship, so make sure you look into what is needed when sponsoring a specific person. We will be breaking down a few guidelines that should be considered when sponsoring a dependent child or partner.

Dependent Child

In order to sponsor a dependent child, they must be under 22 years of age and not in a married or common-law relationship. Dependent children over the age of 22 are only considered for sponsorship if they are unable to support themselves financially or if they have been dependent on their parents for support before the age of 22.

Spouse, Common-Law Partner, or Conjugal Partner

Spouse

You can sponsor your spouse if they are over the age of 18 and if they are legally married to you.

Common-Law Partners

Sponsoring a common-law partner is a bit different. You can sponsor your common-law partner if they are at least 18, not legally married to you, but have been living with you for at least 12 months in a conjugal relationship.

Conjugal Partner

Sponsoring a conjugal partner has its own set of guidelines as well. To sponsor your partner, they must be at least 18, not in a common-law or married relationship with you, have been in a relationship with you for at least 1 year, live outside Canada, and can not live in their country of residence for a significant legal or immigration issue.

The Sponsorship Process

So you want to sponsor someone. After your initial decision, the first step in the process of getting someone permanent resident status through sponsorship is to fill out the sponsorship application. The application package includes a set of instructions for sponsorship and the different forms that will need to be filled out. You will be applying to be a sponsor and to sponsor the individual. You will also have to agree in writing to the financial support involved in sponsoring family members and partners.

The next step is to pay the sponsorship application fee and other processing fees. These first two steps can get the process moving smoothly. Some other fees that will need to be paid are the right of permanent residence fee and the biometrics fee.

You will also have to complete a few other checks and exams before you can continue. These checks include a criminal record check and a medical exam.

The sponsored family members or partners will also have to apply to be sponsored and complete various applications and checks. These applications will ask them questions about their marital status, family members, etc.

Once these documents and checks have been submitted, you can submit your application and sign a sponsorship agreement. It is crucial for you to submit sufficient documents that demonstrate the genuineness of the relationship.

How Oro Immigration Services Can Help

Gaining permanent residence status through sponsorship can mean going through a lot of paperwork, legal jargon, and different policies from the Canadian government. This is where Oro Immigration Services comes into play.

Our team of licensed immigration professionals can help you out through every step of the process to ensure that your loved ones and family members can come to Canada and that the process goes as smoothly as possible. We offer professional advice on all kinds of immigration matters from a sponsorship application to obtaining a visitor visa for work or school.

If you come across an immigration barrier, you may become overwhelmed and miss a step. Having a licensed professional by your side will help the process run smoothly. Only licensed immigration consultants can provide you with advice and recommendations about various immigration matters.