Global Grid Immigration Solutions is a Canadian immigration consultancy firm based in Toronto (GTA).
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Family reunification is one of the foundation pillars of Canada’s immigration system. Canadian immigration policy and legislation have a long tradition of supporting family reunification, making family class the second largest category of immigrant newcomers welcomed in Canada. Family Sponsorship permits both recent immigrants and long-established Canadians to be reunited with members of their families.
Canada welcomes 100,000+ immigrants through family sponsorship annually.
Out of the total 100,000 immigrants that are welcomed every year to Canada, 80 percent are Spousal and Child Sponsorship cases and the remaining 20 percent come under the Parents and Grandparents Program.
Canada is pursuing the highest levels of immigration in its history to support its post-COVID economic recovery. As such, Canada aims to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year, of which, over 100,000 immigrants per year fall under the family class.
There are two main aspects to sponsorship:
1) It allows your family member to immigrate to Canada and get permanent residence (PR).
2) It requires you, as an individual, to make a commitment to provide for basic needs and to support that person financially.
If you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen with family abroad you may sponsor the following people to immigrate to Canada:
· any relative if the sponsor is alone in Canada and has none of the above family members/blood relations to sponsor.
You will not be eligible to sponsor someone if:
· You are unwilling to sign a sponsorship undertaking.
As a sponsor, you are required to sign a Sponsorship Agreement with your sponsored family member. This is a commitment by you to provide financial support for the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, and health needs not covered by public health services) of the person you are sponsoring.
For some types of sponsorships, you will also have to meet or exceed the Low Income Cut-off (LICO), for instance,offencecommit you are sponsoring a spouse or partner who has a dependent child and that dependent child has one or more children of their own, or
If you reside in Quebec, you will have to meet Quebec’s sponsorship requirements and your income will be assessed by the Quebec immigration ministry.
All sponsors are required to sign an undertaking to provide the sponsored person with the basic requirements from the day they enter Canada until the term of the undertaking terminates.
IRCC assesses whether or not the sponsor has a total income that is equal to or greater than the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) that sponsors and a co-signer (where applicable) must meet to satisfy IRCC that they are able to provide the basic requirements, e.g. food, clothing, and shelter for themselves, the person(s) being sponsored and any other persons for whom they are responsible.
Hence, the undertaking is a binding contract between the sponsor(s) and the IRCC. It means the sponsor will repay the government for any social assistance payments made to the sponsored person. Sponsors remain obligated to the undertaking agreement for the entire period of the contract, even in a change of circumstances such as marital breakdown, separation, divorce, or a financial change in circumstances.
The length of the undertaking you will be required to sign will depend on the family member you are sponsoring and, in the case of children, their age:
| Sponsored person | Length of undertaking (excluding Quebec) |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner | 3 years |
| Dependent child under the age of 22 years | 10 years, or until age 22 years, whichever comes first |
| Dependent child 22 years of age or older | 3 years |
| Parent or grandparent | 20 years |
| Another relative | 10 years |
For Quebec residents, the length of the undertaking also depends on the family member you are sponsoring and, in the case of children, their age:
| Sponsored person | Length of undertaking |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner | 3 years |
| Dependent child under 16 years of age | Minimum 10 years (or until age 18), whichever is longer |
| Dependent child 16 years of age and older | Minimum 3 years (or until age 25), whichever is longer |
| Other relatives | 10 years |
Under family sponsorship programs, the following individuals can be included in the sponsored person's application for a Canada immigration visa:
The income required will vary depending on the type of sponsorship you undertake and the number of family members you already have in your care. You will be required to sign a promise to provide for the basic needs of the family member you are sponsoring. Some sponsorship options will also require you to demonstrate that you have a minimum income in order to be eligible to sponsor. This is for instance the case with the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program. You must exceed the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirement set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for each of the past 3 taxation years before the date that you submit your application. Your MNI is assessed based on your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment. Sponsors living in the province of Quebec must meet different income requirements.
The sponsor must undertake to provide the sponsored family members with:
Yes, the undertaking to provide "Essential Needs" can be shared by a co-signer, but only by the sponsor's spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
You and your co-signer, if applicable, are required to sign an undertaking with the Government of Canada, and if you live in Quebec with the government of that province, promising to provide for the basic needs of the sponsored person(s) for a period of time following the arrival of the sponsored person(s) in Canada. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that sponsored family members do not become dependent on Canadian social assistance or welfare.
The period during which you will be financially responsible for the person you are sponsoring begins on the day they become a permanent resident and varies depending on the type of family member:
| Sponsored person | Length of undertaking (excluding Quebec) |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner | 3 years |
| Dependent child | 10 years, or until age 25, whichever comes first |
| Dependent child 22 years of age or older | 3 years |
| Parent or grandparent | 20 years |
| Other relative | 10 years |
| Sponsored person | Length of undertaking |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner | 3 years |
| Dependent child under 16 years of age | Minimum 10 years (or until age 18), whichever is longer |
| Dependent child 16 years of age and older | Minimum 3 years (or until age 25), whichever is longer |
| Other relatives | 10 years |
The undertaking, once made, cannot be cancelled or modified by the sponsor at any time after the Sponsored family members have arrived in Canada.
Failure to meet any of the commitments provided for in the undertaking may result in legal action being taken against the sponsor and the co-signer.
If the sponsor does not have the required financial ability, the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the sponsor may act as a co-signer to the undertaking. In such cases, their combined financial abilities will be assessed, and the co-signer will be equally liable in case of default. If the combined financial abilities of the sponsor and the co-signer still do not meet the minimum requirements, then the Family Sponsorship Application will be refused. The financial ability requirements do not apply if the sponsored person is a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner or a dependent child of the sponsor.
The sponsor is obliged to enter into a sponsorship Agreement with the sponsored person(s). By signing this agreement, the sponsor agrees to provide for the "Essential needs" of the sponsored person(s), and the sponsored person(s) promise to make every effort to become self-supporting.
Yes, it is possible for the sponsored person to work, as long as they have a work permit. While spousal or common-law partner applications are being processed, sponsored persons must maintain their legal status in Canada (visitor, student or worker). The spouse or partner you are sponsoring may apply for an open work permit and must obtain authorization before starting work. It takes approximately 4 to 5 months to process this application. An open work permit does not relate to either the employer or the job and allows the holder to work for almost any Canadian employer without first obtaining a confirmed job offer.
No. Once you are married or in a common-law relationship, you can then apply for a spousal sponsorship. The married spouse will only become a permanent resident of Canada after your sponsorship application is approved.
The sponsorship process can begin when the adoption is in its final phase. However, your application will not be processed until a final adoption decision has been made.
No, but whether they are accompanying the sponsored person or not, all of the sponsored person's dependents are required to pass applicable police and security clearances, and medical examinations.
You may be ineligible for sponsorship if you:
Spousal sponsorship applications take approximately 12 months to process.
Global Grid Immigration Solutions is a Canadian immigration consultancy firm based in Toronto (GTA).