You can sponsor your dependent children, whether biological or adopted, to live with you as permanent residents in Canada. To be eligible under this program, you and your child abroad must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to receive a visa. You must prove your relationship with the child you are sponsoring, either by a birth or adoption certificate.

Who is a Dependent Child?

Children qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:

  •       they’re under 22 years old
  •       they don’t have a spouse or common law partner

Children 22 years old or older qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:

  •       they are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition
  •       they have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22

With the exception of age, your dependent child must continue to meet these requirements until the application is processed.

Who can Sponsor?

You can sponsor your dependent child if:

  •       You’re at least 18 years old
  •       You’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
  •       If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when the persons you want to sponsor become permanent residents. You can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside Canada.
  •       You’re able to prove that you’re not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability.
  •       you can provide for the basic needs of any persons you want to sponsor

If you live outside Quebec

To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially take care of the persons you are sponsoring for a period of time. This is known as “ promise an undertaking”.

The undertaking commits you to:

  •       providing financial support for your sponsored family members, starting when they become permanent residents

·        repaying any provincial social assistance your sponsored family members get during that time

Income requirement

In most cases, there isn’t an income requirement to sponsor your spouse or partner or dependent child. You only need to show that you have enough money to meet the income requirements if:

  •       you’re sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own, or
  •       you’re sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more children of their own.

Sponsorship Obligation

When you agree to be a sponsor, you must sign an undertaking, promising to give financial support for the basic needs of your dependent children.

Basic needs are:

  •       food, clothing, shelter and other needs for everyday living,
  •       dental care, eye care and other health needs that aren’t covered by public health services.

Before signing the undertaking agreement, you must make sure the people you sponsor won’t need to ask the government for financial help. If they receive social assistance, you’ll have to pay back what they received during the time you are legally responsible for them. You won’t be able to sponsor anyone else until you’ve repaid the amount.

The undertaking is a binding promise of support, meaning that it is your responsibility to support the applicant(s) for the length of the undertaking period even if your situation changes. The undertaking will stay in effect for the length of the undertaking period, even if your situation changes. The undertaking won’t be cancelled, even if:

  •       the person you sponsor becomes a Canadian citizen
  •       your relationship with the sponsored child breaks down
  •       you or the child you sponsor move to another province or country

·        you have financial problems

Length of Undertaking

  1. For sponsoring a dependent child over 22 years of age

Length of undertaking is 3 years from the day your dependent child (or the dependent child of your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner) over 22 years of age becomes a permanent resident.

  1. For sponsoring a dependent child under 22 years of age

Length of undertaking is 10 years from the day your dependent child (or the dependent child of your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner) under 22 years of age becomes a permanent resident, or until the child becomes 22 years old, whichever comes first. The length of undertaking for residents of Quebec is slightly different.

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