Sponsorship

1- Definition

Your relatives can live, study, and work in Canada if they become permanent residents of Canada. You can sponsor certain relatives to come to Canada if you’re at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

2- Eligibility

If you are a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident
you can’t sponsor someone if you are a permanent resident living outside Canada
able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
have enough income to provide for basic needs of any grandchildren (dependent children of a dependent child) of the principal applicant
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec’s conditions to be a sponsor.

Who can’t become a sponsor

You can’t be a sponsor if you:

•  have failed to pay
•  an immigration loan
•  a performance bond
•  family support payments
•  have failed to provide for the basic needs of a previously-sponsored relative who received social assistance
•  are under a removal order
•  are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison
•  receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
•  are still going through the process of bankruptcy (undischarged bankruptcy)
•  were sponsored by a spouse or partner and you became a permanent resident less than five years ago
•  sponsored a previous spouse or partner and three years have not passed since this person became a permanent resident have already applied to sponsor your current spouse, partner or child and a decision on your application hasn’t been made yet were convicted of a violent or sexual offense, or an offense that caused bodily harm to a relative—or you attempted or threatened to commit any of these offenses.

Who you can sponsor

You can sponsor a:

•  spouse
•  common-law partner
•  conjugal partner
•  dependent child
  To be eligible for permanent residence, the principal applicant and any dependents must not be inadmissible to Canada.

Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner

You can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner if:

he or she is at least 18 years’ old

your relationship is genuine (real) and wasn’t entered into just to get permanent resident status in Canada

If your spouse or common-law partner is applying in the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class, he or she must co-habit (live) with you in Canada.

Length of undertaking

You’re sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner

The length of the undertaking is 3 years from the day your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner becomes a permanent resident.

You’re sponsoring a dependent child over 19 years of age

The 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 19 years of age becomes a permanent resident.

You’re sponsoring a dependent child under 19 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 19 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.