Sponsorship

In order to be able to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child, the following criteria apply:

– you are at least 18 years old;

-you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;

-you have sufficient financial means to provide for the sponsored person’s basic needs (clothing, accommodation and food);

– you are not receiving any social benefits for a reason other than a disability.

If you are a Canadian citizen residing abroad, you may also sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child. However, you have to take the undertaking that you will to settle in Canada when the people you wish to sponsor become permanent residents.

If you live in the province of Quebec, your undertaking application will be assessed by the Quebec immigration authorities when you are approved as a sponsor by the federal Government. The Quebec government will assess your financial capacity, if applicable.

There are several criteria to meet in order to be approved in Quebec as a sponsor. The Quebec immigration authorities will evaluate whether the sponsor has fulfilled his financial obligations under law, including in other sponsorship files, child or spousal support court files or any other similar types of files.

If you live in Quebec and want to apply for sponsorship, you will have to sign a contract in which you undertake to provide for the basic needs of the person you are sponsoring for a minimum period of 3 years and a maximum period of 10 years, depending on which family member you are sponsoring.

Other sponsorship programs exist for parents, grandparents and other family members such as sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, little brothers and sisters. Each program has its own eligibility criteria for the sponsor as well as the person being sponsored.

To sponsor your parents or grandparents you will first need to submit an interest to sponsor form under the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program. It is only if you are invited by government authorities to submit an application that you can proceed with the complete sponsorship application for your parents or grandparents.

Each program has specific requirements. However, in all cases, you will have to demonstrate to government authorities that the sponsored person is not subject to any grounds for inadmissibility to Canada, in particular because of their criminal record or their state of health. It is therefore necessary to submit the relevant police reports, as well as the medical certificate when these documents are required by government authorities.