Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada with family in another country and looking for options to all live together in Canada? Family reunification is very important to Canadians and the Canadian Government. This is where family class sponsorship was created. The family class sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens and those who hold PR status to their family members from overseas, allowing them to come to Canada. If this sounds like your situation, continue below to learn more.
Who is able to be a sponsor?
In order to be eligible a sponsor a family member, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
- Be over the age of 18
- Meet the Low-Income cut off (LICO) requirements- proving that you can and will financially support them for the required length of time.
Who can be sponsored under the family class sponsorship program?
The family class sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents to sponsor members of your immediate family. The immediate family members you may sponsor include:
- Spouse, common law partner, conjugal partner
- Dependent child/ children
- Father or mother
- Grandparents
- Sister or brother
- Niece or nephew
- Grandchildren if their parents are deceased and they are unmarried under 18 years old
There are 2 additional situations in which you may be eligible to sponsor someone who is not a relative.
- Orphaned relatives: if a blood or adopted relative is orphaned, unmarried and under the age of 18, you can apply to sponsor them to come to Canada. They must meet all 3 requirements
- Other close relative: if you have no living relatives in Canada or abroad, than you are able to sponsor another member of your family to whom you are related to by blood or adoption
Who can sponsor a family member?
You must ensure that you are qualified to sponsor a family member before attempting to bring them to Canada. You must meet the following requirements:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
- Be a minimum of 18 years old
- Must be able to financially support the sponsored individual for the required length of time (not applicable to sponsoring a spouse, conjugal or common law partner), by meeting the Low-Income Cut OFF (LICO)
Eligibility of the people you can sponsor
To show that they meet the eligibility requirements, your spouse, partner, dependent child and their dependent children must provide:
- All required forms and documents with their application
- Any additional information requested during processing. Which may include Biometrics and medical exams
Akrami and Associates
Submitting an application under family class sponsorship is difficult to do if you are not familiar with it. It is highly recommended to seek the assistance of an experienced professional immigration representative. Here at Akrami and Associates, we have assisted dozens of clients with reunification. Call us today to discuss. 416-477-2545 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.