There’s a common misconception that anyone can be sponsored as a family member in Canada. Unfortunately, that’s not true and there are very clear rules. In some cases, the rules can be much harder to understand because of the various conditions that apply to an individual. Here’s all you need to know about family sponsorship in Canada:
Basic Requirements
To qualify as a sponsor for family sponsorship to Canada:
- You must be 18 or over this age.
- You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- You must sign a sponsorship agreement to provide financial support for your sponsored relative, if necessary.
- Depending on the person you sponsor and their requirements, you might have additional responsibilities as a sponsor.
- The agreement requires the sponsored person to commit to making the most effort possible for becoming self-sufficient.
Orphaned Siblings, Nephews, Nieces, Or Grandchildren
You’re allowed to sponsor orphaned siblings, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren in case of the following:
- They are related to you.
- They are adopted.
- Both of their parents have passed away.
- They are under the age of 18.
- They are single.
You cannot sponsor them if:
- They have a living parent.
- The whereabouts of their parents are unknown.
- They’ve been abandoned.
- If either parent is alive, but someone else is taking care of them.
- Their parent is detained or in jail.
Other Relatives
You can sponsor one relative, who can be related either by adoption or blood, regardless of their age if they meet all the following conditions:
The person sponsoring their relative doesn’t have a living relative you could sponsor instead, such as:
- A spouse
- Common-law partner
- Conjugal partner
- Child
- Parent/grandparent
- Orphaned sibling, nephew, niece, or grandchild
If They Have Children
If the person that you’re sponsoring has any dependent children that will accompany them after immigration, they need to be included on the sponsorship application.
Sponsorship Examples
Here are some examples that will explain who you can sponsor:
Sponsoring an Uncle/Aunt
Suppose that a person is not married and does not have a common-law partner. They don’t have any children while having permanent residency in Canada. None of their relatives are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. In such a scenario, they can sponsor their uncle or aunt, even if their uncle or aunt is married and has children.
The person in question can sponsor their uncle or aunt because of the following reasons:
- They don’t have another living relative that they could sponsor in their place (such as those mentioned in the other relative list)
- They don’t have any other relatives, like an uncle or an aunt that are Canadiancitizens, have permanent residency, or are a registered Indian of Canada under the Indian Act.
On the application, the person that is sponsoring will be listed as the principal applicant and their partner will be listed as the dependent. If they have a child who qualifies as an independent child, they can also be included on the application. If the child does not meet the requirements or is older than 18 they cannot be added to the sponsorship application. In such a case, they will have to look into other immigration means for themselves.
Sponsoring a Cousin
Suppose that a person is an only child, and both their parents and grandparents have died. They are single and they don’t have any other relatives in Canada citizens of the country or hold permanent residency status. This person can sponsor their cousin if they meet the following conditions:
- Their cousin is single.
- The sponsor in question does not have other close relatives that they can sponsor (those mentioned in the other relatives list).
- The sponsor does not have other relatives who are Canadiancitizens, have permanent residency, or are registered Indian of Canada under the Indian Act.
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About the Author
The author is an immigration lawyer in Toronto at Nanda and Associate Lawyers. They’re educating people, making immigration and its details easier to understand for people.
