Sponsoring a Family Member to Immigrate to Canada

By Joel Tencer
A key principle in Canadian Immigration law is the goal of reuniting families in Canada.

Accordingly, a Canadian citizen, or a Permanent Resident of Canada, being at least 18 years of age, may sponsor certain close members of the sponsor, e.g. spouse, parents, grandparents, dependent children.

Certain distant relatives, e.g. sibling, nephew, niece, grandchildren, may only be sponsored under certain conditions, such as they need to be under 18 years of age, not married, or in a common law relationship, and no living parents.

A sponsor can also bring to Canada an adopted child, provided certain conditions are met e.g. is the adoption in the best interest of the child, has a home study been conducted.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada requires that the sponsor meet a certain level of income, with specific exceptions, e.g. if the sponsored person is the spouse or dependant child.

The sponsor must meet certain requirements, to be eligible, e.g. no criminal record, not in receipt of social assistance and has not declared bankruptcy.

Lastly, a non-relative of the sponsor, who is totally dependant on the principal applicant being sponsored, or emotionally, can also be sponsored on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Although it may take years to complete the immigration process, however, if a spouse is being sponsored, the application is expedited, and it may take only 1 year. This is the policy of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.