Family Sponsorship
Do you want to reunite with a member of your family who is a foreign national living and working in Canada?
Family Sponsorship is managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with the primary purpose of reuniting families (IRCC). Permanent residents and citizens of Canada can use this programme to sponsor family members living overseas to come and live with them in Canada.
The sponsor is also responsible for ensuring that the sponsored relatives are settled in Canada. To be eligible for the programme, relatives do not need to meet any minimum benchmarks or criteria.
Selection Criteria for Sponsorship
The sponsored relatives who are eligible for sponsorship may include:
✓ Spouse, common-law partner and conjugal partner over the age of eighteen (18)
✓ Children, adopted, being considered for adoption or under the guardianship of sponsor (should be below eighteen (18) years of age)
✓ Nephew, niece, sister, brother, if orphaned
✓ Grandchildren, orphaned grandchildren (unmarried, under eighteen (18) years of age and not a part of a common-law relationship)
Duties and Responsibilities of Sponsors
Because sponsoring is regarded a legal obligation with specific responsibilities, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act has established a selection process for sponsors.
A sponsor must be at least eighteen (18) years old and a Canadian permanent resident or citizen.
Sponsors who live outside of Canada must provide clear documentation of their plan to live in Canada after the sponsored relative’s application is approved.
A sponsor should avoid committing any criminal acts or declaring bankruptcy. They must also show proof and declare that they would support the sponsored relative for three to twenty years after their arrival in Canada. In addition, the sponsor promises to compensate the government for any social assistance benefits received by the relative.
✓ Spousal, partner or child sponsorship
✓ Parent or grandparent sponsorship
Adoption of Children
If you are adopting a child from abroad, it is advisable to partner with the concerned government agency who is mandated to support in the entire adoption process.
Adoption needs to be approved. Once the approval comes in, you can start with the immigration process and sponsorship of the child.
Medical Examinations
Every sponsored applicant and their dependents are required to clear a medical examination successfully. The dependent needs to clear the medical examination irrespective of whether or not they are accompanying the sponsored applicant.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has physicians who are approved to perform these medical examinations. The reason for this step is to reduce the burdens on the healthcare sector in Canada.
Police Certificates
Each applicant sponsored or being considered for sponsorship, above the age of eighteen (18) is required to obtain a Clearance from the Police from each country where they have resided for six months or more.
Appeals
All rejected sponsorship applications are sent with a detailed letter with the reason of refusal outlined therein. This letter is sent to both the sponsor and the sponsored applicant. The sponsor can also file an appeal for rejected applications.
Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP)
Are you planning to live in Canada with your child or grandchild?
Under this immigration policy, foreign nationals can petition to live in Canada with their kid or grandchild. Your child or grandchild must be a Canadian permanent resident or citizen and may apply through this or the Super Visa programme. You will be able to enter and live in Canada as a permanent resident once your application has been granted. You can also apply for citizenship in Canada if you meet the conditions.
Application Process
There are some crucial steps in the application process under this Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program:
✓ Online form on IRCC portal to file an intention to sponsor, is the first step to be completed by permanent residents or Canadian citizens who wish to sponsor a relative
✓ The online application is an ‘intent to sponsor’
✓ Selected applicants receive an invitation to apply from the IRCC
✓ Sponsorship application has to be completed within sixty (60) days from the date of ‘invitation to sponsor.’
Eligibility Criteria for a Sponsor
✓ Being a permanent resident or Canadian citizen
✓ Minimum age of eighteen (18) years or more
✓ Selected applicants receive an invitation to apply from the IRCC
✓ Possess income above the specified levels (both partner’s income is considered for married, common-law relationships)
✓ Agree to repay provincial social assistance benefits paid to the sponsored relative over a period of twenty years as needed
✓ Sponsors in Quebec have additional requirements to be submitted
✓ Provide a copy of income proofs and Notices of Assessment for three consecutive years
Spousal, Partner, Or Child Sponsorship
A foreign national who is a permanent resident of Canada can sponsor their kid, spouse, or parent under this immigration stream. This programme has three different sponsorship categories: spousal, conjugal, and common-law partner sponsorship. Each category has its own set of legal implications that can be used in one of two ways:
✓ Overseas sponsorship – designed for a partner or spouse residing outside Canada
✓ In-land sponsorship – designed for a spouse or partner residing within Canada
Application Process
✓ The permanent resident or Canadian citizen makes an application to the immigration department with an “intent to sponsor” and also files sponsored application simultaneously.
✓ The immigration department approves or disapproves the application to sponsor
✓ Successful completion of a medical examination
When it comes to sponsoring a child, there are several guidelines to follow. Only children under the age of 22 can be sponsored, and they must also be unmarried. If a child is beyond the age of 22 and has a mental or physical condition that renders them financially reliant on their parents, they may be eligible for sponsorship.
Eligibility Criteria for a Sponsor
A sponsor needs to fulfill certain factors which include:
✓ Possessing citizenship or permanent residency of Canada
✓ Is eighteen (18) or older in age
✓ Is resident of Canada or has an intent to reside in Canada after successful approval of the sponsorship application
✓ If the sponsored applicant wants to reside in Quebec, then specific regulations of Quebec have to be abided by
Adoption Immigration
Adoption is a wonderful way to start a family, but it can also be difficult. Adoption is governed by a slew of laws, all of which require a thorough grasp. If you wish to adopt a child from outside of Canada, you must meet certain standards in order for the child to be eligible to immigrate to Canada.
Prospective Parents’ Requirements to Fulfill
It should come as no surprise that there are restrictions on who can adopt a child from another nation. You can start the adoption process if you meet these prerequisites. When it comes to intercountry adoptions, the adoption process normally takes place in the child’s home county. Each country will have its own set of rules and regulations that will determine who is eligible to adopt a kid from that country. In order for a child to successfully immigrate to Canada, you must meet various conditions in addition to following the laws given forth by the government.
✓ at least 18 years old
✓ living in Canada
✓ a citizen or a permanent resident
✓ following all legal procedure’s in the child’s home country
✓ ending the relationship between the adopted child and the biological parents
✓ meeting your home province requirements, including a home visit
✓ willing and able to create a relationship between yourself and the child
What citizenship will my adopted child have?
You must assist your newly adopted child in obtaining permanent resident status in Canada when you adopt a child from another country. This is possible if both you and your partner are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Even if the adopted person is older than 18, he or she must still be adopted by a citizen or permanent resident. Before being given a permanent resident visa, your child must also pass a medical exam.
Super Visa Program
The Super Visa immigration program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to apply and bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. As a parent or grandparent, you can live in Canada for a maximum of two years at a time. The normal length of a super visa is ten (10) years and allows multiple entries into Canada. You can enter and exit Canada as per your wish in the visa duration.
✓ The standard visit visa and general requirement need to be met by the parent or grandparent applying for the Super Visa, including:
✓ The permanent resident or Canadian citizen has to provide a letter of financial support for you
✓ Sufficient documents depicting the fact that the Canadian sponsor’s income is above the minimum required amount
✓ Obtain a private health insurance policy from a Canadian organization
✓ Pass a medical examination as mandated in the program requirements
✓ The Super Visa applicant may need the Temporary Resident Visa along with the application
Meet Our Professionals
Jaskaran Ahluwalia
RCIC , Managing Director
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