Family Sponsorships
Individuals can sponsor relatives to come to Canada and obtain permanent residence to work, live or study in Canada. To sponsor a family member, you must be 18 years or older, and either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act. In addition, a sponsor cannot be bankrupt, in prison, charged with a serious offence, or under a removal order.
Family sponsorship is available for the following relatives:
- Dependent child (21 years of age or younger)
- Spouse or common law partner
- Parents
- Grandparents
- Orphaned relatives, who may be your sibling, niece/nephew, or grandchild, and who are both under 18 years of age and unmarried
Canada also has a “Lonely Canadians” sponsorship class which allows individuals with no Canadian family members or spouse/partner to sponsor a child, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew.
What You Need To Know
Undertaking
If you sponsor a family member to come to Canada, you are responsible for financially supporting them when they arrive if they are unable to do so themselves; this is referred to as an “undertaking”. More info can be found on the IRCC website.
Processing Times
Processing times vary. Some cases are more complex and need more time, especially if anything changes during the application, such as medical status, new dependants, or marriage. You can get an estimate from the government here.
Validity of PR Visa
Once issued, PR visas can’t be extended. If applicants don’t use the visas within their validity period, they must re-apply for immigration. Their sponsor will have to submit a new sponsorship application and pay new processing fees.
