It is a fantastic moment to start thinking about the Canada Sponsorship visa. You can begin knowing the criteria and organizing all the documents needed to bring your loved ones to Canada.
What is the Sponsorship Visa in Canada?
Canada offers several immigration programs to help permanent residents or citizens to sponsor their family members. It is a country that supports family reunification. Then, the Canada Sponsorship visa allows loved ones to be together and stay permanently in the country.
Still, you need to meet specific criteria to qualify for the program. One of the most important things is to promise to provide basic needs for your family members while they stayed. In that way, they won’t depend on the government.
Who Can I Sponsor?
The Family Class sponsorship program in Canada covers spouses, common-law or conjugal partners and dependent children. On average, these applications take 10 to 12 months to be processed. Moreover, you must prove a genuine family relationship between you and the applicant.
Your Spouse
To prove that someone is your spouse, you must show a document that establishes a legal marriage. And be at least 18 years old.
Your Common-Law Partner
To prove someone is your common-law partner, you must prove you have lived together for at least 12 months, be at least 18 years old and prove you have shared your main house for that time.
Also, to qualify under the sponsorship Canada program you need to show you and your common-law partner meet the criteria. To do it, you can have proof of rental agreements together, joint property ownership, utility bills, etc.
Your Conjugal Partner
A conjugal relationship occurs when you are not living together because of difficult reasons, such as religion, immigration barrier or even sexual orientation.
To qualify under this category, you must be at least 18 years old and have the required documents to support your application.
Your Dependent Children
To qualify as a dependent child (either adopted or natural), you must be under 22 years of age and not have a common-law partner or a spouse.
Still, if your child is over 22 years old but has a mental or a physical condition, they also qualify as dependents for the sponsorship Canada program.
What Are the Requirements?
To apply for sponsorship in Canada and bring your spouse, partner or dependent children, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- You must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada currently living in the country. Or you can be registered as an Indian under the Indian Act.
- Proof you can provide the basic needs for the person you wish to sponsor.
On the other hand, you can not be a sponsor if:
- You are under a temporary visa in Canada (student, visitor, or worker)
- You haven’t received your permanent resident card.
Can I Sponsor Non-Immediate Family Members to Canada?
The Canadian government has restrictions on sponsoring non-immediate members. But, if you meet the required criteria, you may be able to sponsor a sibling, a cousin, an aunt or an uncle.
However, to bring a non-immediate family member to Canada, you must not have another close family member to sponsor.
How Much Income is Needed?
There is no minimum income required for the Canada sponsorship program to bring your spouse or partner. Although, you do need to prove you meet the earnings criteria if the person you are sponsoring has a dependent child.
Also, if you are sponsoring your parents or grandparents, you must prove you have at least the minimum income to them while staying in Canada.
