Family Sponsorship
The government of Canada is devoted to maintaining all families together and facilitates family reunification with different family sponsorship programs. Your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent children may be sponsored for permanent residency if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The family member may be eligible for citizenship after having been a permanent resident of Canada for a while.
Basic requirements of a sponsor:
- A Sponsor must be at least 18 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- Must promise to financially support the sponsoring family member.
- Sponsor may sponsor spouse, common-law or dating partner, dependent children, Sponsor’s parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.
- Must be planning to reside in Canada.
Your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent children may be sponsored for permanent residency.
a) Spouse
- Your spouse can be either sex,
- must be 18 years old or older,
- legally married to you.
b) Common Law Partner
Your common-law partner:
- Is not legally married to you,
- can be either sex,
- must be at least 18 years old,
- must have been living with you for at least 12 consecutive months, without any long periods away from each other.
c) Conjugal Partner
- Is not legally married to you or in a common-law relationship with you,
- can be either sex,
- must be at least 18 years old,
- has been in a relationship with you for at least one year,
- lives outside Canada,
- is not able to live with you in their country of residence or marry you because of substantial legal and immigration reasons such as,
- Their marital status (for instance, whether they are still legally married to someone else in a country where divorce is prohibited).
- Their sexual orientation (for instance, they reside in a place where same-sex marriage is prohibited, or same-sex partnerships are not accepted).
- Persecution (For instance, your relationship involves multiple religious groups, which is socially or legally unacceptable and could result in your punishment).
d) Dependant Children
Children qualify as dependants if they have these conditions,
- They are under 22 years old.
- They are not married and do not have a common law partner.
Children 22 years old or older qualify as dependants if they meet these requirements:
- They are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.
- They have been depending on their parents for financial assistance since before the age of 22.
e) Parents or grandparents
The Parents and Grandparents Program application process usually opens once a year. It allows citizens and permanent residents of Canada sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada. The person who is sponsoring his/her parents or grandparents, must meet the eligibility requirements of the sponsorship under this program.
