Family Sponsorship Canada: PR for Spouse, Child & Relative

The Family Sponsorship Program lets permanent residents or citizens bring their family members to Canada. This program provides sponsorship options to family members, relatives, spouses, and children and helps them get permanent residency in Canada.

The Canadian government prioritizes family reunification because they are passionately dedicated to keeping families together. Imagine living alone in a new country while your family members are back in their home country. How would it make you feel? Not good, of course. This is why the government of Canada launched this special program so that more immigrants would stay in the country. This also makes it one of the most popular immigration programs for Canada PR.

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About Family Sponsorship

The Family Sponsorship Program lets a permanent resident or citizen sponsor their family members such as grandparents, parents, spouses, and children to get PR. It is exclusively for any PR or citizen who aims to settle in Canada with their family. 

Eligibility to become a Sponsor

To be eligible to sponsor, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• be a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada
• be at least 18 years older
• able to financially assist the sponsored person (the length of time depends on who you are sponsoring, it could range from 3 years to 10 years)

Who can you sponsor?

Under this program, you can sponsor or visit:

• your spouse, common-law partner, or child
• parents and grandparents
• relatives
• adopted child

1. Sponsor your Spouse or Partner, Dependent Child

To sponsor your spouse, partner, or dependent child, you must meet the following criteria:

• must be at least 18 years old
• support them financially
• you should not need social assistance from the Canadian government

Eligibility: 

a. Spouse – 

• The spouse must be at least 18 years 
• You must be legally married to your spouse

b. Common-law partner – 

• partner must be at least 18 years of age
• Mustn’t be legally married to you
• Partner can be female or male
• you must have been living with them for at least 12 months continuously or lived with them for the same amount of time. You two must have not spent much time apart
• You must provide proof of the relationship as well

c. Conjugal partner

• Must be at least 18 years old
• They could be female or male
• Conjugal partner cannot be legally married to you or be in a common-law relationship with you
• However, they must be in a relationship with you for a minimum of 12 months
• they must not be living in Canada
• You two must be unable to live together in their residential country because there are serious legal and immigration issues

d. Dependent child- 

• Must be under the age of 22
• They don’t have a spouse or a common-law partner as of right now.

How to Sponsor

Step 1 – You must first apply to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child. In this step, you need to fill out some digital forms which the sponsored person will be uploading it with their PR application. 

Step 2 – This one is for the person who is being sponsored. The main applicant will fill out the permanent residency application. 

Step 3 – Pay the application fee, right of permanent residence fee, and biometrics fee. Other than these, pay for an Immigration Medical Exam and a Police Clearance Certificate. 

Step 4 – Submit the PR application. During the time IRCC processes the application, it will ask for the medical exam, biometrics, and PCC of the person being sponsored. 

2. Sponsor Your Adopted Child

There are two parts of the immigration process that you must go through when adopting a child from another country. 

The first one requires you to fill out the sponsorship application. The other one needs you to apply for PR of the adopted child. Remember, for the next 10 years or until the child reaches the age of 25, you will be responsible for providing them with the necessary care and support. 

Eligibility

Meet the following requirements so you can sponsor a child for adoption:

• You must be at least 18 years of age
• live in Canada
• You must be a PR or citizen of Canada

How to Apply for Sponsorship of Your Adopted Child

Step 1 – Apply for sponsorship once the adoption process is already in progress and you meet other requirements. 

Step 2 – You need to fill out the digital forms and sign it. The adopted child being sponsored will also sign the form. In case the person is not 18 years of age, you can sign the forms in their place. 

Step 3 – There are forms for the sponsored as well. If they haven’t reached the age of 18 years, you can fill out the forms for them.

Step 4 – Pay the application processing fee, biometrics fee, and sponsorship fee. Submit the PR application once you are done. 

Step 5 – We know that the sponsored person needs to give biometrics. If the child you’re sponsoring is more than 14 years of age, they need to provide biometric information

3. Sponsor Your Parents and Grandparents

You can sponsor your parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada through the Family Sponsorship Program as permanent residents. You could be related to your parents by blood or adoption and still be able to sponsor them. However, to sponsor them, you must receive an invitation to apply. 

Eligibility

To be eligible to sponsor your biological/adopted parents and grandparents, meet the following requirements:

• must be at least 18 years old
• must be invited to apply to sponsor 
• you must be living in Canada
• must be a Canadian PR holder or citizen 
• have enough finances to support them
• Not just you but your parents and grandparents also need to meet IRPR’s and IRPA’s requirements

How to Sponsor

Step 1 – You can only apply for sponsorship if IRCC sends you an invitation to apply. 

Step 2 – Once you receive an ITA, the principal applicant can fill out the PR application online. 

Step 3 – Pay the right of permanent residence fee, biometrics fee, application processing fee, medical exam fee, and the police certificate fee. 

Step 4 – Check the application and make sure it’s all okay. Go ahead and submit it. 

Step 5 – IRCC will ask for further information at the time of processing your application. This includes the medical exam and biometrics of the person being sponsored. 

4. Sponsor Your Relatives 

If your relatives meet the eligibility requirements of the Family Sponsorship Program, you can sponsor them to come to Canada and become permanent residents. Once you sponsor your relative, you must:

• support them financially after they arrive in Canada
• Provide for basic necessities such as food, clothes, and shelter
• make sure they do not require any social assistance

Eligibility

Meet the below requirements to sponsor your relative:

• be at least 18 years old
• must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• must meet the income guidelines
• you must agree to support them financially and that too in writing. If there are other eligible relatives coming to Canada with them, you must be financially strong enough to support them too. 

How to Sponsor

Both the sponsorship application and the PR application are to be submitted at the same time. 

Step 1 – You must first apply to sponsor the eligible relative

Step 2 – The principal applicant will fill out the digital forms. If the person being sponsored is less than 18 years, you may fill out the forms in their place

Step 3 – If the relative’s age is between 14-79 years, they need to provide biometric information

Step 4 – Pay the application fee, sponsorship fee, right of permanent residence fee, and biometric fee 

Step 5 – Submit the PR application once you have double-checked it. 

Documents Required

In most cases you need to submit these documents are some others as well:

Copy of the Fee receipt

Police Clearance Certificate

Immigration Medical Exam

Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement, Undertaking (IMM 1344)

Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)

Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)

Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)

How to apply for the Family Sponsorship Program

Follow the steps below to apply for the Family Sponsorship Program:

Step 1 – You must first apply to sponsor 

Step 2 – The person being sponsored will fill out the permanent residency application

Step 3 – Pay the application fee, biometrics fee, right of permanent residence fee, and sponsorship fee. The biometric information includes the person’s photographs and their fingerprints. 

Step 4 – If Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires any other additional information, make sure to provide it too. They will ask for the sponsored person’s biometric information, police certificate, and medical exam. 

Step 5 –  Submit the application once you are sure everything is filled out and nothing is amiss. If there are any errors in the application, it will be rejected. This means you will have to fix those errors and then re-submit it. 

Step 6 – Now, if you and the sponsored person are found eligible, IRCC will send you a link to track your application online. They may also email you a request to link your application to an online account to track it easily.  

Application Processing Time of Family Sponsorship Program

For Spouse/Common-law partner living in Canada

You will be living:	Application Processing Time
Outside Quebec	09 Months
Inside Quebec	26 Months

For Spouse/Common-law/ Conjugal partner outside Canada

You will be living:	Application Processing Time
Outside Quebec	12 Months
Inside Quebec	34 Months

For Parents and Grandparents

You will be living:	Application Processing Time
Outside Quebec	24 Months
Inside Quebec	50 Months

Others

From India	Application Processing Time
Dependent Child (From India)	12 Months
Adopted Child/Relative (From India)	–

Fees for the Family Sponsorship Program

Who you will be sponsorship	Fees
Relative (less than 22 years/not dependent child)	$665
Relative (22 years or older)	$1,080
Dependent/ Adopted child/ Orphaned relative	$155
Including the spouse or partner of the relative	$1,085
Parent or Grandparent	$1,080
Including the spouse or partner of the Parent or Grandparent	$1,085
Including dependentchild of a Parent or Grandparent	$155
Spouse/ Partner (abroad)	$1,080
Dependent Child (abroad)	$155
Independently sponsor a dependent child (abroad)	$150
Spouse/ Partner (in Canada)	$1,080
Dependent Child (in Canada)	$155

Why Choose Talent Connected Worldwide for Family Sponsorship?

Talent Connected Worldwide is an award-winning, one of the best immigration consultants in India. We excel in helping out clients with family sponsorship applications, PR visa applications, work permits, study permits, etc. 

We have been in the immigration industry for more than the last 15 years and that has equipped us with the necessary knowledge needed to solve all your issues. No matter which immigration query you are struggling with, come to us and we shall help you overcome it!

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