How to move to Canada through Family Class Sponsorship?
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If you have any family members living in Canada then you are eligible to be sponsored as a Canadian permanent resident. Through this program, the Canadian government stands to its motto of reuniting families.
What is the Family Class Sponsorship program?
Family Class sponsorship is for Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have family members living abroad and want to apply for Canadian permanent residency. You are eligible to become a sponsor for your family members if you are at least 18 years of age and:
- Canadian citizen;
- Permanent resident of Canada; OR
- A person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act;
Following are the different immigrants with respective sponsorship under Canadian family class sponsorship:
Spousal Sponsorship
This is for a spouse or common-law partners or conjugal partners (that includes same-sex relationships).
Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship
Canadian citizens or permanent immigrants can sponsor their parents or grandparents to help them immigrate to Canada.
Parent and Grandparent Super Visa
This provides another pathway for parents and grandparents to easily visit Canada for up to 2 years at a time with a super visa which can remain valid for up to 10 years.
Dependent child sponsorship and other Sponsorship
You can sponsor your dependent children to move to Canada. Also, other orphaned family members and adopted children. Other family members can be sponsored in exceptional circumstances.
What is the benefit of moving to Canada through Family immigration?
Below are the major benefit of immigrating to Canada through a family class sponsorship program:
- No minimum points requirement.
- Can work and settle anywhere in Canada.
- Government access funded health care, free education up to age 18, Canada Pension Plan benefits, Old Age Security, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
- Parents living in Canada on a dependent visa as permanent residents can apply for Canadian citizenship after three years.
What are the requirements to become a sponsor?
A sponsor must be over the age of 18 years and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. They must live in Canada, except if they are currently living outside the country and are planning to return to Canada once the person they are sponsoring arrives in Canada.
There are also other requirements one have to meet to become a sponsor:
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
- Sign a sponsorship agreement that shows your commitment to providing financial aid to your family members, if necessary. This agreement also signifies that the person becoming a permanent resident will do everything possible to support themselves.
- Provide financial support to a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for three years from the date they become a permanent resident.
- Also, provide financial support to a dependent child for 10 years or until the child is 25, whichever comes first.
Who are not eligible to become a sponsor?
If any single point is applied to you, you cannot become a Canada permanent resident sponsor:
- Already sponsored another person and three years have not passed since that person became a permanent resident;
- Received social assistance for a reason other than a handicap;
- Under default of payment of an undertaking, an immigration loan, a performance bond, or alimony;
- Convicted of certain crimes and have not been pardoned/rehabilitated.
- Already been sponsored as a spouse and it has been less than 5 years since you became a Canadian permanent resident;
- Already applied for a sponsorship and no decision has been made.
- You are subject to a removal order;
- Detained in a penitentiary establishment (prison, remand center, etc.);
What are the steps for Family Class Sponsorship?
We can divide the family class sponsorship program into two main steps:
Step 1: Submit sponsorship application
The application must be submitted by the sponsor that also includes an assessment of the sponsor’s eligibility for family class immigration. The sponsor must first clear the eligibility criteria to become one.
Step 2: Foreign nationals submit their PR Visa application
Foreign national who wants to move to Canada must submit their application. They must meet the minimum requirements to be eligible for family class immigration programs, and then submit another application for PR Visa to the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada.
What is the fee for Family Sponsorship Program?
Following is the fee for moving to Canada through Family Class sponsorship:
| Application | Processing Fee (IN-CAD) |
| Spousal and dependent child sponsorship | |
| Spouse or common-law partner (with sponsorship fee, principal applicant fee, and right to permanent residence fee) | $1050 |
| Dependent child | Add $150 (per Child) |
| Parent or Grandparent sponsorship | |
| Parent or grandparent (Sponsorship fee + Principal applicant fee + RPRF fee) | $1050 |
| Spouse or common-law partner of your parent or grandparent | $1050 |
| Dependent children of your parent or grandparent | $150 |
