Canada has always aimed to welcome immigrants to its economy on humanitarian grounds.
After COVID-19, Canada is trying to attract even more immigrants to speed its recovery. Moreover, family class is the second-largest category of newcomers.
According to Canada’s immigration plans, Canada aims to admit 4 lahks of new immigrants. In this, more than 1 lakh immigrants belong to the family class.
Canada’s family sponsorship is taken care of by the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada or IRCC.
Read this blog to get all the information on Canada family visa requirements.
What is meant by Canadian family sponsorship?
Canadian family sponsorship covers the following two aspects:
- It enables your family member to move to Canada and secure Permanent Residence.
- The sponsor needs to commit to supporting the person sponsored financially.
Canada Family Visa Requirements
Eligibility Requirements To Sponsor A Family Member
To understand the Canada family visa requirements, you must understand the eligibility requirements for you to be a sponsor.
If you are confused about who can be a sponsor, then here is the list of basic requirements to be a sponsor:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- To be a sponsor, you must be a Canadian citizen or have PR of Canada.
- You should not be taking the Government’s help, except for the disability case.
- You must fall within the low-income range.
- If you are sponsoring your spouse, you must marry legally to your spouse.
- There should be a genuine relationship between you and your dependent.
Do you want to apply for a non-SDS visa for Canada, then you should read our blog, “Unveil Non-SDS Visa Success Rate In 2022.”
Who can you sponsor?
The Canadian government allows your dependent to work or study in Canada once they have the relevant permit.
Here you will get information about Canada dependent visa details. These details are very necessary if you want to know who you can sponsor:
- Your spouse, conjugal partner, or common law partner
- Children under the age of 21 who is dependent on you.
- Dependent grandparents or parents.
- When you have Canadian PR, any child you have adopted outside Canada.
- Your sister, brother, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, or any other close relatives
Documents Required For Canada Family Visa
Documents are the most basic and important Canada family visa requirements. With the proper documentation, it is easier for you to get a family visa to Canada.
- Passport & travel history
- Background documentation
- Spouse/partner documentation (including marriage certificate)
- Other relationship proofs
- Sponsor’s income proof
- Complete application with the consulate fee
Income requirements to sponsor a dependent
As a sponsor, you must sign a Sponsorship Agreement with the person you are sponsoring. You commit to meeting their basic financial needs.
In the case of certain sponsorships, you will also have to meet the Low Income Cut-off, for example, if you are sponsoring a
- Parent or grandparent
- A dependent child who, in turn, has his/her dependents
- A spouse who has dependents. And the dependent, in turn, have dependents to take care of. You should also read about An Absolute Guide on Dependent Visa in Canada.
How To Apply For A Canadian Family Visa?
- Firstly, you have to ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements to sponsor
- Next, ensure that the people you plan to sponsor meet the eligibility criteria.
- You must apply at the Federal Level to the Ministry of IRCC. In case you live in Quebec, you have to apply at the provincial level to the MIFI (Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration). At the ministry, you need to submit the required documents along with the filled-in application form.
- Pay the required fees and wait to hear an answer.
Canada family visa requirements to sponsor your spouse or common law-partner
Eligibility requirements to sponsor a spouse or conjugal law partner:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be a citizen of Canada or a Canadian Permanent Resident
- Prove that you will be able to meet their financial requirements when in Canada
- Prove that you have a genuine relationship with the sponsored person
If you meet the above eligibility requirements, you can sponsor:
- Your legally married spouse.
- Common-law partner- a person you are not legally married to. Although, you have stayed with him/her for a minimum of 12 months in a conjugal relationship.
- Conjugal partner- not legally married or in a common-law relationship and living outside Canada.
Types of spousal or common-law sponsorship applications:
- Inland: This application is made from within Canada. In this case, the person you want to sponsor is in Canada. With this, the person being sponsored can continue to live in Canada while their application is being processed. They can even take up work in the country by securing an open work permit.
Spouses or partners can also come to Canada by getting a Temporary Resident Visa first.
- Outland: This application is made via an Embassy or Consulate abroad. In the meantime, the person will wait for the visa processing. However, he/she can visit you in Canada if they want.
Canada family visa requirements to sponsor your dependent children
Your dependent children need to meet the following criteria:
- Your child should be below 22 years of age. Furthermore, he/she should not be involved in a common-law relationship and should not be married.
- In case your child is above 22, they may be considered if they have any physical or mental condition that prevents them from supporting themselves
To sponsor your child, you must be able to prove your relationship with them.
Canada family visa requirements to sponsor your parents or grandparents
Canada offers the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP) and the Super Visa Program.
Through this, you can sponsor your parents or grandparents. To sponsor them, you need to meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
- Meet the requirement for Minimum Necessary Income as per the family size. You will also have to provide notices of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency as proof.
- Sign an agreement acknowledging you’ll take care of your family members’ needs for up to 20 years
- Sign another agreement if you are from Quebec
You can have a cosigner to help you in meeting the MNI requirements. The co-signer needs to meet all the eligibility requirements as you in addition to the following:
- Not be the person you are planning to sponsor
- Have lived with you in a conjugal relationship for a minimum of 1 year.
How CourseMentor™ Can Help You
With years of experience in this field, CourseMentor™ has deep experience to help you with your Canada family visa.
Relocating your family member to Canada is a very sensitive decision, and you need to fulfill all the basic requirements to get your visa accepted.
The expert team of CourseMentor™ will help you with the following:
- Complete the document checklist for the visa.
- CourseMentor™ will assist you during your visa process.
- Fill out all forms and documentation.
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Conclusion
In this blog, we have discussed Canada family visa requirements.
Canada is a great country to live in. But no place on earth is fun without someone to share it with.
Fortunately, in Canada, you can sponsor your near and dear ones through the Canada Family Visa. Applying for a visa can be a tiring process.
To help you with it, this article contains all the information related to Canada Family Visa requirements. We hope we have cleared all your queries related to it.
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FAQ
Can I sponsor my partner who is of the same sex as me?
Yes, you can spouse or conjugal partner can be of any sex.
Do I have to appear for an interview?
There is generally no interview involved. But, in case of sparse documentation supporting your relationship with the person you are sponsoring, you may have to.
How long does it take to process Canada family visa?
The normal processing time for a Canada family visa is two to four weeks. But sometimes, due to some internal issues or other things, it can take even longer. The process of your Canadian family visa only starts when the Canadian embassy receives all the required documents.