Sponsor Spouse, Partner and Children

Posted on Posted in Immigration Options, Sponsorship

If you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, and additionally, 18 years or older; you can sponsor the following relatives under this category to migrate to Canada:

  • spouse,
  • common-law or conjugal partner, or
  • dependent children (a dependent child must be under 19 years of age)
Your Responsibility:
  • meet basic needs—such as food, clothing, and shelter—for both yourself and your family,
  • support your relative financially and must agree in writing to give financial support to your relative, if they need it
    • for a spouse or partner, this lasts for three years from the date they become a permanent resident, and
    • for a dependent child, this lasts for 10 years, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.
  • make sure your spouse or relative does not need to ask for financial help from the government.
You may not be eligible to be a sponsor if you:
  • did not meet the terms of a sponsorship agreement in the past,
  • did not pay alimony or child support even though a court ordered it,
  • get government financial help for reasons other than being disabled,
  • were convicted of an offense of a sexual nature, a violent crime, an offense against a relative that resulted in bodily harm, or an attempt or threat to commit any such offenses, depending on the details of the case.
  • were sponsored as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner in the past and became a permanent residents of Canada less than five years ago
  • did not pay back an immigration loan, made late payments or missed payments,
  • are in prison or
  • have declared bankruptcy and have not been released from it yet.

If you live in Quebec, Citizenship and Immigration Canada must approve you as a sponsor first. Then you must also meet Quebec’s conditions to be a sponsor.

On or after March 2, 2012, if a spouse or partner sponsored you, you now cannot sponsor a new spouse or partner within five years of becoming a permanent resident. 

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