Who can you Sponsor

You can sponsor relatives or family members from abroad if they are: 

a.       spouses, common-law or conjugal partners 16 years of age or older; you may also sponsor a spouse or common-law partner who has legal status in Canada.

b.       parents and grandparents;

c.       dependent children, including adopted children;  A son or daughter is dependent when the child is under the age of 22 and does not have a spouse or common-law partner, became a full-time student before the age of 22 and has been substantially dependent on a parent for financial support since that time; or is financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22 because of a disability.

d.       children under 18 years of age whom you intend to adopt;

e.       brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren who are orphans, under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship; and

f.         any other relative if you have none of the above relatives or family members, either in Canada or abroad.

Procedure for Sponsoring a Relative or Family Member

In order to sponsor a relative or family member, you may have to comply with specific income requirements. If you have previously sponsored relatives or family members who have received social assistance, you may not be allowed to sponsor another person. To sponsor a relative or family member you must sign an undertaking with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and a Sponsorship Agreement with your relative or family member that outlines your mutual commitments to each other.

 
Applying as a Sponsored Immigrant 

The relative or family member in Canada must first apply to sponsor the foreign applicant who be one of the relatives or family members listed above to be eligible for sponsorship. Your sponsor must promise to support you and your family members financially for three to 10 years so that you will not need to apply for social assistance. You must promise to make every effort to become self-supporting, unless you are elderly.  Your overseas relative or family member must then apply for immigration.