Family Sponsorship

You may be able to sponsor your family members who are outside Canada to come and live here as permanent residents if you are:

a Canadian citizen,
a permanent resident, or
registered as an Indian under the Indian Act.

You must also be 18 years or older.

You will have to pay the required fees. And there are "income guidelines" which say how much money a sponsor must earn. But, in most cases, the guidelines do not apply if you are sponsoring a spouse, partner, or child.

You must also meet other conditions and give all the information that the sponsorship application asks for.

What happens after the people I sponsor arrive in Canada?

For some years after they arrive, you must support them by making sure they have things such as housing, clothes, and food, or the money to pay for these things.

As a sponsor, you must support your parents or grandparents for 20 years. For a spouse or partner it is 3 years. For children it is between 3 and 10 years, depending on the age of your child. Under Canadian family law, after a sponsorship ends, you may still be responsible for financial support.

If your relationship breakdown during the period of your sponsorship. The sponsor still held responsible for the spousal contract that you have signed with the federal government.

What if I do not support the people I sponsored?

They might apply for money from federal or provincial benefits. If they get this money during the years you are supposed to support them as a sponsor, the government can take the money back from you. You will not be able to sponsor anyone else in the future until you pay back all the money.

What if the application is refused?

The decision to refuse the application will be sent to you in writing. Get legal advice right away. You may be able to appeal to the Immigration and Refugee Board. You have 30 days from the date you get the written decision to file your appeal.

What program is available for me to sponsor my family member?

Spouse or Common Law Partner
Parent and Grandparent Family Class
Parent and Grandparent Super Visa (Temporary Visitor)
Dependent Child Sponsorship
Sponsor other relatives

General requirements for the Sponsor

Sponsorship applicants are subject to the following requirements:

The sponsor must demonstrate the financial ability to provide the Family Sponsorship immigrant and dependents with their essential needs, should they be unable to provide for themselves, including the following:
- Food, clothing, shelter and other basic requirements of everyday living; and
- Dental and eye care, as well as other health needs not covered by public health services available to all Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents.
The following agreements must be entered into with the government of Canada or Quebec:
- The sponsor must agree to provide the immigrant with essential needs for a prescribed period of time; and
- If the sponsored relative is over 19 years of age and not elderly, and the sponsor promises to support the sponsored person(s) for a prescribed period of time, the sponsored person(s) must promise to make every effort to become self-supporting.
The sponsor must have either:
- Physical residency in Canada; or
- For Canadian citizens sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent child, a demonstrated intention to reside in Canada by the time the sponsored family member lands in Canada as a permanent resident.
In addition, the Sponsor must be at least 18 years old, not in prison, not bankrupt, not under a removal order (if a permanent resident), and not charged with a serious offence.

Our area of expertise

We are experienced in Family Sponsorship especially for those who are from South East Asia countries (eg. Thailand). We can help you acquire the missing paperwork even if you currently reside in Canada and intend to apply for the permanent resident within Canada.

We also experienced in Same-Sex marriage sponsorship. We can provide you with a consultation from a plan to get married until the stage of applying for a permanent resident in Canada.

Same-Sex marriage options in Asia, in general, are very limited. It depends if your prospective partner is eligible on his/her own to come to Canada to perform a same-sex marriage. We can assist you in planning your dream to bring your partner to Canada and live with you.

Visa lodgement options

You can either apply within Canada (family sponsorship within Canada may eligible for an open-work permit during the permanent resident application process) or apply it from oversea.

Fees information

Government processing fee from (adult) $1040

Government processing fee from (minor) $150

Representation fee from $2240 (application inside Canada)

Representation fee from $2740 (application outside Canada)

Biometric collection fee from $85

Medical examination fee: varies