If you currently reside in Canada and meet the requirements, you can sponsor your parents to join you in the country. The Family Class sponsorship program in Canada allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents to live with them. It is a program that is designed to reunite families and help strengthen ties between family members.
But before you get excited, there are conditions attached to this program, these conditions must be met by both you and your parents before your application to sponsor them will be approved – the program comes with a set of specific requirements that must be followed to ensure a successful sponsorship application. If you are currently residing in Canada and wish to bring your parents over, here are the requirements to sponsor parents in Canada.
Basics of Parental Sponsorship
As a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, you are allowed only to bring your parents or grandparents to become permanent residents in Canada if you meet the sponsorship program requirements and if your parents are eligible for sponsorship.
Eligibility Criteria for Sponsors
To be eligible to sponsor your parents, you must meet the following criteria:
- Citizenship or permanent residency: You already know that as a sponsor, you must be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident. If you are a temporary resident, like you are in Canada to work or study, you are not eligible to sponsor your parents or grandparents.
- Age requirement: While the minimum age to be a sponsor is 18, there is no maximum age limit. However, as a sponsor, you should know that you must meet the income requirements too.
- Residency in Canada: As a sponsor, you must reside in Canada, it shows that you are committed to being present to fulfill your sponsorship responsibilities. If you reside in Quebec, there are additional requirements set by the province that you also need to meet.
- Minimum necessary income (MNI): You also need to meet or exceed the Minimum Necessary Income, which is a threshold set by the government. This threshold depends on the size of your family and the number of people being sponsored.
- Eligible financial supporters: In some cases, as a sponsor, you can combine your income with your co-signer (spouse or common-law partner) to meet the income requirements. Your co-signer must also meet the eligibility criteria.
- Accepted forms of income: To meet the income requirements, various sources of income are considered, they include employment income, self-employment income, pension income, and income from other sources. You must provide supporting documents for the past three years.
- Length of commitment: You have to commit to providing financial support for your sponsored parents for 20 years or until they become Canadian citizens, whichever comes first. In addition, if your parents receive social assistance during the sponsorship period, you are obligated to repay the government for these costs.
- Legal commitment: This is a legal commitment that you know your responsibilities as a sponsor.
- Co-signer’s responsibilities: If you have a co-signer – maybe your wife, both of you are equally responsible for fulfilling the undertaking.
- Apply: You also need to apply to sponsor your parents, this is the beginning of the whole process.
Eligibility Criteria for Sponsored Parents
Just like you, your parents must also meet the sponsorship criteria before your application to sponsor them will be approved.
- Relationship: Your parents must be your biological or adoptive parents. Step-parents and parents-in-law may also be eligible under certain conditions.
- Medical checks: Your parents must undergo a medical examination conducted by an approved panel physician. The results of their examination will be submitted with the sponsorship application. If any of your parents are found to have a health condition that may be a danger to public health or safety or could cause excessive demand on health or social services, they may be deemed inadmissible and therefore, can’t be sponsored.
- A police certificate: They also need to get police clearance certificates from each country where they have lived for six months or more since reaching the age of 18. If any of them has a criminal record or poses a security risk to Canada, the person will be deemed inadmissible to Canada.
Temporary Resident Permit: In some cases, if any of your parents are inadmissible to Canada, the person may be eligible for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP).
Application Process
The application process to sponsor your parent in Canada is simple, you just need to complete the online application form, gather all the required documents, fill out the form and attach all the required documents, and pay the application fee, which covers processing and other associated costs.
Once you are done, submit the completed application package (both the form, and all the required documents) to the designated immigration office or online application portal.
Tips for a Successful Application
To increase your chances of a successful sponsorship application, consider the following tips:
- Begin the process early so you will have enough time for document gathering and submission.
- Ensure all required documents are included and accurately filled out.
- Seek professional advice if needed, from immigration consultants or lawyers specializing in family sponsorship.
If you are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, you are eligible to sponsor your parents to come join you in Canada. Before you start the process, make sure you are financially capable and that your parents are also eligible for sponsorship. The application process is pretty simple if you are an eligible sponsor.
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