Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their immediate family members to apply for Canadian immigration.
As a sponsor, you must meet certain eligibility criteria. For example, you must be at least 18 years old; have Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or Indian status (under the Indian Act); demonstrate that you are not receiving social assistance; and be able to support your family financially. There are some other more specific criteria. If you are a citizen applying to sponsor your family outside of Canada, you will need to show that you intend to return after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made a decision on your file. Permanent residents must sponsor their spouse in Canada. There are also circumstances that may exclude you from the grant, such as B. if you are not discharged from bankruptcy.
Canada recognizes three different types of partners in terms of who you can sponsor under that particular program: spouses, common-law partners and spouses. You can also sponsor your dependent children.
Spouses must marry their sponsor in a face-to-face ceremony. Virtual marriages are not recognized for immigration purposes.
Life partners must show that they have lived together for at least 12 months.
The spouse lives outside Canada and has been in a relationship for at least one year. They must prove legal or social barriers prevent them from marrying or cohabiting. You cannot sponsor a spouse living in Canada.
In all cases, your partner must be at least 18 years old. IRCC verifies that your partner is accredited by conducting medical and background security checks. People with criminal convictions are generally barred from entering Canada and cannot enter the country.
Dependent children
Children under the age of 22 without a spouse or common-law partner are considered dependents. If they turn 22, they may qualify as dependents if they are unable to support themselves financially due to a mental or physical illness and have been dependent on them for financial support since before age 22.
If your child turns 22 while the application is being processed, they may still be dependent. However, you must continue to meet all other requirements above until IRCC has completed processing the application.
You can sponsor your own child or your partner and their child. If you are a Canadian citizen, your children may already be citizens, even if they were not born in Canada. In this case, you may need to apply for citizenship for your foreign-born child (if you haven’t already done so). If your own children are already citizens, you do not have to sponsor them.