An application to sponsor a family member for Canadian permanent residence is a promise. The sponsor is promising the government to support that person. Otherwise, if that family member requires help from Social Assistance (Welfare), the sponsor is promising to pay the government back all of the money that the family member has received from the government.

With some exceptions, Canadian citizens and permanent residents have the right to be a sponsor. Some people are barred from sponsoring (for example, people who owe the government money from past sponsorships, people with criminal convictions for serious domestic violence, etc.).

In general, one can only sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, dependent children, parents or grandparents. In very rare circumstances, it may be possible to sponsor other family members (for example, a brother or sister if he or she is under 18 years old and orphaned).

The government treats spouses, common-law partners and dependent children differently from other family members. To sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child, a person does not have to be earning a certain amount of money, or show that the sponsored relative has no serious medical problems. In order to sponsor parents or grandparents, however, a sponsor will need to meet an income requirement and will need to show that the sponsored relative does not have serious medical problems.

If an overseas sponsorship application is refused, the sponsor has the option of appealing this decision to the Appeal Division of Immigration and Refugee Board. An in-land spousal sponsorship does not have a right of appeal.

An experienced lawyer can be of great assistance in a sponsorship application.  We assist in the completion of all of the application forms and in the gathering of the necessary documents, as well as handling all correspondence with Canada Immigration and the visa offices.  For further information please contact us at info@vanlehrer.com

Last revised: January 2007