I want to sponsor my parents to come to Canada, what are my financial responsibilities?
Submitted by Eduardo L.
Our Family Matters series is all about Family Sponsorships and Financial Responsibility. Last week's #AskAnnie was part one and discussed the requirements for a Spousal and/or Child Sponsorship (Read it here). This week in part two, we'll discuss sponsoring parents and grandparents.
The Process
The Parents and Grandparents Program opens once a year. It lets citizens and permanent residents of Canada sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada.
Here is how it works:
Step 1: If you’re eligible to become a sponsor, you must submit an interest to sponsor.
Step 2: After the window to submit closes, they review the submissions and remove any duplicates. They randomly select and invite potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents. Invitations are emailed and invitation status is posted on the government site.
Step 3: If you’re invited to apply, your application package must be submitted to the government by the deadline that’s in your invitation.
You are eligible to be a sponsor if...
you’re invited to apply
you’re at least 18 years old
you live in Canada
you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
you have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor (to show that you have enough, you’ll have to provide your proof of income. You may have a spouse or common-law partner co-sign to combine your incomes.)
you meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially support the people you are sponsoring for a period of time. We call this promise an undertaking.
The undertaking commits you to
providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time
Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. We call this the sponsorship agreement. The sponsorship agreement means that you’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members, including food, clothing, utilities, personal requirements, shelter, fuel, household supplies, and/or health care not covered by public health insurance, such as eye and dental care. However, the person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members.
This agreement is still valid, and you must still cover basic needs for the period it covers, even in the case of
marriage ending, separation or divorce
family rifts
unemployment
change in finances
death of the main applicant, if you also sponsor their family members
When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form
that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption. In case of divorce, you’ll need to submit separate applications if you sponsor divorced parents and grandparents. If your divorced parents or grandparents have a current spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, these people become dependants on the application and can immigrate to Canada with your parents and grandparents, if approved.
In the application, you can include your brothers and sisters, half brothers and sisters, step-brothers, and step-sisters only if they qualify as dependent children.
You must meet the income requirements for all the people
you want to sponsor and their dependants.
The people you sponsor must also be eligible. To show they meet the eligibility requirements, your parents and grandparents and their dependants must provide
all required forms and documents with their application
any additional information we request during processing, including
medical exams
police certificates
biometrics
Immigration Station Canada will work with you and guide you through the best process to achieve your goals, wherever they lead!
About Us
Immigration Station Canada is a dedicated, professional Canadian Immigration firm practicing out of Northumberland County, just east of Toronto, in Canada. We serve clients from Kingston, Belleville, Brighton, Cobourg, Oshawa, the GTA, Guelph, Milton, Stratford and St. Catharines and around the world. Our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, Anne C. McCaughey (Annie) is an experienced immigration services provider and a fifth-generation Canadian who values the immigration process and the unique individuals who immigrate to Canada to become part of the fabric of this wonderful country. If you would like to submit a question to Ask Annie, use the contact form.
How Can We Help? We do work permits, study permits, visitor visas, Express Entry, spousal sponsorship, family class sponsorship, and Canadian citizenship with expertise in Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications and Global Talent Stream applications. Please contact us if you would like assistance with your immigration application or to book an appointment.
