Family Reunification Programs

Canada’s immigration policy recognizes the importance of reuniting family members and has a clear and strong Family Class Sponsorship Program.

If you have already obtained your Permanent Residency to Canada or are a citizen of Canada you may apply to sponsor your spouse/common-law-partner, dependent child, parent, grandparent or a close relative. Ask Siminca if your relative can come join you in Canada by becoming a permanent resident. Get in touch with us today

Under Canadian immigration policies, family reunification is treated equally and without discriminating whether you, the sponsor are permanent resident or a citizen of Canada; priority is the same for both. To sponsor you must be an eligible sponsor

What are the requirements for the sponsor of a family member?

 If you want to sponsor your family member the basic requirements are that:

  • You are at least 18 years old
  • You are a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen
  • You can demonstrate that you can provide financial support to your relative when they are in Canada
  • You are or will be living in Canada when your family member becomes a permanent resident (with limited exceptions)

Who can be sponsored?

Under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) program you may a family member who is a spouses or common law-partner, dependent children, parents and grandparents. In the following sections, the terms spouse is meant to describe both legally married spouses or persons who have been living conjugally together for at least 12 continuous months (called common law partners in Canada). These also include same sex couples.

Spouse/Common law-partner

In Canada, a spousal sponsorship application (to sponsor a spouse or a common law-partner) requires that both the sponsor and sponsored person meet specific requirements. At Siminca we can help you determine if such a sponsorship is possible.   Contact Siminca today and find out how to apply for a spousal sponsorship and make your spouse or a common law-partner a permanent resident in Canada with the right to live and work here permanently.

If your spouse is already in Canada, under a valid temporary visa, you may also be able to apply within Canada for a spousal sponsorship. However, when choosing if you are better off submitting an application inland or a visa office outside of Canada it is important to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of each option. Also, you must ensure that your spouse or common-law partner meets the eligibility criteria and whether there is not a particular Provincial Family Class Sponsorship Program which might be more suitable for you. As each case is different, Contact Siminca today, and we will be glad to assess your particular situation and advise you as to your best options.

Spousal sponsorship applications are not limited by quotas and standard processing times are around 12 months for applications submitted in 2018.

Dependent children

Applications for a dependent child under the Family Class Sponsorship Program allows parents that are citizens or permanent residents of Canada to sponsor both natural and adopted children.

Requirements under this category include:

  • Proving the relationship between the parent and the child.
  • The sponsored person must be in dependency
    • Less than 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner
    • If older then 22, has to be dependent of his parent since before being 22 and be unable to be financially self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition

Parents and Grandparents

In January, every year, a quota is opened for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want to apply to sponsor a parent or grandparent. To apply through this Program sponsors are required to first submit an Interest to Sponsor to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their website during the intake period.

After the intake period, IRCC randomly selects potential sponsors within the quota of the year and IRCC will also invite them to apply. For 2018 the quota was 10,000.

Once a sponsor receives the invitation to apply, the application must be submitted before the deadline. In 2018 the time given to applicants to submit a complete application was 90 days after they were invited. Ask Siminca how we can help you in submitting a complete application and avoid being refused for submitting forms with mistakes or documents that do not comply with IRCC standards.

Under the category for parents and grandparents, sponsors must also prove that they meet minimum income requirements, for the previous three years set by immigration authorities for this category. These requirements vary according to family size. Also, the sponsor must sign an undertaking for a period of 20 years. This undertaking stipulates that you promise to provide financial support and the basic requirements for your sponsored family member, such as: food, clothing, housing and utilities, household supplies, personal requirements and other health care not provided by public health namely eye and dental care.

Alternatively, to the sponsorship process, parents or grandparents who would like to stay for periods up to two years at a time with their children/grandchildren in Canada can also apply for a Super visa.

Parent and Grandparent Super Visa

A Super Visa is a multi-entry visa, valid for a period of up to ten years, that allows eligible parents and grandparents to come to Canada to visit their family members and stay for up to two years at a time without the need to renew their status.

There is an important difference between a “regular” multiple entry visa (which may be valid for several years) and a Super Visa: with a multiple entry visa, a visitor cannot stay more than 6 consecutive months in Canada after each entry. If a holder of such a visa wishes to stay longer in Canada without leaving the country they must apply for an extension and pay a new fee. However, with a Super Visa the visitor is allowed to remain in Canada continuously for up to 2 years at a time.

Who can apply for a parent or grandparent visa?

Candidates for a parent or grandparent super visa must:

  • Obviously be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada
  • Be allowed to enter Canada (that is not be inadmissible to the country for any reason); and
  • Meet the other requirements for the visa

What are the Requirements for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa?

  • Provide a letter issued by your child or grandchild in Canada promising financial support and documents demonstrating that they have the financial means necessary under the program.
  • Provide proof of a Canadian medical insurance for at least one year
  • Complete an immigration medical exam
  • Be able to convince the visa officer that you will leave Canada after your stay and that you have ties with your home country (ensuring that you will return there at the end of your authorized stay)

Do you need help to apply? Ask us how . Siminca can help you in assessing your file and submitting a complete sponsorship or super visa application