This article will help you navigate through the main requirements to sponsor orphaned siblings, nephews/nieces or grandchildren, and others to become permanent residents of Canada. This includes your obligations as a sponsor, your income requirements, and other the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility to Sponsor
You can become a sponsor if you are:
You may not be able to sponsor a relative if you:
If you live in Quebec, you must satisfy the requirements of both governments. Orphaned brothers, sisters, nephew, niece or grandchild must be the subject of a positive psychosocial assessment of the child's reception conditions. This assessment is carried out by the youth center in your region and subject to a fee of around $1,200. You must also sign a declaration in which you agree to file a motion with the Superior Court within 90 days of the child's arrival in Quebec in order to appoint a tutor for the child. There are other general criteria for Quebec residents that are similar to those of the federal government.
On June 26, 2024, the Quebec government announced the introduction of a cap on family sponsorship:
From June 26, 2024 to June 25, 2026, a maximum of 2,600 applications will be accepted for the sponsorship of a father, mother, grandfather, grandmother or other relative.
- at least 18 years old,
- a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident living in Canada,
- able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability, and
- have enough income to provide for basic needs of any grandchildren (dependent children of a dependent child) of the principal applicant.
You may not be able to sponsor a relative if you:
- are in prison,
- have not paid your alimony or child support payments,
- have declared bankruptcy and haven’t been released from it yet,
- got social assistance for reasons other than being disabled,
- didn’t pay back an immigration loan, made late payments or missed payments,
- sponsored another relative in the past and didn’t meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement,
- were convicted of a violent crime, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence, depending on details of the case.
If you live in Quebec, you must satisfy the requirements of both governments. Orphaned brothers, sisters, nephew, niece or grandchild must be the subject of a positive psychosocial assessment of the child's reception conditions. This assessment is carried out by the youth center in your region and subject to a fee of around $1,200. You must also sign a declaration in which you agree to file a motion with the Superior Court within 90 days of the child's arrival in Quebec in order to appoint a tutor for the child. There are other general criteria for Quebec residents that are similar to those of the federal government.
On June 26, 2024, the Quebec government announced the introduction of a cap on family sponsorship:
From June 26, 2024 to June 25, 2026, a maximum of 2,600 applications will be accepted for the sponsorship of a father, mother, grandfather, grandmother or other relative.
Obligations as a Sponsor
When you sponsor persons who are members of the family class, you must sign an undertaking with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or with the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) if you live in Quebec.
The undertaking is a promise to provide financial support and basic requirements for the family members you are sponsoring. Basic requirements are:
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The undertaking ensures that these persons and their family members do not have to apply for social assistance. The length of undertaking depends on their age and their relationship with the sponsor.
Your obligations as a sponsor begin as soon as the person(s) you are sponsoring arrive in Canada. Your spouse or common-law partner may help you meet the income requirement by co-signing the sponsorship application.
The undertaking is an unconditional promise of support. For example, the granting of Canadian citizenship, divorce, separation or relationship breakdown or moving to another province does not cancel the undertaking. The undertaking also remains in effect even if your financial situation deteriorates.
The length of the undertaking for residents of provinces and territories outside Quebec is:
The length of the undertaking for residents of Quebec is:
Your obligations as a sponsor begin as soon as the person(s) you are sponsoring arrive in Canada. Your spouse or common-law partner may help you meet the income requirement by co-signing the sponsorship application.
The undertaking is an unconditional promise of support. For example, the granting of Canadian citizenship, divorce, separation or relationship breakdown or moving to another province does not cancel the undertaking. The undertaking also remains in effect even if your financial situation deteriorates.
The length of the undertaking for residents of provinces and territories outside Quebec is:
- 3 years for a dependent child over 22 years of age,
- 10 years for a dependent child under 22 years of age, or until the child becomes 22 years old, whichever comes first,
- 10 years for any other relative.
The length of the undertaking for residents of Quebec is:
- 3 years minimum for a dependent child over 16 years of age, or until the child becomes 25 years old, whichever is the longest,
- 10 years minimum for a dependent child under 16 years of age, or until the child becomes 18 years old, whichever is the longest,
- 10 years for any other relative.
Who Can You Sponsor?
Option 1. You can sponsor your brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild who is:
- orphaned,
- related to you by blood or adoption,
- under 18 years old, and
- not married or in a common-law relationship.
- one of their parents is still alive,
- no one knows where their parents are,
- their parents abandoned them,
- someone else other than their parents is taking care of them while one or both their parents are alive, or
- their parent is in jail or otherwise detained.
Option 2. You can sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age, if you satisfy to the two following conditions:
- You don't have a living relative you could sponsor instead, such as a:
- spouse,
- common-law partner,
- conjugal partner,
- son or daughter,
- parent,
- grandparent,
- orphaned brother or sister
- orphaned nephew or niece
- orphaned grandchild
- You don’t have any aunt or uncle or any of the above-named relatives who is:
- a Canadian citizen,
- a permanent resident, or
- a registered Indian under the Indian Act.
Income Requirements
If you wish to sponsor an orphaned sibling, nephew/niece or grandchild (Option 1) OR an eligible relative (Option 2), your income must meet or exceed the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), on the date which the sponsorship application is signed.
You need to calculate the number of people in your family, including:
You need to calculate the number of people in your family, including:
- Yourself and your family members, even if they do not live with you,
- The person you are sponsoring and his/her family members who will be living with you,
- Anyone you have sponsored in the past and their family members,
- Anyone you have co-signed a sponsorship financial obligation in the past and is still in effect, and
- Any person that you are sponsoring who has sponsored or has co-signed a sponsorship financial obligation for in the past and is still in effect.
Family Size | MNI - 2024 |
---|---|
2 | $36,576 |
3 | $44,966 |
4 | $54,594 |
5 | $61,920 |
6 | $69,834 |
7 | $77,750 |
For each additional person | $7,916 |