In my previous post I shared some information about the new intake process for parents and grandparent’s sponsorship to Canada. Being one of the thousands hopeful sponsors, I want to make sure that I am aware of the most recent information (process) and I have the right information and documents in preparation for the submission of my interest to sponsor my parents on January 28, 2019. I thought of sharing some more information that I learned while doing my “homework.”
Being a potential sponsor myself, here are some information that a “sponsor” should know:
To be considered as an eligible sponsor of your own parents and grandparents, you must:
- be at least 18 years of age or older
- live in Canada
- be Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- sign undertaking promising to provide for the basic requirements of the person being sponsored;
- sign an agreement with the person you are sponsoring that confirms that each of you understands your mutual obligations and responsibilities;
- be able can provide your proof of income demonstrating that you have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor and may have a co-signer.
As a person who will sponsor members of the family class you are required to sign an undertaking with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (or with the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion [MIDI] if you live in Quebec). The undertaking is required to ensure that the persons being sponsored (and their dependents) will not apply for social assistance. The undertaking is an unconditional promise of support, it is the sponsor’s declaration that he/she is taking full responsibility in providing financial support and basic requirements for the family members you are sponsoring. Basic requirements refer to food, clothing, utilities, personal requirements, shelter, fuel and household supplies, as well as other health care like dental and eye care, which are not covered by the public health care.
The sponsor’s undertaking of taking the full obligation begins as soon as the persons being sponsored (and their family members) arrive in Canada and will be valid for twenty (20) years. Granting of Canadian citizenship, divorce, separation or relationship breakdown or moving to another province does not cancel the undertaking.
A spouse or common law partner may co-sign a sponsorship application to help the applicant for sponsorship to meet the income requirement. As a co signer, he/she must meet the same eligibility requirements as the sponsor; agree to co-sign the undertaking; and must also agree to be responsible for the basic requirements of the person to be sponsored and his or her family members for the validity period of the undertaking. The co-signer will be equally liable if obligations are not performed.
The applicant for sponsorship is able to sponsor his/her own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption. But he/she cannot sponsor his/her spouse’s parents and grandparents (your in-laws) but he/she can be a co-signer on your in-laws’ application. An applicant for sponsorship can sponsor more than 1 person or couple if he/she meet the income requirements for all the people he/she wants to sponsor including their dependants (spouse, partner and children). The sponsorship applicant can sponsor his/her both parents and submit the application for them as a couple. One of the parents will be designated as the main applicant (called the principal applicant) when completing the application. The spouse will be designated as a dependant. If the parents have children who qualify as dependent children, they can still be included in the parent’s application.
To prove that he/she has enough income to support all the persons he/she will be financially responsible for (including himself/herself). the potential sponsor will be required to provide proof that he/she (and his/her co-signer if applicable) meet the income requirements for each of the 3 taxation years immediately preceding the date of the sponsorship application, the potential sponsor will then provide his/her Notice of Assessment from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for each of the three taxation years.
Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) enumerated a number of reasons that make a person ineligible to sponsor his/her parents and grandparents, these includes:
- applicant for sponsorship is in jail, prison, or penitentiary
- applicant for sponsorship didn’t pay back: an immigration loan and/or a performance bond and/or court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support
- applicant for sponsorship didn’t give the financial support he/she agreed to when he/she signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past
- applicant for sponsorship declared bankruptcy and are not discharged
- applicant for sponsorship receives social assistance for a reason other than a disability
- applicant for sponsorship was convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada
- applicant for sponsorship can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order.
Resources:
Who is eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent?, retrieved January 13, 2019
Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor?, retrieved January 13, 2019
