Family sponsorship- Dependent Child
This program allows Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents to sponsor their dependent and adopted children, enabling them to accompany them in Canada. The Canadian Government emphasizes the importance of keeping families together and, therefore, prioritizes the processing of Family Class applications at Canadian Visa Offices. To qualify for this program, both the sponsor (a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident) and the sponsored person (their child residing abroad) must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the sponsored person to receive a visa.
Definition of a Dependent Child
To be eligible for sponsorship, children must meet the definition of a dependent child. Whether they are the biological or adopted child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, a child is considered as a dependent if they are not married or in a common-law relationship and are under the age of 22.
Exception: Children who are over the age of 22 years can qualify as “over-age” dependants if they have depended on their parents for financial support since before they reached the age limit and can not financially support themselves due to a mental or physical condition.
Requirements to sponsor a dependent child
To sponsor a child from another country, the sponsor must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident (if you do not currently reside in Canada, you must do so when the adopted child becomes a permanent resident).
- Live in Canada; and
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be able to prove that you’re not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
- Provide for the basic needs of the child you want to sponsor
Sponsors may not be eligible to sponsor in some cases, such as:
- If sponsor(s) did not meet the requirements of a previous sponsorship agreement.
- If sponsor(s) defaulted on a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support.
- If sponsor(s) have been convicted of a violent criminal offence – depending on the nature of the offence, when it occurred and whether a record suspension was granted
Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirements
Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are sponsoring their dependent children are not required to meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), provided that the dependent child does not have any children of their own. If the dependent child being sponsored has dependent children of their own, the sponsor must meet the MNI required for their family unit size.
Processing Time
Varies by country. Check processing times.
Government Fee
- Sponsorship fee ($75.00 CAD per child)
- Processing fee ($75.00 CAD per child)
- Biometric fee ($85.00 CAD): If dependent child is 14 years or older
Family sponsorship- Other close relatives
You may be eligible to sponsor orphaned brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandchildren if they meet certain specific conditions set by immigration refugee and citizenship Canada. In extremely specific situations, any other relative by blood or adoption can be sponsored by Canadians. Strict conditions apply to these family class sponsorship categories.
Depending on your situation, there are 2 options for who you can sponsor.
Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild
You can sponsor an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild only if they meet all of these conditions:
- they’re related to you by blood or adoption
- both their mother and father passed away
- they’re under 18 years of age
- they’re single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship)
You can’t sponsor your brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild if:
- 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 of their parents are alive
- their parent is in jail or otherwise detained
Other relative
You may sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age, if you meet all of these 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 (the sponsor) don’t have any relatives (aunt or uncle or any of the relatives listed above), who is a:
- Canadian citizen
- permanent resident
- registered Indian under the Indian Act
If the relative you want to sponsor has a spouse, partner, or dependent children who will come with them to Canada, you must include them on the same sponsorship application.
In order to sponsor the above relatives you must be
18 years of age or older and a:
- Canadian citizen or
- person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or
- permanent resident of Canada
You must live in Canada to sponsor eligible relatives unless you:
- are a Canadian citizen who lives abroad and
- plan to return to Canada when your relatives immigrate
When you sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must:
- Meet set income guidelines.
- Agree in writing to give financial support to your relative and any other eligible relatives coming with them:
- beginning on the date they become a permanent resident.
- for up to 20 years (depending on their age and how you are related).
The person you sponsor must sign an agreement saying they will make the effort to support themselves.
Who you can not sponsor?
You can not sponsor someone who is inadmissible to Canada. This means they are not allowed to come to Canada.
If you want to sponsor your Dependent Child or other close relative, or if you want to be sponsored, we can help! Contact us to discuss your options!