Information is retrieved from Government of Canada.
1. About the process
Permanent residency in Canada can be gained if you submit the interest to sponsor form and later invited to submit a complete application. By doing so, you can sponsor your parents and grandparents to be permanent residents of Canada.
A MUST things to do include:
- supporting them financially.
- Ensure they don’t require any social assistance from the government.
2. Eligibility
Requirements to sponsor your parents and grandparents are:
- Be physically living in Canada.
- Age-18 years and above.
- MUST be a Canadian citizen.
- Living in Canada permanently.
- Those registered as Indians in Canada MUST be under the Indian Act.
- Have enough money to cater for the persons you want to sponsor.
- Provide documents on sources of your income.
Those Living outside Quebec
- To be a sponsor, one must promise an undertaking.
- This commits you to support of the family members financially for 20 years, right from when they become permanent residents.
- Repaying of government social assistance that your sponsored members get during the whole period.
- Sponsorship Agreement
You and your sponsored family members need to come to an agreement on responsibilities in time of undertaking.
- You will provide the basic needs for your sponsored members of your family.
- Sponsored persons will make every effort to support themselves.
- During application, you will have to complete and sign the above-mentioned agreements.
Those Living in Quebec
- You MUST meet the sponsorship requirements of Quebec on immigration. Which is after approval as a sponsor is done.
- Assessment of your income is done by Quebec ministry in charge of immigration.
- You MUST sign an undertaking agreement with Quebec province.
“Not Eligible” for sponsoring Family member
Restriction from sponsoring members of your family can be If:
- You are below- 18 years.
- You are NOT a Canadian citizen.
- You are NOT a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- A Resident living temporarily in Canada. (Visiting, studying or working in Canada on a permit or visa.)
- Your application for permanent residence is still ongoing.
- Your proof of income indicates that you don’t have enough money for financial support of persons you want to sponsor.
Other Reasons may include, if:
You are in penitentiary, jail or prison.
You didn’t follow the agreement signed, to offer financial support to sponsor another person in the past.
You are declared bankrupt.
You are convicted of any criminal offence against a relative (inside or outside) Canada.
You receive Removal order and can’t legally in Canada.
You are NOT able to pay back family support payments (child support or alimony) ordered by the court, an immigration loan, a performance bond.
3. Persons you can sponsor
Different members of your family can legally be sponsored by you. They include; Parents, relative related either by blood or adoption or grandparents. You can include your brothers or sisters as dependent children during the application if they happen to qualify. Since income is a requirement, if you meet them, you may be able to sponsor a couple or more than one person. For a case of separation or divorce, you can sponsor conjugal or common-law partner, your parents’ and grandparents’ spouse.
Eligibility of persons being sponsored.
To qualify for the sponsorship, your family members MUST provide:
- All the requirements needed. Which include forms and documents with their applications.
- Any added information that may be required. Which include policy certificates, medical exams and biometrics.
Examples of different persons who you can sponsor
- Sponsoring your biological parents as a couple
In the application, one is designated as the principal applicant and the as a dependent. If you have siblings, you can include them as dependent children only if they qualify.
- Sponsoring your mother, stepfather and grandparents
You are supposed to submit two separate sponsorship application as per couple.
You designate your mother as the principal applicant and your stepfather as the dependent.
The other couple you can either designate your grandfather or grandmother as the principal applicant and the other as the dependent.
- Sponsoring your father, stepmother and their child
In the application, your father is the principal applicant since he is related to you by blood and your stepmother be listed as a dependent. Their child can be added as a dependent only if he or she qualifies.
Persons you can’t sponsor
You in-laws (Parents and grandparents).However, you can act as a co-signer on their application.
Persons NOT allowed to Canada.
Submission of the interest to sponsor form
Be ready to submit the 2019 interest to sponsor form
The first requirement is to fill out the interest to sponsor form. Available at noon EST, 28th JAN 2019. Priority will be based on first-in.
4. Filling out the Form
- A person who want to sponsor fills out the form
- Use your computer if you already have the information
- In case of a mistake during the filling on your interest to sponsor form, find out how to correct and update the information.
- If you are not eligible to become a sponsor, please DO NOT submit the interest to sponsor form.
- DO NOT submit the interest to sponsor form more than one time.
Gather information needed before the interest sponsor form opens. These are the new requirements for 2019.
You as the person sponsoring, provide the following information with the interest to sponsor form:
- Give your last name, Surname and First name as they appear on proof status in Canada document.
- Date of birth.
- Country you are born in.
- Requirement of an email address.
- Number members of the family in your family unit.
- The total number of persons you want to sponsor together with their dependents.
- Provide the names of the members you want to sponsor and also their dependents.
- Thee parents’ or the grandparents’ birth dates. But for the dependents, it is not necessary.
- Submit Canada document number and where it can be found as proof of status and make sure all the documents match.
- Type your signature.
Make sure you understand the income requirements before completing the interest to sponsor form since you will be asked if you meet the income requirements to sponsor.
Preparing your proof of status document in Canada
You will be asked to upload a copy of the electronic proof of status in Canada. Expired documents are accepted too. So you don’t need to renew your document in order to complete and submit sponsorship form.
The requirement of proof of status document include:
- Both sides of a permanent resident card.
- Both sides of Canadian Citizenship card or certificate.
- Canadian certificates of birth. Persons born in Quebec, only birth certificate from Directeur de l’État civil is accepted.
- A Canadian passport showing the photo, name, place and date of birth and passport number.
- An Indian status certificate that is secured.
Successful Submission of your Interest to sponsor form 2019
You will be notified by use of a confirmation page that contains a confirmation number. Remember this number and keep it safe for record purpose.
A confirmation email will be sent too.
Invitations will be sent after the forms have been reviewed in order to remove duplicates.
You should find out if you are invited if you successfully submitted the interest to sponsor form this year.
Closed Application Process for the Year 2018
Potential sponsors were invited on 31st July 2018 to submit a complete application. Selected confirmation numbers were posted but were later removed on 5TH OCTOBER 2018 after the deadline for submission elapsed.
5. Find out more on the year 2019 invitation for application
In 2019, we will accept 27,000 submissions on a first come, first serve basis. The interest to sponsor form will be opened for a very limited period of time.
Invitations
Depending on the complete number of applications received, it may vary on if the second round of invitations will be done. In 2019, we will invite enough sponsor in order to receive 20,000 applications that are completely filled out.
For every round of invitations:
- Share your invitation status on this page.
- Announce on our website and our social media platforms.
- Email the chosen potential sponsors.
If you get invited to submit a complete application, a complete application must be received within 60days and the exact deadline will be specified as per your invitation.
If you don’t get invited to apply, there is always another round of invitation depending on how many complete applications have been received at each round.
6. How to fill out the application
You have been invited to apply to sponsor your members of your family.
Applications include:
- Application to become a sponsor
- Family members’ application for permanent residence
You should send both applications together at the same time
Deadline is indicated in your invitation to apply and must be received within 60 days from the date of your invitation.
The Six easy steps on how to apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents
1) Interest to sponsor form submission
2) Invitation to submit a complete application
3) Getting the application package
4) Payment of your application fees
5) Submission of your application
6) Sending of additional information during application processing.
Application Processing
Your application is reviewed and returned to you if:
- You were not invited earlier to submit a complete application.
- Your invitation was not received within the deadline specified.
- The application form is not complete.
- Payment fees are missing.
7 Upon successful submission of application
- You will be sent an application number and an acknowledgement receipt.
- You will be assessed on eligibility as a sponsor.
- Persons being sponsored will be assessed on eligibility for permanent residence.
When you are refused as a sponsor, you either choose to withdraw your application and get the all the other fees back but you will not get the $75 CAN sponsorship back or you continue processing the application for permanent residence for your family members and you want any fees paid back.
Persons living in Quebec
The person being sponsored by you must complete and sign Demande de sélection Permanente – Catégorie du regroupement familial, an application for permanent selection form and return it.
You must also enclose the form together with undertaking application to the Quebec government.
Approval on the application of your parents’ and grandparents’ permanent residence
Upon finishing the application process, your parents and grandparents, and also their dependents immigrating to Canada, will send:
- Their passports, or photocopies of their passports
- 2 photos
- Receipt for the right of permanent residence fee.
Once finish processing their application, they will receive:
- Document confirmation concerning them being approved to be Canadian permanent residents.
- A permanent resident visa, in their passport.
Expiry dates on the permanent resident visa and Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
Persons being sponsored will have to show their COPR and their permanent resident visa to border services officer or immigration officer in Canada before the expiry of their document
If their permanent residence application is declined, you are informed as to:
- Why it was declined and ways on how to appeal the decision made.
Tracking and updating your application:
- Check your application status.
- Updating your address and other necessary information.
- Add or change representatives in order to acquire more about your family member’s information.
- Withdraw your application.
- Pay the right of permanent residence fee or a refund
Checking your application status
Sponsors
- The online platform on the website.
- Request to get access to your parents and grandparents information
Persons being sponsored
- Creating an online account
- Use the online platform, which is updated on daily basis.
When you are past the processing time
When the normal processing time is over, the best way is by contacting through the web form.
Withdrawal of your sponsorship application
You can withdraw your sponsorship application at any given time. This is before the person you are sponsoring fully becomes a permanent resident of Canada.
Refund can be available if no application processing has been done.
TO request for withdrawal of your sponsorship application, use the web form
You should include the following for your request:
- Your date of birth
- Your full name
- The country where you were born
- Number of application
- The relative’s client identity number
The right of permanent residence fee.
The fee must be paid before the person you are sponsoring has become a permanent resident. If it was not paid, the person you are sponsoring is supposed to pay the fee online.
Refund on the right of permanent residence fee can only be done if:
- You are withdrawing your sponsorship.
- Your parent or grandparent was refused.
8. Preparing for arrival
On arrival of your sponsored member of the family, the border service officer must:
- Confirm documents (permanent résidence)
- A valid passport or a travel document.
- Quebec selection certificate, for those going to live in Quebec.
- Any other relevant document issued and informed to carry.
Members of the Family are already in Canada
The family members will have to meet with the immigration officer in order to receive their permanent residence.
At the Border:
- Checking of permanent resident visa and confirming its expiry date
- Confirming the information the family members game in their application.
- Members must give in details about any funds they are bringing into Canada.
- They may include Cash, stock, money orders, travel cheques, bonds.
- Have more knowledge on the documents your parents and grandparents require and also the interview process during the crossing of the border.
- When fully satisfied about meeting the requirements of entering Canada, the officer will allow the parents and grandparents to enter into Canada as permanent residents.
- Mail their permanent resident card to the address for the confirmation of permanent residence.
- Ensure they have the correct Canadian address.
