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  • Suzette Tiempo

Canadian Immigration: Who Else Can I Sponsor?


As Canadians, we often think of the family members we can sponsor to live in Canada. We usually think about spouses, children, parents, and grandparents but sometimes forget about other relatives who Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada allow us to sponsor in a specific situation! In this blog post, I want to talk about Permanent Resident Sponsorship for these other family members.


Who else can be sponsored as a Permanent Resident of Canada:


Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild

IRCC states you can sponsor an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild if all of these conditions are met:

  • they're related to you by blood or adoption

  • both of their parents passed away

  • they are under the age of 18

  • they are 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 their parents are alive

  • their parent is in jail or detained

Other relatives

You may sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age, if you meet all of these conditions:

you (the person who wants to sponsor your relative) 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 potential 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

What are the requirements for sponsorship?

You must meet these conditions to sponsor someone as a permanent resident:

  • Canadian citizen or

  • A person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or

  • Permanent resident of Canada

How to apply to sponsor a Permanent Resident of Canada

There are two steps to the sponsorship application procedure. You apply to sponsor your family, and they apply for permanent residency. Both applications must be submitted to IRCC at the same time.

IRCC provides the following guidelines on how to prepare and submit your application:

  • confirm you and your relatives meet the eligibility criteria

  • read the application guides carefully

  • provide all requested documents and evidence in your application. You will need to submit proof such as proof of income and sign legal declarations such as committing to financially support your relative upon their arrival in Canada

  • be truthful when answering all questions

  • pay applicable fees

  • ensure your relatives and their close family (if applicable) complete required health and security checks

I hope this blog post has given you some insight into the other family members that can be sponsored as Permanent Resident of Canada. If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring one of these relatives, don't hesitate to get in touch with us today, and we will be happy to help!




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