How Can I Apply For Family Class Sponsorship In Canada?

The family class sponsorship in Canada has made family immigration to Canada possible. Family class sponsorship brings together permanent residents, Canadian citizens, and family members. With this program, you can sponsor your spouse/ partner, dependent or adopted children, parents, grandparents, etc., to immigrate to Canada. But for doing so, you must qualify specific eligibility criteria and follow a systematic application procedure. 

So, for family immigration to Canada, what exactly is the application process of family class sponsorship involved? Looking forward to knowing more? Then let’s dig deep into the specifics starting with the eligibility criteria. Read on.

Eligibility Criteria:

For sponsoring your family members to live in Canada, you must satisfy the below eligibility criteria.

• You are required to be a permanent Canadian resident or citizen.
• Your age limit should be at least 18 years.
• You must provide financial support to your family members for three years.
• You must ensure the family members don’t need any social assistance from the government.

However, you will not be eligible for family class sponsorship if you fall under the following situations.

• You have been declared bankrupt.
• You haven’t paid an immigration loan or have a record of failed payments.
• Earlier, you sponsored someone and failed to meet family sponsorship terms and agreements.
• You have committed any crime.

The Application Procedure:

After considering the eligibility parameters, it is time to understand the application process vital parameters. As a part of the process, first, you need to apply for sponsorship of family members. Second, your eligible relatives must apply for permanent residency in Canada. Keep in mind that you must submit both applications at the same time. 

The best part? Your eligible relatives can benefit from work permit application Canada once they receive the PR acknowledgment letter. Furthermore, with a work permit application in Canada, your partner/ spouse can apply for an open work permit. This is possible if you are applying under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class.

Now, let’s move on to the application procedure. It includes the below steps:

1. Select your application package:

To proceed ahead with the application process, you must first select your application package, which includes:

• The necessary forms you and your family members being sponsored must fill out.
• Essential document checklist.
• Instructions to follow for filling the form correctly.

In sponsoring relatives other than parents and grandparents, you or the sponsored family members must complete the following forms. After completion, you must directly submit these forms to the CPC (Case Processing Center).

1. Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking, Application to Sponsor (IMM 1344)
2. Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008GEN)
3. Additional Dependants/Declaration (IMM 0008DEP), if applicable
4. Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5481)
5. Common-law Union Statutory Declaration (IMM 5409), if applicable
6. Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5532), if applicable
7. Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)
8. Police certificates for persons 18 or older
9. Additional Family Information (IMM 5406), if applicable
10. Use of a Representative (IMM 5476), if applicable
11. Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual (IMM 5475), if applicable
12. Medical condition statement
13. Proof of payment of fees

However, when sponsoring parents and grandparents, you must complete all the above forms for other family members. Things to note here. Instead of the documents mentioned below:

1. Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5481)
2. Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5532), if applicable

You are required to fill out these two forms and submit them to CPC.

1. Financial Evaluation for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (IMM 5768)
2. Income Sources for the Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents (IMM 5516), if applicable

You must go through all the details before completing the form. After completion, double-check if you have signed wherever required. Proper attention to these steps helps you improve your application approval chances by CPC.

2. Provide additional documents required:

Along with the checklist mentioned above in your application package, you must submit supporting documents like, 

• A photocopy of identity proof:
  – Canadian citizenship certificate or Canadian birth certificate.
  – Canadian passport
  – Permanent resident card
• Proof of valid marriage certificate with any country-specific requirements.
• Photocopy of an adoption order when sponsoring an adopted child.
• Divorce certificate in case you had a previous marriage, or a death certificate if your ex-partner is diseased.
• Original copy of employment letter stating your salary and employment period.

In case you don’t submit any document, ensure you have a valid reason for that.

3. Pay the application fee:

Next, you need to pay your application charges. These may include Biometric fees and third-party charges like your medical examination and police certification fees. In addition, you need to pay the “Right of Permanent Residence Fee” for every sponsored relative. However, the Canadian government refunds this fee in case of application withdrawal or rejection. You will get fee details in the instruction guide of your application package.

4. Submit your application:

After finishing all the formalities, you need to submit your application. You can use the courier service for application submission. Additionally, you can track your application status by linking your application to your online account. You can expect the application processing time of around 12 months.

5. Complete biometric requirements and medical exam:

By the time your application processes, you must fulfill some other formalities. These include completing biometric requirements like providing your digital photo and fingerprints. In addition, your sponsored family member needs to give a medical test and submit medical reports. To conduct these tests, you need to consult the panel’s physician. 

Once you pay these fees while application submission, you get further biometrics and medical exam details by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada). These details include how you can proceed further with them.

6. Quebec Requirements

After application submission, sponsors living in Quebec will receive an instructor email regarding submitting a special agreement to the Quebec government.

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Conclusion:

The above steps will guide you on the family class sponsorship in the Canada application process. However, to avoid application rejection and possible process delays, you must check if everything is in place in advance. Furthermore, for the best guidance on the family class sponsorship process, you can reach out to immigration consulting companies. These companies guide you from scratch and make everything happen right in the first place.