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How do I sponsor parents, grandparents, adopted children and other relatives?
Sponsor Eligibility
You may be eligible to sponsor adopted children and other relatives if:
- The person you want to sponsor is a member of the family class. If they are not, you will not be able to sponsor them;
- You are 18 years of age or older;
- You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- You reside in Canada;
- You sign an undertaking promising to provide for the basic needs of the person being sponsored and, if applicable, their family members;
- You and the sponsored person sign an agreement that confirms that each of you understands your mutual obligations and responsibilities; and
- You meet the necessary income requirement that the Canadian government determines each year. This is currently the "Low Income Cut Off" or "LICO" for sponsoring adopted children and 30% more than "LICO" for parents and grandparents. The income requirement doesn't apply if you are sponsoring a child who does not have any children of their own.
The LICO income is based on your Gross Annual Income. You have to provide Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with documents that show your financial resources from the past 12 months and prove you are financially able to sponsor members of the family class. You may get the help of a co-signer.
You may not be eligible to sponsor if you:
- Receive social assistance other than disability assistance
- Are in default of an undertaking, an immigration loan, a performance bond, or family support payments
- Are an undischarged bankruptcy
- Have been convicted of a crime causing bodily harm to a relative
- Are under a removal order
- Are detained in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison
Who is eligible to be sponsored?
You can sponsor relatives or family members under this class if they are:
- A child whom you adopted outside Canada and you were a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada at the time the adoption took place, or a child whom you intend to adopt in Canada
- Your brother or sister, nephew or niece, grandson or granddaughter, if they are an orphan, under 18 years of age and they do not have a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner.
- Any other person with whom you have a family relationship if you do not have a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, niece or nephew who is a Canadian citizen, a registered Indian, a permanent resident or whom you may sponsor
- Your parents or grandparents
Who is a dependent child?
For sponsorship purposes, a dependent child may be your own child or those of the person you are sponsoring. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, they must:
- Be under the age of 22 and not a spouse or common-law partner; or
- Have depended substantially on the financial support of a parent since before the age of 22 and are unable to provide for themselves due to a medical condition.
Many settlement agencies can help you with your sponsorship application. To find help, go to Services Near Me and search for "settlement services" in your area.
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Last updated:
August 4, 2022
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