Through the family sponsorship class, citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their dependent children to Canada.
Contents
What is dependent child sponsorship?
The main purpose of dependent child sponsorship, offered throughIn 2002, same-sex partners became eligible to apply to the, is to allow family members living in different countries to be reunited and live together in Canada. More specifically, the programme allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their children from abroad to Canada as permanent residents.
Dependent children, whether biological or adopted, may be sponsored to live with their parents as permanent residents in Canada.
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Conditions for sponsoring children
To sponsor your children to Canada, you must:
- Be aged 18 or over.
- Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident living in Canada, a permanent resident intending to return to Canada, or a person registered under Canada’s Indian Act.
- Be able to provide for the basic needs of yourself, your dependent children and your spouse.
- Be able to demonstrate your relationship with your children.
- Have no criminal record.
- Not be in prison, charged with a serious offence, or bankrupt.
- Not be in breach of a previous sponsorship undertaking.
- Not be under immigration investigation.
- Not be receiving income support, except on grounds of disability.
Conditions for the person sponsored
To be eligible for sponsorship, children must fall within the definition of a dependant, meaning:
- Being the biological or adopted child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- Being neither married nor in a common-law relationship.
- Being under 22.
Children over 22 may also qualify as dependants if they meet the following 2 requirements:
- They have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from supporting themselves.
- They have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22.
Requirements for sponsoring children
As a sponsor, you will be required to sign a contractually binding “undertaking”, in which you commit to providing your children’s basic needs, such as:
- Housing.
- Clothing.
- Food.
- Medical costs not covered by the public health system.
The length of the undertaking for biological dependent children, or children to be adopted in Canada, who are under 22 is 10 years or until they reach the age of 25, whichever comes first. For dependent children over 22, the undertaking runs for 3 years.
The process for sponsoring children
You will need to go through 4 main steps when applying to sponsor children:
- Step 1.Obtain the application package and forms from the government website; this package includes the guide and forms that will help you complete the process correctly.
- Step 2.Pay the application fees online, including processing fees for everyone included in the application, the right of permanent residence fee, biometrics fees and any third-party fees (where applicable).
- Step 3.Submit your application by following the submission instructions given in the guide you downloaded.
- Step 4.Submit the required supporting documents whenImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)requested.
The process for sponsoring children in Quebec
The province of Quebec has its own immigration procedures, and further steps will be needed if you reside there.
You will need to apply at federal level to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and at provincial level to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).
Applicants residing in Quebec will need to apply for aQuebec Selection Certificate (CSQ)and sign an undertaking with the province. This undertaking binds you, as sponsor, under contract to provide the sponsored person’s basic needs and, where applicable, to repay the government any assistance (social assistance) provided to the sponsored person during the sponsorship period.
The length of this undertaking in Quebec differs from the rest of Canada and varies, in the case of children, according to their age.
What happens after sponsorship?
Children sponsored through this programme receive Canadian permanent residence. This includes the right to study and work in Canada.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) on sponsoring dependent children to Canada
To qualify as a dependent child when applying for permanent residence in Canada, your child must be under 22 and have no spouse or partner.
If your child is over 22, they may qualify as a dependant if they have depended on you for financial support since before the age of 22 and cannot support themselves financially because of a mental or physical condition.
Depending on your circumstances, your child may be either the principal applicant or a dependant in the sponsorship application:
- If you wish to sponsor an adopted child or an orphaned family member, you will need to consult the specific guidance for sponsoring an adopted child or orphaned family member.
- If you are sponsoring only your child, and not your spouse or partner, you will name your child as the principal applicant in the application. In this case, you will need to demonstrate that the other parent or legal guardian consents to your child immigrating to Canada.
- If the child you wish to sponsor has children of their own — that is, your grandchildren — you will need to include your grandchildren as dependants in the application.
- If you are sponsoring your spouse or partner and a child (whether their child or a child you have together), you will name your spouse or partner as the principal applicant and the child as a dependant in the application.
Yes. To demonstrate that the eligibility requirements are met, your dependent child — and, if your dependent child has dependent children of their own, those children — will need to provide:
- Any additional documents or information that may be requested by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) while the application is being processed, such as medical examinations and biometric data.
- All the required forms and documents together with their application.
Yes, but only if your child:
- Cannot support themselves because of a mental or physical illness.
- Has depended on you for financial support since before the age of 22.
No. IRCC locks in the information in the application so that it does not change over time, however long processing takes. The age lock-in date for your child in family class applications is the date IRCC receives your complete permanent residence application.
Processing times may vary depending on the child’s country of origin or residence.
Processing usually takes around 12 months but may take longer.
The best way to avoid delays in processing your application is to ensure that your contact details and application details are up to date, accurate and complete. Any change in your living situation or contact details should be reported to IRCC immediately.
Yes — as the sponsor, if you wish to check the status of your child’s application. Once you have submitted the application, you can check its status on the IRCC website athere.
If at least one parent (a legal parent at birth or a biological parent) was born in Canada or became a Canadian citizen before the child was born, your child may already be a Canadian citizen.
If your adopted child was born outside Canada, however, they are not automatically a Canadian citizen.
To be certain, you can apply for a citizenship certificate for your child.
Once you have become a permanent resident of Canada, you will not be able to add dependent children to your application.
If you wish to sponsor your dependent children to immigrate to Canada, you and your children will have to meet the sponsorship eligibility criteria for Family Class immigration.
Individuals whose adoption proceedings are in their final stages may begin sponsoring their child before the adoption is completed.
It is important to note that Canada has a separate process for sponsoring adopted children.
All dependent children included in a sponsorship application must pass any applicable police and security checks, as well as medical examinations.
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