The family sponsorship program helps reunite families by allowing Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are the parents of a child abroad to apply to sponsor their child, or other dependent, for Canadian permanent residence. The unique Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program, as well as the Super Visa program, allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their family members.
Sponsor should meet the following requirements to be eligible for family sponsorship program.
Both the sponsor and their parent or grandparent must meet the eligibility requirements set by IRCC in order to be granted permanent resident status in Canada. For their part, the sponsor must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) required for the size of their family unit, and must also provide Canada Revenue Agency issued notices of assessment as proof that they have met the required MNI for at least three consecutive years. The sponsor will also be required to sign an undertaking that acknowledges their promise to repay social assistance benefits paid to the sponsor and their family member(s) for a period of 20 years. A supplementary undertaking will need to be signed if the sponsor lives in Quebec. The sponsor must also:
Some family sponsorship programs require that the sponsor meet a minimum income level to support themselves and their family members, including the family members they are applying to sponsor. To assess their ability to financially support their family members, IRCC uses the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI).