Child Sponsorship
Dependent Child Sponsorship Canada
The Canadian government is dedicated to keeping families together. If a parent meets the requirements to sponsor their child, and the child meets the definition of a dependant, then the parent can apply for them to become a permanent Canadian resident. Total Visa Immigration offers dependent child sponsorship assistance to bring your child to Canada.
Children, spouses, common-law partners, parents, and grandparents can be sponsored under Canada’s family-class immigration programs. Every year, this program allows for the admission of around a quarter of all new permanent residents to Canada.
If you or your child were born in Canada, or if one of the child’s parents is a Canadian citizen, then it’s likely that the child is already a Canadian citizen. To check and see if this might be the case, you can use Canada’s citizenship tool.
To qualify for child sponsorship, a sponsoring parent and the dependant child must meet the eligibility requirements set by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Definition of a Dependent Child
Children who meet the definition of a dependent child are eligible for sponsorship. A child is considered to be a dependent if they:
- Are not married or in a common-law relationship, and
- They are under the age of 22, OR if they suffer from a physical or mental condition that prevents them from being able to support themselves.
Parent: Requirements For Child Sponsorship in Canadian immigration
A sponsor must be 18 years or older and have citizenship or permanent residency in Canada.
Sponsors are required to agree to cover the basic needs of the person they wish to sponsor and sign an undertaking that acknowledges their responsibility to provide financial support once their sponsored family member becomes a permanent resident. This also includes repaying any social assistance payments received by the sponsored family during the undertaking.
In some situations, a parent might not be able to sponsor their child:
- A parent is ineligible to sponsor their child if they were sponsored for permanent residency in Canada within the last five years.
- If the parent does not plan to live in Canada alongside the sponsored child after they obtain permanent residency.
- If the parent is a permanent resident and residing outside Canada, they can file a child sponsorship application (so long as Canadian citizens intend to live in Canada with their sponsored relative once the application is approved).
- If the parent is receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability.
- If the parent is in jail or has been convicted of certain criminal offenses, especially offenses against relatives.
In general, the sponsoring parent does not need to demonstrate proof of earnings. Although, if the dependent child being sponsored has any dependents themselves, then the parent will necessitate meeting particular income criteria.
Dependent Child Sponsorship Requirements
Before a parent can sponsor their child, both the sponsor and sponsored person must meet specific requirements. To be eligible to sponsor their child, parents must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Not be in prison, charged with a serious offense, or bankrupt
Parents need to provide documentation of their relationship to the child, whether it be a birth certificate or an adoption certificate. Parents who are in the final stages of adopting a child may sponsor the adopted child before the legal adoption is completed.
In order to meet the definition of a dependent child, the sponsored person must either be related by blood to the sponsor or the sponsor’s spouse or be adopted by them.
Sponsoring a Dependent Child in Quebec
If the sponsor resides in Quebec, Canada, they will need to commit to financially supporting the family member they are sponsoring. The duration of the financial undertaking depends on the nature of the relationship between the sponsor and sponsored individual.
If the dependent child is younger than 16, the sponsor must agree to provide financial support for 10 years, or until the child turns 18- whichever occurs last. If the dependent child is 16 or older, then the sponsor only has to financially support them for 3 years, unless circumstances require otherwise such as if the child is still in school when they turn 25.
Dependent Child Sponsorship Minimum Necessary Income
If a Canadian citizen or permanent resident is sponsoring dependent children, they are not required to meet the Minimum Necessary Income criteria, as long as the dependent child does not have any children themselves. However, if the dependent child being sponsored has their own dependents, then the sponsor must meet MNI requirements for their family unit size.
FAQs - Canadian Dependent Child Sponsorship Program
Q1: How do I know if my child is a “principal applicant” or a “dependent” on the child sponsorship application?
Depending on your circumstances, your child could either be the principal applicant or a dependent on a child sponsorship application:
- If you’re sponsoring only your child and not sponsoring your spouse or partner, then you will name your child as the principal applicant on the application. In this instance, you’ll need to demonstrate that the other parent or legal guardian agrees to your child emigrating to Canada.
- If the child you want to sponsor has their own offspring, your grandchild, you need to include them as a dependent on the application.
- If you sponsor your spouse or partner and one or more children, you will name your spouse or partner as the primary applicant on the application. The children will be listed as dependents.
- The steps to sponsoring an adopted child or orphaned family member differ from those for other sponsorships.
Q2: What are the processing times for child sponsorship applications?
Processing times for Family Class applications may vary depending on the child’s country of origin or residence. Although processing times are generally around 12 months, they could take longer due to border restrictions and administrative delays caused by COVID-19.
Q3: If the child turns 22 while the child sponsorship application is being processed, does that make them ineligible?
No. IRCC freezes the information in an application so that it doesn’t change over time, no matter how long processing takes. The “lock date” for your child’s age in Family Class applications will be when IRCC receives your complete application for permanent residence.
Contact Total Visa Immigration For Assistance
Total Visa Immigration is a leading Canadian immigration services provider in Surrey. We have years of experience and feature a team for all your immigration needs.
At Total Visa Immigration, we’re passionate about uniting families in Canada. Whether you need help sponsoring your children, spouse, partner, or parents and grandparents, we have the expertise and dedication to get the job done right. We also specialize in Super Visa.
Our team would love to help you with your family and child sponsorship journey. Please reach out to us.
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