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Child or Other Dependent

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor dependent or adopted children living abroad, to immigrate to Canada. The main purpose of the sponsorship of dependent children (biological or adopted) is to enable family members who reside in different countries to be reunited and live together in Canada as permanent residents.

For the children to be eligible for sponsorship, they must be a dependent. Dependent meaning they are:

  • your biological or adopted child 

  • are under the age of 22

  • are not married or in a common-law relationship​

A child over the age of 22 might qualify as a dependent providing, they:

  • suffer from a physical or mental condition that prevents them from being able to support themselves;

  • have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22.

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For yourself to be eligible to sponsor, you must:

  • at least 18 years old

  • a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident,

  • living in Canada:

    • if you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident.

    • You can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside of Canada.

  • able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability, and;

  • You must also be able to show that you can provide for your basic needs and those of your dependent children as well as your spouse, if applicable

 

You may not be able to sponsor if you:​

  • previously sponsored someone and did not pay back any social assistance that they received while the undertaking was in place.

  • are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond

  • did not pay court-ordered alimony or child support

  • have declared bankruptcy which has not been discharged

  • were convicted of an offence of a sexual nature or a violent crime, or an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or threatened or attempted to commit any of the aforementioned offences—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened and if you received a pardon

  • are under a removal order

  • are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison

  • an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or

  • threatened or attempted to commit any of the above offences—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened and if you received a pardon

 

Process for applying to sponsor a child:

  • Obtain an application package found on the government website; it contains a guide with instructions and forms that will help you complete the process correctly.

  • Pay the online application fee, which includes the processing fee for all persons included in the application, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, the biometric fee and any other third-party fees, if applicable.

  • Submit your application by following the submission instructions provided in the guide you downloaded.

  • Submit the required supporting documents when prompted to do so by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

 

Additional steps will have to be taken if you reside in the province of Quebec. The duration of the undertaking is also different in Quebec than in the rest of Canada and varies, according to the age of the children. You will need to file an application at the federal level with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and at the provincial level with the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).

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