Russ Weninger legal counsel for Family and Spousal Sponsorship

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Canadian Immigration
Immigration
Family and Spousal Sponsorship
RUSS WENINGER Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsor Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
be at least 18 years of age, reside in Canada,
and have sufficient income to support their
relatives once they arrive in Canada. A sponsor
must enter into a written agreement with the
Canadian government to support their relatives
for a period of three years for spouses,
common-law partners, or conjugal partners, and
ten years for other types of relatives.
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Spouse A spouse is a husband or
wife. To be considered the sponsors spouse, the
sponsor and the applicant must be legally
married. If the marriage did not occur in Canada,
provided that the marriage is legal in the
country where it occurred, then it will be
accepted by the Canadian immigration authorities
(assuming immigration authorities regard the
marriage as genuine)
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Conjugal Partner A conjugal partner
is a person who has been in a marriage-like
relationship with the sponsor for at least one
year although they have not lived together
because of extenuating circumstances.
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Common-law Partner A common-law
partner is a person with whom the sponsor has
lived together with for at least one year in a
conjugal relationship. A conjugal relationship is
a marriage-like relationship.
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Children A sponsors dependent
children include children who are under the age
of 22 and unmarried. Children over the age of 22
and children who are married can be sponsored if,
since reaching the age of 22 or the date they
were married, they have remained full-time
students and have been financially dependent on
the sponsor.
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Parents Mother or father. It should
be noted that when parents are sponsored they may
also bring their dependent children with them,
which will be the sponsors brothers and sisters.
In this way a sponsor can bring their siblings,
who are under the age of 22, or who are over 22
and are full-time students, to Canada as
permanent residents
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Orphans An orphan is someone whose
parents are both deceased. An orphaned sibling
(brother or sister), nephew or niece, or
grandchild may be sponsored if he or she is under
the age of 18 and unmarried. Adopted Children
A person who is under the age of 18 who the
sponsor intends to adopt in Canada may be
sponsored.
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Other Relative Where a sponsor does
not have any spouse, common-law partner, conjugal
partner, child, parent, grandparent, sibling,
uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece living in Canada,
and no relative living abroad who may be
sponsored under the regular categories, then they
may sponsor any other relative regardless of
their age. It should be noted that this category
is only very rarely applicable
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Canadian Immigration
Immigration Family and Spousal Sponsorship
Sponsored Other Relative Where a sponsor does
not have any spouse, common-law partner, conjugal
partner, child, parent, grandparent, sibling,
uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece living in Canada,
and no relative living abroad who may be
sponsored under the regular categories, then they
may sponsor any other relative regardless of
their age. It should be noted that this category
is only very rarely applicable