To sponsor a family member, a sponsor must first meet certain eligibility criteria, including being at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act. Bars to sponsorship can include (among others) accessing social assistance, being convicted of certain criminal charges, or being in default of support payments or an immigration undertaking or loan. If a person is a permanent resident and not currently living in Canada this may also affect eligibility for sponsorship.

Generally, a person can sponsor their spouse/partner, a dependent child under 22 years old with no spouse/partner, parent or grandparent. In few circumstances, other family members can be sponsored. Except for an application to sponsor a spouse or dependent child, the sponsor (and their co-sponsor, if applicable) must submit proof of a certain income to sponsor that family member. Even in cases where a sponsor is not required to prove a certain income, the sponsor must still prove that they have enough resources to provide for the sponsored family member’s basic needs.

When sponsoring a spouse or partner, application options may include submitting an In-Canada or Outside Canada (also known as “Family Class”) application. Each of these options have advantages and disadvantages and should be assessed according to each applicants’ circumstances.  Odyssey Law welcomes all applicants, including those from the LGBTQ+ community who wish to sponsor their spouse or partner.

The parent/grandparent sponsorship program is currently done by way of a “lottery” system. Interested sponsors submit an interest to sponsor form. If a sponsor’s interest to sponsor form is later randomly chosen, they will then be invited to submit a complete application.