Family reunification is a fundamental principle of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In accordance with this, eligible individuals residing in Canada can sponsor their
Family reunification is a fundamental principle of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In accordance with this, eligible individuals residing in Canada can sponsor their parents to become permanent residents. To be eligible to sponsor a parent, the sponsor must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered as an Indian under the Indian Act, be over 18 years old, and reside in Canada. Additionally, the sponsor must be able to prove that they can provide financial support to their parent(s) and commit to supporting them financially for 20 years. The sponsor must also repay any social assistance provided by the government during that period. The parent(s) must meet all other requirements for admission to Canada.
When sponsoring a parent, biological or adoptive parents can be sponsored, and siblings, half-siblings, or step-siblings can be included in the application if they are dependents. However, in the event of divorce, both parents cannot be sponsored in the same application.
The process for sponsoring a parent involves submitting an “interest to sponsor” form. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) randomly selects and invites potential sponsors with the aim of accepting up to 15,000 complete applications in 2022. If selected, the sponsor can then submit two applications: one to become a sponsor, and another for their parent(s) to apply for permanent residency.
