Child Sponsorship For Canada

Sponsoring a Child: Overview

In many cases, when applying for permanent residence, parents can include their dependent children in the application, allowing them to immigrate together to Canada. For instance, a parent might not have included a child in the initial application for permanent residence, a child could have been adopted in Canada from abroad, or a child might have been identified as "not accompanying" in the adult's application for permanent residence because they were not planning to settle in Canada at that time. However, they might wish to join their parents once the latter become permanent residents or Canadian citizens later in life while still being dependent.

Sponsorship of Children: Eligibility Requirements

• ‍Sponsor: Sponsors must be at least 18 years old, Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or registered Indians in Canada. Certain conditions render an individual ineligible to sponsor, such as failing to pay family support payments, an immigration loan, or a performance bond, failing to provide financial support for the basic needs of a previously-sponsored relative which resulted in the relative receiving social assistance, being under a removal order, being incarcerated, receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability, being an undischarged bankrupt, having been convicted of a violent or sexual offence, or an offence that caused bodily harm to a relative (or attempted or threatened to commit any of these offences), having been sponsored through marriage and became a permanent resident less than five years ago, or having sponsored a previous spouse or partner and three years have not yet passed since this person became a permanent resident.
• ‍Parent/Child Relationship: Biological, step, or adopted children can be sponsored for permanent residence.‍
• Dependent Child: Only children dependent on their parents can be sponsored to become permanent residents. The law defines specific requirements for qualifying as a “dependent child,” including being under 22 years of age at the time the sponsorship application is received by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If your son or daughter is under 22 but has married or is in a common-law relationship, then he or she is not considered dependent and cannot be sponsored. Parents may financially support their offspring after they turn 22. If this financial dependency is due to a physical or mental condition, sponsoring such a person to come to Canada is still an option.

Child Sponsorship: Documents, Application Process, and Timeline

The Child Sponsorship application will include the following main documents:

• Immigration application forms.
• Documents proving a sponsor’s status in Canada (e.g., passport, permanent residence card).
• Documents proving a sponsor’s residence in Canada (if applicable, e.g., a utility bill, bank statement).
• Documents demonstrating the sponsor’s good financial standing (e.g., employment letter, notice of assessment, bank statements).
• Proof of meeting the low-income cut-off (if applicable).
• Proof of a parent/child relationship (e.g., birth certificate, adoption papers).
• Sponsored person’s passport, birth certificate, immigration status documents (if applicable, e.g., student visa, work permit).
• Police clearance certificates.
• Medical examination.
• Digital photo.
• Application processing fees payment receipt.

This list is a basic set of required supporting documents. Depending on the unique circumstances of the case, a tailored set of additional documents may be recommended.

The Child Sponsorship Application must be submitted online and include all application forms and supporting documents for both the sponsor and the sponsored person, submitted simultaneously. Initially, a Canadian immigration officer will assess the sponsor’s eligibility. If approved, the child’s application for permanent residence will be assessed during the second stage.

Children in Canada, while their application for permanent residence is in process, should maintain their legal status. Processing time is typically up to one year. Those applying from outside Canada typically experience a processing time of a year or longer. When adoption is involved, the processing time can be significantly longer.

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