Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada
can sponsor their close relatives or family members who wish to become permanent
residents of Canada.
New “SUPER VISA” Announced for Parents & Grandparents of
Canadian Immigrants
With effect from 5th November, 2011, a 'Super Visa' category has been introduced
by the Canadian government. This new Fast Track multiple entry visa will allow Parents
and Grandparents of Canadian immigrants to stay in Canada for up to 24 months at
a time without the need of renewing their status. It is being introduced in lieu
of granting permanent status to parents & grandparents of the Canadian immigrants.
The newly announced Super Visa will be valid for up to 10 years.
Temporary Moratorium of up to 24 Months announced for Canada Family Class Sponsorship
Effective November 5, 2011, a temporary moratorium has been introduced by CIC of
up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and
grandparents. The moratorium has been imposed by CIC in order to prevent the build–up
of an unmanageable number of new applications and reduce the backlog.
To qualify under Canada Family Class Sponsorship :
Sponsors must promise to support their relatives or family members for a period
of 3 to 10 years to help them settle in Canada.
The relationship between the Sponsor and the Sponsored Person (the Family Class
Immigrant) must be one of the following :
- Spouse, common-law partner,or conjugal partner
; or
- Parents and Grandparents
- dependent children,
- Brother,sister,nephew,niece or grandchild who is orphaned,under 18 yrs of age &
not married or in a common-law relationship ; or
- Intended adopted child under 18 years of age ; or
- Other relative, if the Sponsor has no relative listed above and no relatives who
are Canadian citizens or Canadian Permanent Residents (limited to one relative only).
The Sponsored Person must have a Sponsor who :
- Is a Canadian citizen or a Canadian Permanent Resident
- must demonstrate the financial ability to provide
the Family Sponsorship Immigrant and dependents with their essential needs (Food,
clothing, shelter, other basic requirements of everyday living; Dental, eye care
and other health needs not covered by public health services available to all Canadian
citizens and Canadian Permanent Residents)
- must be willing to enter into an agreement with the Government of Canada or Quebec,
whereby he or she agrees to provide the above essential needs for a prescribed period
of time;
- The Sponsored relative (if over 22 years of age and not elderly), whereby the Sponsor
promises to support the Sponsored person(s) for a prescribed period of time, and
the Sponsored person(s) promises to make every effort to become self-supporting.
- must have either Physical residency in Canada; or for Canadian citizens sponsoring
a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent child, a demonstrated
intention to reside in Canada by the time the Sponsored family member lands in Canada
as a Permanent Resident.
In Addition,the Sponsor: Min 18 years old;not in prison;not bankrupt;not under a
removal order if PR & not charged with a serious offence.
There are certain Relationships that are not eligible :You cannot be sponsored
as a spouse,common-law partner or conjugal partner if:
- you are under 16 years of age
- you (or your sponsor) were married to someone else at the time of your marriage,
- you have lived apart from your sponsor for at least one year and either you (or
your sponsor) are the common-law or conjugal partner of another person,
- your sponsor immigrated to Canada and, at the time they applied for permanent residence,
you were a family member who should have been examined to see if you met immigration
requirements, but you were not examined or
- your sponsor previously sponsored another spouse, common-law partner or conjugal
partner, and three years have not passed since that person became a permanent resident.
Processing Times : Family Sponsorship processing times vary from one Canadian
Immigration Visa office to another: