Sponsorship

Lyto Immigration  /  Sponsorship

Canadian Family Class Sponsorship

Fostering Family Bonds, Beyond Borders

Our Canadian Family Sponsorship programs make family reunification a breeze. If you’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you can sponsor family members through various programs:
  • Spousal & Partner Sponsorship: Reunite with your loved one.
  • Parent & Grandparent Sponsorship: Bring generations together.
  • Dependent Child Sponsorship: Keep your family close.
  • Other Close Relatives: Support extended family members.

Spouse & Common - Law Sponsorship

If you are a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, you have the opportunity to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for Canadian permanent residence through this program. Both the Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident and the foreign national must receive approval from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the sponsored person to receive a visa.

Requirements for the nature of relationship

  • Spouse

    • For spouses, the Sponsor and the Sponsored Person must be legally married.
    • If the marriage took place in Canada, a Certificate of Marriage from the province or territory where the marriage occurred is required. Same-sex marriages performed within Canada are also valid for spousal sponsorship.
    • For marriages that occurred outside of Canada, they must be valid under the law of the country where they took place, as well as under Canadian federal law.

  • Common-Law Partner

    Common-law partners must have cohabited continuously for at least one year, with brief absences allowed for business or family reasons.

  • Conjugal Partner

    • Conjugal partners can be of either opposite-sex or same-sex.
    • A sponsored person is considered a conjugal partner if exceptional circumstances beyond their control prevented them from qualifying as common-law partners or spouses, such as immigration barriers or legal restrictions.
    • Applicants must demonstrate a mutually dependent relationship for at least one year, with a commitment level similar to that of a marriage or common-law union. This requires evidence of emotional ties, financial closeness (such as joint ownership of assets or mutual financial support), and efforts to spend time together and reunite.

Program Requirements

  • The sponsor must be at least 18 years of age.
  • The sponsor must be a Canadian permanent resident living in Canada or a Canadian citizen.
  • The sponsor cannot be in prison, bankrupt, under a removal order (if a permanent resident), or charged with a serious offence.
  • The sponsor cannot have been sponsored to Canada as a spouse within the last 5 years.
  • The sponsored person must be at least 18 years old.
  • The relationship must be genuine and not entered into solely for obtaining permanent resident status in Canada.

You cannot become a sponsor if you:

  • Have failed to pay an immigration loan, a performance bond, or family support payments..
  • Have failed to provide for the basic needs of a previously sponsored relative who received social assistance.
  • Are in default of a previous undertaking.

You can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, as well as dependent children.

This is a category for those who are outside of Canada. However, individuals living in Canada can also apply through the outland program.

This option is for couples together in Canada, where the foreign spouse/common-law partner has temporary status, such as a worker, student, or visitor.

IRCC aims to process sponsorship applications within twelve (12) months, starting from the day they receive a complete application. Delays may occur if the application is incomplete.

Fees include a sponsorship fee ($75.00 CAD), principal applicant processing fee ($475.00 CAD), right of permanent residence fee ($500.00 CAD), biometric fee ($85.00 CAD per person), and dependent child fees ($150.00 CAD per child).

NOTE
  • Canada recognizes same-sex marriage, making same-sex partners eligible under this category.
  • While there is typically no low-income-cut-off (LICO) for spouse, partner, or dependent child sponsorship, specific cases may require meeting a minimum LICO score, determined annually by the Canadian Government.
  • Quebec has its own immigration rules, and after your application is received, IRCC will guide you on how to apply to the Quebec government to become a sponsor.

Parent & Grand Parent Sponsorship

Are you a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident looking to bring your parents and grandparents to Canada as Permanent Residents? Our sponsorship program can make this dream a reality.

Eligibility Requirements

To sponsor your parents and grandparents, you should:
    • Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
    • Be at least 18 years old.
    • Meet the minimum income requirements. If you’re married, your spouse’s income can also be considered.
    • Sign a sponsorship agreement with your sponsored family members, demonstrating your commitment to providing financial support if necessary. This agreement also ensures the sponsored individuals make every effort to support themselves. Dependent children under 22 are exempt from signing this agreement. If you reside in Quebec, you’ll sign an “undertaking” with the province.
    • Commit to providing financial support for your sponsored relatives for a period of 20 years, starting from the date they become permanent residents.
You may not be eligible to sponsor if you:
    • Are currently in jail.
    • Have defaulted on an immigration loan by missing payments.
    • Have declared bankruptcy and haven’t been released from it yet.
    • Received government financial assistance for reasons other than a disability.
    • Failed to pay a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support.
    • Didn’t provide the financial support agreed upon in a previous sponsorship agreement.
    • Were convicted of a violent criminal offence, an offence against a relative, or a sexual offence.

Processing typically takes 20 – 24 months. Please check current processing times for the most accurate information.

  • Sponsorship fee ($75.00 CAD).
  • Principal applicant ($975.00 CAD).
  • Spouse or partner of your parent or grandparent ($1050.00 CAD).
  • Biometric fee ($85.00 CAD per person).
Factors
Family Size
20
20
20
21
20
19
Sponsor(s) + dependent children + parents/grandparents
$3
$3
$4
2,8
2,2
1,0
98
70
07
3
$3
$4
$5
0,4
9,6
0,4
44
72
14
4
$4
$4
$6
9,1
8,1
1,2
06
67
09
5
$5
$5
$6
5,6
4,6
9,4
94
30
23
6
$6
$6
$7
2,8
1,6
8,2
14
13
96
7
$6
$6
$8
9,9
8,5
7,1
34
98
72
For each additional person, add
$7
$6
$8
12
98
87
00
05
06

Depended Child Sponsorship

At Canadian Visa Offices, we understand the importance of keeping families together. If you are a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, you have the opportunity to sponsor your dependent and adopted children to join you in Canada. The Canadian Government prioritizes Family Class applications to make family reunification a reality. To be eligible for this program, both the Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident (the sponsor) and their child abroad (the sponsored person) must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the sponsored person to receive a visa. DEFINITION OF A DEPENDENT CHILD Children must meet the definition of a dependent child to be eligible for sponsorship. Whether they are the biological or adopted child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, a child is considered dependent if they are not married, in a common-law relationship, and are under the age of 22. There is an exception for children over 22 who can qualify as “over-age” dependents if they have relied on their parents for financial support and cannot support themselves due to a mental or physical condition. REQUIREMENTS TO SPONSOR A DEPENDENT CHILD To sponsor a child from another country for adoption, the sponsor must:

  • Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident (if you do not currently reside in Canada, you must do so when the adopted child becomes a permanent resident).
  • Live in Canada.
  • Be at least 18 years old.
In some cases, sponsors may not be eligible to sponsor if they did not meet the requirements of a previous sponsorship agreement, defaulted on a court-ordered support order, or have been convicted of a violent criminal offence.

Requirements for Permanent Resident Status

For your child to be eligible for permanent resident status, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen, born or naturalized in Canada, applying on behalf of the adopted child who is under 18 years of age at the time of application.
  • An adopted person who is 18 years of age or older at the time of application, and was adopted by a Canadian citizen, born, or naturalized in Canada.
  • A legal guardian applying on behalf of an adopted child under 18 years of age at the time of application if the child had at least one Canadian parent, born or naturalized in Canada, at the time of adoption.
  • A non-Canadian adoptive parent applying on behalf of an adopted child under 18 years of age at the time of application if the other parent is a Canadian citizen, born or naturalized in Canada at the time of the adoption.

Canadian citizens or permanent residents sponsoring their dependent children are not required to meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), provided the dependent child does not have children of their own. If the dependent child has dependent children, the sponsor must meet the MNI required for their family unit size.

Inter-country adoptions may take place in the child’s home country, and each country has different laws and procedures covering adoption by foreigners. Adoption outside the child’s home country must meet specific criteria to be eligible for Canadian immigration purposes.

The Hague Convention sets safeguards to ensure that all inter-country adoptions are in the best interests of the child and respect their human rights. It also establishes a cooperative system among countries to prevent illegal adoptions.

Adopted children must complete a medical exam before being issued a permanent resident visa. The province, territory, or a licensed adoption agency will provide guidance on the process.

Processing times vary by country. Please check the specific processing times for your case.

  • Sponsorship fee ($75.00 CAD per child)
  • Processing fee ($75.00 CAD per child).
  • Biometric fee ($85.00 CAD): .
  • Applicable for dependent children aged 14 years or older.

Other Close Relative Sponsorship

From Distant Dreams to Reunited Realities
In addition to sponsoring immediate family members, Canadian citizens and permanent residents have the opportunity to sponsor other close relatives, such as orphaned brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren. However, it’s essential to note that strict conditions apply to these family class sponsorship categories.

Your Responsibilities

When you sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must.

  • Meet specific income guidelines.
  • Commit in writing to provide financial support to your relative and any other eligible relatives who come with them.
    • This commitment begins on the date they become a permanent resident.
    • The duration of your financial support may extend for up to 20 years, depending on their age and the nature of your relationship.
    • Sponsored dependent children under the age of 19 are exempt from signing this agreement.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet general eligibility requirements can sponsor specific orphaned relatives, such as brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren. To be eligible, these relatives must meet the following requirements:

  • They must be related to you by blood or adoption.
  • Both of their parents must have passed away.
  • They must be under 18 years of age.
  • They should be single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship).
  • Family sponsorship is not an option if one of the parents is still alive, unknown, has abandoned the child, is in jail or detained, or if someone else is taking care of them while one or both parents are alive.

In exceptional cases where there are no living relatives who can be sponsored under the usual family class categories, individuals may sponsor one relative of any age, provided they are related by blood or adoption. If the relative you wish to sponsor has a spouse, partner, or dependent children who will come with them to Canada, you must include them in the sponsorship application.

It’s important to note that you cannot sponsor someone who is inadmissible to Canada, meaning they are not allowed to come to Canada.

Examples of Who You Can Sponsor

Eligible to Sponsor an aunt:

  • Olivia does not have a spouse or a common-law partner. She has no children and is a permanent resident of Canada. Her parents and grandparents have all passed away, and she doesn’t have any relatives in Canada who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or registered Indians. Olivia would like to sponsor her aunt Emily, with whom she shares a close bond. Aunt Emily is married and has a daughter.

Eligible to Sponsor a cousin:

  • David is an only child. His parents and grandparents have passed away. He was raised in Mexico by his only cousin. After becoming a permanent resident in Canada, he is single and does not have a spouse or a common-law partner. David also lacks relatives in Canada who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or registered Indians. David wishes to sponsor his Mexican cousin, who is single and does not have a spouse or a common-law partner.