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SPONSOR YOUR CHILDREN
You can only sponsor relatives like a brother, sister, aunt or uncle in very specific situations. If your family member doesn’t meet the criteria below, you can use our Come to Canada tool to find out which programs they may be eligible to apply for.
Depending on your situation, there are 2 options for who you can sponsor.
Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild. You can sponsor an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild only if they meet all of these conditions:
they’re related to you by blood or adoption
both their mother and father passed away
they’re under 18 years of age
they’re single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship)
You can’t sponsor your brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild if:
one of their parents is still alive
no one knows where their parents are
their parents abandoned them
someone else other than their parents is taking care of them while one or both their parents are alive
their parent is in jail or otherwise detained
You may sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age, if you meet all of these conditions: you (the person who wants to sponsor your relative) don't have a living relative you could sponsor instead, such as a:
spouse
common-law partner
conjugal partner
son or daughter
parent
grandparent
orphaned brother or sister
orphaned nephew or niece
orphaned grandchild
You (the potential sponsor) don’t have any relatives (aunt or uncle or any of the relatives listed above), who is a:
Canadian citizen
permanent resident
registered Indian under the Indian Act
If the relative you want to sponsor has a spouse, partner, or dependent children who will come with them to Canada, you must include them on the same sponsorship application.
Example 1: Eligible to sponsor an aunt
Veronica doesn’t have a spouse or a common-law partner. She has no children, and lives in Canada as a permanent resident. 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. Veronica would like to sponsor her aunt Betty, who she is very close with. Her aunt Betty is married and has a daughter.
Veronica meets the requirements to sponsor her aunt because she doesn’t have:
a close living relative she could sponsor instead (such as a spouse, partner, child, orphaned sibling, parent or grandparent) and
any other relative such as an aunt who is a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian of Canada.
On the application, Betty will be designated as the principle applicant and her husband will be designated as a dependant.
Betty’s daughter can be included on the application only if she qualifies as a dependent child. If her daughter is older than the age limit or she doesn’t meet all the requirements, she can’t be added to Betty’s application and will have to immigrate to Canada on her own.
Example 2: Eligible to sponsor a cousin
Sam is an only child. His parents and grandparents have passed away. He was raised in the United States by his only cousin. He immigrated to Canada as a permanent resident. He’s single (doesn’t have a spouse or a common-law partner). Sam doesn’t have any relatives in Canada who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians. Sam wants to sponsor his American cousin. His cousin is single (doesn’t have a spouse or a common-law partner).
Sam meets the requirements to sponsor his cousin to come to Canada because he doesn’t have:
a close living relative he could sponsor instead (such as a spouse, partner, child, sibling, parent or grandparent) and
any other relative who is a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian of Canada.
Example 3: Not eligible to sponsor an aunt by marriage
Aba is a Canadian citizen. The only family she had in Canada was her mother, who passed away. Aba has always been close to her mother’s only brother and his wife. Aba’s uncle recently passed away, and Aba would like to sponsor his wife (her aunt by marriage) to come to Canada. Aba does not meet the requirements to sponsor her aunt, because they’re not related by blood.
It's important to note that the specific requirements and processes of the Program can change over time. Therefore, it's recommended to visit the official website of the Govenment of Canada Canada.ca or consult us for the most up-to-date and accurate information before starting the application process.
Westland Immigration & Visa Services Inc.
Mr. Varinder Sharma (Director, MCom, Dip. Imm. Law), (RCIC), Member ICCRC
Cell: 1-778-988-8472
Office: +1-778-783-9991
Toll Free: 1-800-401-3797
Fax: 1-877-275-6880