Sponsoring a Sibling to Canada
Many Canadian Permanent Residents or Citizens want to bring their siblings to Canada. If the sibling wants to live in Canada the Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen has the chance to sponsor them. There are several requirements for the one who wants to sponsor and the sibling being sponsored. The good news is that being a sister or a brother of a Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen can be a great path to immigration to Canada.
Sibling Sponsorship Canada Immigration
Who Can Sponsor a Sibling
You can sponsor certain relatives if you’re 18 years of age or older and a:
- Canadian citizen or
- person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or
- permanent resident of Canada
You must live in Canada to sponsor eligible relatives unless you:
- are a Canadian citizen who lives abroad and
- plan to return to Canada when your relatives immigrate and
- are sponsoring your:
- spouse or
- common-law or conjugal partner or
- dependent children who have no dependent children
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec’s conditions to be a sponsor after we approve you as a sponsor. This includes signing an “undertaking” with the province. This is a contract that binds your sponsorship.
Your Responsibilities as a Sponsor
When you sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must:
- meet set income guidelines
- agree in writing to give financial support to your relative and any other eligible relatives coming with them:
- beginning on the date they become a permanent resident
- for up to 20 years (depending on their age and how you’re related)
The person you sponsor must sign an agreement saying they will make the effort to support themselves. This includes sponsored dependent children 18 or older. Dependent children under 19 don’t have to sign this agreement.
Who Isn't Eligible to Sponsor a Sibling
You may not be able to sponsor a relative if you:
- are in prison
- have not paid your alimony or child support payments
- have declared bankruptcy and haven’t been released from it yet
- got social assistance for reasons other than being disabled
- didn’t pay back an immigration loan, made late payments or missed payments
- sponsored another relative in the past and didn’t meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement were convicted of a violent crime, any offense against a relative or any sexual offense, depending on details of the case, such as:
- the type of offense
- how long ago it was
- whether a record suspension was issued (formerly called “pardons” in Canada)
You Can Sponsor a Sibling to Canada but With Many Restrictions
You may sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age if you meet all of the conditions, including:
You don’t have any living relative you could sponsor instead, such as a:
- spouse
- common-law partner
- conjugal partner
- son or daughter
- parent
- grandparent
- uncle or aunt
- orphaned brother or sister
- orphaned nephew or niece
- orphaned grandchild
You don’t have any of the above-named relatives who is:
- a Canadian citizen
- a permanent resident
- registered Indian under the Indian Act
If the sibling 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.
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
How To Sponsor Siblings to Canada
1. Get the application package
The application package includes the:
- instruction guide
- forms you need to fill out
Read the guide before you fill in the forms. Make sure you’re eligible to sponsor a relative before you apply. We won’t refund the sponsorship application fee.
When submitting applications:
- you’ll have to provide proof of income
- your sibling must state they will try to support themselves
- you must agree in writing to support your sibling for a set amount of time (3 to 20 years)
- include all your sibling’s dependent children (if any) on your relative’s application
- include all the documents listed in the document checklist
Missing information or documents can delay your application. All information in your application must be true. You must tell the truth about:
- your family members (include them all on your application)
- your marital status
- any change in your case
The sibling you sponsor must also tell us about each of their close family members. These family members must have a security and criminality check and a medical exam. If they don’t, the sponsored person won’t be able to sponsor them in the future.
2. Pay your application fees
In most cases, your fees will include:
- processing fees for you, the persons you’re sponsoring and their dependents
- the right of permanent residence fee
- the biometrics fee
You have to pay your fees online.
Biometrics fee
In most cases, you must pay a biometrics fee when you submit your application. Otherwise, you may experience delays. The biometrics fee covers the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. After you pay the biometrics fee with a complete application, we’ll send your family members a letter confirming that they need to give their biometrics and where they can go. Your family members must show this letter when they give their biometrics.
They must give their biometrics in person. They should book an appointment if this service is offered. Find a collection point.
Third-party fees
Depending on your situation, you may need to pay third parties for:
- medical exams
- police certificates
The instruction guide can help you understand which fees apply to you and show you how to pay them.
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3. Submit your application
The mailing address is in the instruction guide.
What To Do After Applying to Sponsor Your Siblings
The Canadian government will review your sponsorship application and return it to you if:
- it’s incomplete
- the sponsorship and processing fees are missing
If they begin to process your application, they’ll:
- send you an acknowledgment of receipt letter with an application number,
- assess your eligibility as a sponsor, and
- assess if the person you are sponsoring meets the permanent residence requirements.
The Processing Time for Sponsoring a Sibling to Canada
The processing time for sponsoring a sibling to Canada varies by country. To check your countries average sponsorship processing time, check the Government of Canada calculator.
Check the status of your application
For sponsors
Sponsors can check the status of their application by using the IRCC online tool. As the sponsor, if you want to check on your family member’s application status, you must first request to get access to their information.
For the persons being sponsored
The persons you’re sponsoring can check their application in 2 ways. They can:
- create an online account and link their paper application to it
- They can do this only when we’ve started processing their application and we’ve sent them their application number.
- use the online tool, which is updated daily
Frequently Asked Questions about Sibling Sponsorship to Canada
There are several requirements you must meet in order to sponsor your brother to Canada.
Book a consultation with an immigration professional to determine your eligiblity for sibling sponsorship to Canada.
There are several requirements you must meet in order to sponsor your sister to Canada.
Book a consultation with an immigration professional to determine your eligiblity for sibling sponsorship to Canada.
You may be allowed to sponsor a sibling over the age of 18 with a few exceptions and requirements.
- 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 you want to invite your siblings to Canada it depends on how long they will stay to see which path to take. If they want to live in Canada then you will need to sponsor them meaning you will be finacially responsibile for them. If they want to visit then they will most likely need a visitor visa.
There is a financial burden of sponsoring a sibling to Canada. You are required to make a certain amount of money to sponsor someone to Canada. The pricing depends on how many people currently live in your household. For example if it is just you then the minimum necessary income is $25,921. If you live with your partner then it would be a minimum of $32,270. Contact us to determine if you are eligible to sponsor your sibling to Canada.
Why Legal Help for Sponsoring a Sibling is Important
Although the government prioritizes the processing of sponsorship applications, being successful is by no means a given. All of the requirements must be met, and even the slightest error on an application can lead to a refusal. In order to take advantage of this great opportunity, individuals should enlist the help of a legal professional who knows how to send a package that will provide an applicant with the best chance to be sponsored.
Why Hire Us to Assist Your Sibling Sponsorship Case?
With over 15 years of experience specializing in helping to reunite families from across the world, we know what immigration officers are looking for when reviewing a sponsorship application. We have helped thousands of individuals to successfully get Canadian permanent residence through family sponsorship, and we can help you too!
Make it happen!
Book a consultation and start your immigration process now!