Under Family Class, Canada facilitates family reunification by allowing Canadian citizens and permanent residents bring (sponsor) their relatives to Canada. 

The following categories of family members can be sponsored to Canada:

• Spouses, common-law partners and their dependent children;
• Parents, grandparents, and their dependent children;
• Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandchildren (under 18 and orphaned);
• Adopted children;
• Any relative if the sponsor is alone in Canada and has none of the other family members to sponsor.

Under Canadian immigration laws, a sponsor is financially responsible for the sponsored family member. It means that the sponsor will have to compensate any social assistance paid to the sponsored family member by the government.

The duration of the undertaking varies depending on the sponsor's relationship to the sponsored person:

• 3 years for the sponsored spouse or common-law partner;
• 10 years or age 25 for the dependent child if the child is 22 years old or less;
• 3 years for dependent children 22 years old or more;
• 20 years for parent or grandparent;
• 10 years for any other relative.

If you are sponsoring a parent/grandparent, you must also meet the income requirements for the last three taxation years.

In some circumstances, Canadian citizens and permanent residents are not allowed to sponsor their family to Canada:

• The sponsor is subject to a removal order;
• The sponsor is detained and is held in prison;
• The sponsor has history of domestic or sexual violence;
• The sponsor is in default of spousal or child support payments;
• The sponsor owes a debt under IRPA;
• The sponsor is an undischarged bankrupt;
• The sponsor is in receipt of social assistance other than for reasons of disability;
• The sponsor is in default of a previous sponsorship undertaking.

A permanent resident or Canadian citizen who has obtained status after being sponsored to Canada, cannot sponsor another person to Canada during the five years after becoming a permanent resident.

Also, you cannot sponsor another spouse to Canada before expiration of the 3-year-period since when your spouse became a Canadian permanent resident.

Building a sponsorship application requires careful strategy and consideration. The onus is on the applicant to prove that the relationship is genuine and that the sponsorship is bona fide. Canadian immigration authorities are scrutinizing such applications to detect ingenuine relationships and not grant permanent residence status to the applicant.

There is no room for error too. While outland sponsorship applications can be appealed with the Immigration Appeal Division, inland sponsorships cannot. This is why it is so important to consider every factor to convince the immigration officer of your bona fide intentions.

At Sokolov Immigration, we are committed to unite families and secure successful outcome of sponsorship applications. We will prepare a strong and convincing case that will highlight what the officer is looking for and will avoid the "red flags" that result in sponsorship application rejections.