Family Class

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada who are 18 years of age or older, may sponsor close relatives or family members who want to become permanent residents of Canada. Sponsors must promise to support the relative or family member and accompanying family members for a period of 3 to 10 years to help them settle in Canada.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor relatives or family members from abroad if they are:

 1. parents and grandparents

 2. dependent children, including adopted children; children under 18 years of age whom you intend to adopt;

 3. brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren who are orphans, under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship

 4. And any other relative if you have none of the above relatives or family members, either in Canada or abroad.

Family reunification is a key objective of Canadian immigration. In addition, spouses or common-law partners who are 16 years of age or older, and have legal temporary status in Canada as visitors, students, or temporary workers (Temporary Resident Visa holders) may apply under the In-Canada Class.

Applicants and their family members are subject to medical, criminal and background checks.

Procedure

 The sponsor starts the Canadian immigration process by obtaining an application from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The type of application and submission procedure differs depending on the relationship between the sponsor and the applicant, and whether the applicant is abroad or already in Canada.

If the applicant is the sponsor's spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child:

 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has introduced a Joint Application Guide that is simpler and easier to use for both sponsors and applicants. The new guide is designed to promote quicker processing by streamlining the receipt of applications.

The sponsor will receive a joint application and guide, including the sponsorship and immigrant applications. It is then up to the sponsor to obtain the necessary documents and information from the applicant, whether abroad or in Canada, and submit both the sponsorship and immigrant applications and all supporting documents to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

If the applicant is outside of Canada, the Case Processing Centre will complete the sponsorship assessment and then send the immigrant portion to a visa office that serves the area where the immigrant applicant lives. The visa office assesses the immigrant's application, interviews the applicant, if necessary, and conducts medical, security and criminality checks.

An application by a spouse or common-law partner under the In-Canada Class -- including interviews, and medical, security and criminality checks -- will be assessed by a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) staff in Canada.