The family class welcomes the second largest number of newcomers to Canada under its Immigration Levels Plan. It allows a family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to be reunited with their family and come to Canada and receive permanent residence.
Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration
Quebec has a unique status in Canada, meaning that it has some specific steps and requirements unique to the province that you must accomplish or meet before being able to sponsor a family member.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are married or partner law relationship with a foreign national may sponsor that person to join them in Canada.
In order to sponsor your spouse or partner, you must:
The sponsor and the sponsored person must also prove their relationship, which must be one of the three following categories:
Quebec has its own criteria for spousal sponsorship and a distinct undertaking application. When applying, a sponsor will need to submit the application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and to the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI).
The MIFI considers the following:
If the sponsorship application is approved, the person being sponsored will receive a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), which declares that the person has been selected to settle in Quebec. Only then can they apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can bring their child to Canada from abroad to become permanent residents.
To sponsor your child, you must;
The dependent child, to be eligible for sponsorship, must be a biological or adopted child of a permanent resident or Canadian citizen, be under the age of 22 and not be married or in a common-law relationship.
As a sponsor, you are required to sign an undertaking that means you will provide for the basic needs of your child, including housing, clothing, food, and medical expenses. In Quebec, you must sign the undertaking with the province. In addition, the duration of the undertaking is different in Quebec than in the rest of Canada.
Once again, if the sponsor is residing in Quebec, they will need to apply for a CSQ. In addition, they will need to submit the application to IRCC and to MIFI.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents are able to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada and become permanent residents. They even may eventually be able to apply for Canadian citizenship.
In order to sponsor your parent or grandparent, you must:
An additional undertaking must be signed with the province of Quebec. You are deemed fully capable of fulfilling a sponsorship undertaking in Quebec if you have a gross income that is equal to the total amount of income in these tables.
Once again, if the sponsor is residing in Quebec, they will need to apply for a CSQ. Once it is obtained, it can be submitted to IRCC.
The Parents and Grandparents program is currently closed. The last PGP lottery was held in October of 2022, but IRCC has released no information about whether the PGP will reopen in 2023.
Another option for those looking to sponsor their parent or grandparent is through the Super Visa. The Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to come to Canada as visitors for up to five years without having to renew their status. It is a multi-entry visitor visa that is valid for up to 10 years.
The Super Visa is available all year round. There is no lottery to get a Super Visa, offering greater certainty to families. The Super Visa provides parents and grandparents more time in Canada and does not require renewal upon re-entry into the country until the validity period has passed.