Mostly individuals coming to Canada as temporary foreign workers or permanent residents have the right to bring their dependents, including any and all dependent children, to Canada with them. For Canadian citizens and permanent residents with dependent children abroad, the government has created a special program to facilitate their dependent entry into Canada.
Dependent children, both natural and adopted, may be sponsored to live with their parent(s) as Permanent Residents in Canada. The child sponsorship program is a subsection of the Family Class of immigration.
Sponsor requirements for Dependent Child sponsorship:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian
- Sign an undertaking promising to provide for the basic requirements of the sponsored person
- Length of undertaking for dependent children is 10 years or the day the child reaches the age of 22, whichever first
- The sponsor is financially responsible for the dependent children sponsored for 10 years or the day the child reaches the age of 22, after the sponsored dependent children becomes a permanent resident.
- The sponsor and the sponsored person will be required to prove their relationship to one another. Individuals whose adoption proceedings are in the final phases of processing may begin sponsoring their child before the adoption has been finalized.
- Children sponsored through the Family Class of immigration receive unconditional Canadian Permanent Residency. This includes the right to study and work, if applicable, in Canada.
Sponsor restrictions for Spousal Sponsorship
- Not subject to a removal order
- Not convicted of a violent crime, an offence of sexual nature or result in bodily harm to a relative, or an attempt or threat to commit it.
- Not detained in any penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison.
