The deadline for submitting an online form that expresses your interest in sponsoring your parents or grandparents to come to Canada was February 1, 2018. Now the results of the first stage of the selection process are out, and you can see if you were chosen for an invitation to submit a full application to sponsor your parents/grandparents. If you weren’t able to get your online submission of interest to sponsor your parents/grandparents in on time, don’t despair! There will be another round in early 2019, which will likely be announced at the end of this year.
What to do if you submitted an interest to sponsor in time
If you were able to get your submission of interest in before February 1, 2018, you can now find out if you were chosen for an invitation to apply, by going here and doing the following:
Step 1
You have to find your confirmation number. When your submission of interest was confirmed on the online form, a 10-character alphanumeric was shown on the screen. This is your confirmation number. It has:
- 2 numbers, followed by
- 2 letters, followed by
- 3 numbers with a hyphen afterwards, and finally
- 2 numbers
If you lost this number or forgot to copy it down, go here to submit an online request about your invitation status. The reply will take about 10 business days.
Step 2
Go here and look for the “make your selection” box which has a drop-down menu. Open the drop-down menu and select the first number of your own confirmation number.
Step 3
Click “see confirmation numbers” or “show confirmation numbers.” Then type your number into “Filter items” and see if it appears or go through the list and find your number. If it appears you have been selected. If not, you have not been selected.
What to do when you have been invited to apply to sponsor
If you have been selected for an invitation to apply, you will receive an email from IRCC at the email address you indicated in your submission of interest online form. Check this email account frequently once you see that your confirmation number has been selected.
How to Apply to Sponsor Your Parents or Grandparents
First you should not download and fill out form IMM 1344 Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking, until you are certain that you have been invited to apply through the first stage selection process. When you sponsor a family member, you are undertaking to provide for their basic necessities for their lives in Canada. This includes:
- Food
- Clothing
- Utilities (bills for electricity, gas, cable, phone, cellphone, etc.)
- Personal requirements
- Shelter (rent or mortgage payments)
- Fuel (for heating in winter)
- Household supplies
This is to ensure that they do not end up on welfare or some other form of government assistance. The undertaking of support is unconditional. It will remain as an obligation even if you divorce or separate or break off any type of relationship with the family members you are sponsoring, or if they move to another province. You as sponsor will still be responsible for them.
To be eligible to sponsor a family member you must:
- Be 18 years or older
- Be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident, or a Registered Indian
- Be sponsoring a member of the family class
- Live in Canada
- Promise to provide for their requirements by signing an undertaking
- Sign an agreement with the person you are sponsoring that shows you both understand your mutual responsibilities
- Show that you have sufficient income to both provide for your own family as well as sponsor your parents/grandparents. You are allowed to have a co-signer who will assist you to meet your responsibilities as a sponsor.
- Any federal, provincial, or municipal government financial support that a person you sponsor receives will cause you the sponsor to be in default. You will be prohibited from sponsoring until you repay the full value of any social assistance they may have received.
- Your undertaking to sponsor your parents/grandparents will be valid for 20 years.
- You must meet the minimum income requirement to sponsor for each of the 3 preceding tax years from the date of your application.
Meeting the Minimum Income Requirement
- Count yourself
- Count your spouse/partner
- Count your dependent children
- Count any and all persons you are still sponsoring, including your parents and/or grandparents
Add all these people up to get your family size and then consult the following table:
| Size of family unit | Minimum income 2016 | Minimum income 2015 | Minimum income 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 persons | $39,371 | $38,618 | $38,272 |
| 3 persons | $48,404 | $47,476 | $47,051 |
| 4 persons | $58,768 | $57,642 | $57,125 |
| 5 persons | $66,654 | $65,377 | $64,791 |
| 6 persons | $75,174 | $73,733 | $73,733 |
| 7 persons | $83,695 | $82,091 | $81,355 |
| For each additional person above 7 | $8,522 | $8,358 | $8,271 |
Application Forms
These are the forms you must fill out when you apply to sponsor a parent/grandparent:
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking form IMM 1344: This form must be completed by:
- The sponsor
- The co-signer (if applicable)
- The principal applicant (the person being sponsored)
- Financial Evaluation for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship form IMM 5768: This form is completed by the sponsor (and co-signer if applicable) to evaluate whether the sponsor is capable of financially supporting the person they will sponsor.
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration IMM 5669: This form must be completed by: It provides information to immigration authorities on all the jobs the person has held since 18 years of age as well as other personal information like their education. Remember to press the “Validate” button to ensure that your form has been filled out accurately.
- The principal applicant (the person being sponsored)
- The principal applicant’s wife/spouse
- The principal applicant’s dependent children aged 18 or older (whether they are accompanying to or not to Canada)
- Statutory Declaration of Common Law Union IMM 5409: This form is to be signed by the sponsor and his or her common-law partner only if the partner is a co-signer of the application.
- Generic Application for Canada IMM 0008: This form has to be completed by the principal applicant and provides basic personal information as well under what type of Immigration stream the principal applicant (the person being sponsored) is applying to come to Canada. Remember to click the “Validate” button when your form is completed so that the barcode page is printed. (If you fill out your form off-line by hand, this will not be the case.) Place the barcode page at the top of your application and supporting documents.
- Additional Dependents/Declaration form IMM 0008DEP: This form should be filled out by the principal applicant for all dependants not listed in form IMM 0008.
- Additional Family Information IMM 5406: This form provides additional details about your marriage and your siblings. It must be completed by:
- The principal applicant
- The principal applicant’s spouse or common-law partner
- The principal applicant’s dependent children aged 18 or older (whether accompanying you to Canada or not)
- Use of a Representative IMM 5476: the principal applicant should use this form if they are:
- Appointing a representative
- Are updating contact information for their representative
- Are cancelling a representative’s appointment
Go here to see if you need to give biometric information (digital fingerprints and eye scans) depending on your country of residence. You can give biometrics at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) nearest you.
Sponsorship Fees
Here’s a table of the fees charged for Sponsorship Applications:
| Fees | CAD$ |
|---|---|
| Sponsor parent or grandparent: Sponsorship fee $75, Principal applicant processing fee $475, Right of permanent residence fee $490 | $1,040 |
| Sponsor parent of grandparent (without right of permanent residence): Sponsorship fee $75, Principal applicant processing fee $475 | $550 |
| Include spouse or partner of parent or grandparent: Sponsorship fee $550, Right of permanent residence fee $490 | $1,040 |
| Include spouse or partner of parent or grandparent (without right of permanent residence): Sponsorship fee $550 | $550 |
| Include dependent child of parent or grandparent | $150 (per child) |
| Biometric fees: $85 per person | $85 (per person) |
| Biometric fees: $170 per family | $175 (per family) |
Go here for more information on paying your fees. You will need:
- A valid email address
- Access to a printer
- A valid Credit Card or Canadian Debit Card
Remember to print 2 copies of your official IRCC receipt with a barcode, after you have paid online. Attach 1 copy of your receipt to your application and keep the other for your personal files.
Submit the Application
Mail your applications with all the completed printed forms and supporting documents – use the Document Checklist IMM 5771 – to the following address:
CPC-M-PGP
PO BOX 8020, STN T CSC
Ottawa, ON
K1G 3H6
If you need help, contact RCIC Mary Zhang at Maxcan Immigration in Markham, Ontario. Maxcan serves the Greater Toronto Area but Mary can help you wherever you are located in Canada.
