If you have a job offer to work in Canada but you want to move with a partner or children, you’ll be pleased to know that it is possible for them to join you, as long as you meet certain requirements. The government is particularly welcoming of new talent from overseas, and that includes families. Here’s how you can sponsor your partner to move to Canada.
How can your partner move to Canada?
The main way for your partner – or any dependent children – to move to Canada is through sponsorship. This means that you take on the legal responsibility for them while they’re in Canada for at least three years, during which time they can search for a job and so on.
You need to plan your finances before you move, otherwise you run the risk of losing thousands from your budget. Find out about protecting from the risks of international transfers in the free Property Buyer’s Guide to Currency.
To be a sponsor, you need to be at least 18, a Canadian permanent resident (or a Canadian citizen) living in Canada and not be receiving social assistance for anything apart from a disability. You also need to show that you have the financial means to support the partner you sponsor to move to Canada.
Whom can you sponsor to Canada?
You can sponsor your partner to Canada, who can be either a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. You can also sponsor any dependent children and sometimes parents.
You can sponsor a spouse or partner to come to Canada.
You’ll need to show proof that you’re legally married to your spouse, or proof that you and your common-law partner have been living together for at least a year. If you’re apply for a conjugal partner, you’ll need to show proof that you’ve been in a relationship for at least a year and have been prevented by your conjugal partner’s country of residence from living together or marrying.
What are the financial requirements?
You need to show you can (and legally commit to) meet your partner’s basic needs for three years. Even if you separate or divorce, you’ll still need to support them for the time remaining. However, there isn’t usually a set income requirement or threshold – only if the partner you sponsor to move to Canada has a dependent child who also has a dependent child of their own.
If you’re sponsoring your parents or grandparents, however, you’ll need to commit to provide financial support for twenty years and repay any provincial social assistance they get during that period.
How do you apply to sponsor your partner to move to Canada?
Simply fill in your application forms online with the right information and check for common mistakes, such as if submitting a copy of a document where an original is required, or submitting your application in a binder or folder.
At the same time, you’ll need to pay your fees online, which will be a total of processing fees, a fee for the right of permanent residence and a biometrics fee to cover the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. Once the application is in progress, the person you’re sponsoring will be asked to provide the result from a medical exam and their finger prints.
In Quebec, they’ll also need to sign the Demande de sélection permanente – Catégorie du regroupement familial.
What happens when the application’s complete?
Your family will be notified of the success of the application and will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence document and a permanent residency visa. They’ll need to bring them with them when they meet an officer at the airport. And with that, you’re done – and your family’s new life in Canada awaits!
To find out more about buying and living in Canada, don’t miss your free buying guide below, and make sure to read our guidance on applying for a visa to Canada. And, if you do have further questions, don’t hesitate to email our free Resource Centre on [email protected] or speak to your Buying Specialists on +44(0)20 7898 0549.
