Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program (2018 January)

Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program

Family reunification is one the main facets of Canadian immigration policy and legislation. The Family Class consists of parents, grandparents, spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent children and in some cases, distant relatives. Today we will discuss the grandparent and parent sponsorship program which reopens today (January 2, 2018).

It is not surprising this program is popular, as Canada was ranked as the 5th best country for elderly treatment. The elderly in Canada, including sponsored immigrants, may be eligible receive free health care, Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement even without work experience in Canada as long as they meet other requirements. This combined with Canada’s political and economic stability, makes Canada an ideal destination for the elderly.

Currently, a sponsor must be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, at least 18 years old, meet certain income cut-off levels for the past three years, not declared bankrupt along with other conditions. If you have economic, criminal or immigration issues, you should resolve the issue by consulting a lawyer. You may sponsor your parents or grandparents after these issues have been resolved. The sponsor must first submit an Interest to Sponsor before February 1, 2018. If you are selected to apply, then your parents or grandparents must provide forms and documents within a tight deadline.

It is important that the application is done correctly and accurately, as one minor mistake could result in a refusal of the permanent residence application. You may have to go to court to overturn the refusal which is expensive, time consuming and has a low success rate. If your application is refused, you will have to wait until the following year or years, in some cases, to reapply. A past invitation to apply does not guarantee another invitation to apply. As such, we highly recommend that you seek the assistance of an experienced lawyer to guide you through the complicated and long process.