At Calver and Associates, we often receive questions about who is eligible for family class sponsorship in Canada. Some of the most common questions we receive are “Can my Aunt sponsor me for Canada?” and “Can my Uncle sponsor me for Canada?”
There are very specific eligibility requirements for the family class sponsorship program that both the sponsor and the person being sponsored must meet.
In some circumstances, a person’s Canadian Aunt or Uncle can sponsor them for Permanent Residency in Canada. To qualify, the sponsor (i.e. the Aunt or Uncle) must be:
18 years of age or older
A Canadian citizen or person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or Permanent Resident of Canada
The niece or nephew who wants to be sponsored by their Aunt or Uncle must be:
Related to their Aunt/Uncle by blood or adoption
Orphaned; both their mother and father passed away
Under 18 years of age
Single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship)
If the sponsor and person being sponsored don’t meet these requirements, there is one other option. You can sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age, if you meet all of these conditions:
The sponsor doesn't have a living relative they could sponsor instead E.g. spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, son or daughter, parent, grandparent, orphaned brother or sister, orphaned nephew or niece, or orphaned grandchild AND
The sponsor doesn’t have any relatives who are a: Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian under the Indian Act
Who can sponsor me to Canada?
If you and your Aunt/Uncle don’t meet the requirements listed above, you may be eligible to be sponsored by a different family member. There are other types of family sponsorship applications available for eligible applicants, including:
Spouse or Common-Law Partner
Conjugal Partners
Dependent Child or Adopted Child
Parent or Grandparent
Other Family Members
Can you sponsor a non-relative to Canada?
No. A friend does not fall under the “family class” category. Eligible family members to sponsor include a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner; and dependent children.
You may also apply to sponsor a parent or grandparent. In order to do this, you must submit an online interest to sponsor form. If you are selected, you will then receive an invitation to submit a complete application.
How much does it cost to sponsor someone to Canada?
The government processing fee for a sponsorship application is $1050 CAD plus $85 CAD for biometrics, if required. You can read Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s fee list for more information.
Our Services
Calver and Associates is a leading provider of Canadian Immigration services in Durham Region. We serve clients in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and beyond. Our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant has over 10 years of experience in Canadian Immigration law and over four years of experience serving those in the Oshawa area.
We can provide assistance with applications for both temporary and permanent residency in Canada. We handle applications for study permits, permanent residency, family class sponsorship, visitor visas, work permits, and Canadian citizenship. We also handle criminal inadmissibility cases by developing remedies for refusal.
