This chapter provides policy and procedural guidance to officers for processing sponsorship applications. This applies to:
- Sponsorship applications submitted in support of applications for permanent residence visas outside Canada and,
- Sponsorship applications submitted in support of applications for permanent residence visas inside Canada
This document provides details on:
- The requirements that the authorities typically expect the sponsors to meet
- The manner in which officers would need to process applications to sponsor members of the family class
- The manner in which officers would need to calculate whether a sponsor meets the prescribed financial requirements
Which Immigration Category Does This Chapter Affect?
It is worth highlighting that the policies and guidelines specified in this chapter typically apply to sponsorship applications in support of all members of the family class specified in the section titled ‘The Members of the Family Class’ i.e. section 5.3 of IP 2, which appears subsequently in this document.
In addition, the policies and guidelines specified in this chapter apply to sponsorship applications in support of the following as well:
- Members of the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class and,
- Applicants seeking permanent resident status under Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds
Which Offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (IRCC) Does This Chapter Involve?
All the offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (IRCC) can use the policies and guidelines given in this chapter. However, the authorities have assigned primary responsibility for processing sponsorship applications to:
- The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) and,
- The Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V)
Where Could Officers Typically Find Guidelines Pertaining to Family Sponsorships?
The table that follows specified the chapters where officers could find guidelines concerning family sponsorships.
The Related Procedures | The Manual Chapter |
Applications by members of the family class | See OP 2 |
Adoptions, intents to adopt in Canada (and orphaned relatives) | See OP 3 |
Applications by members of the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class | See IP 8 |
Applications made under Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds | See IP 5 and OP 4 |
Authorised representatives | See IP 9 |
Chapters
- What This Chapter is About
- The Program Objectives
- The Instruments and Delegations
- The Departmental Policy
- The Definitions
- The Roles and Responsibilities
- The Overview of the Case Processing Centre (CPC) Activities Pertaining to Sponsorship Applications
- The Procedures for Reviewing Sponsorship and Permanent Residence Applications for Spouses, Common-Law Partners, Conjugal Partners and Dependent Children
- The Guidelines for Reviewing Sponsorship Applications for Other Members of the Family Class
- The Procedures for Processing Sponsorship Applications by the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) for Spouses or Common-Law Partners in Canada
- The Procedures for Handling a Discontinued or Withdrawn Undertaking
- The Guidelines for Assessing a Sponsor’s Eligibility
- The Guidelines for Assessing Bars to Sponsorship
- The Guidelines Pertaining to Undertakings
- The Guidelines Concerning the Sponsorship Agreement
- The Guidelines for Applying the Financial Test
- The Procedures for Processing Sponsorships Involving Adoptions
- The Guidelines for Referring Sponsorship Applications for Investigation to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
- The Procedures in Case the Applicant is Not a Member of the Family Class
- The Guidelines for Assessing Additional Family Members
- The Procedures for Dealing with Changes in Circumstances
- The Guidelines for the Suspension of Processing
- The Guidelines for Applications from Sponsors in Quebec
- Appendix A – The Eligibility Check for the Sponsor and the Co-Signer
- Appendix B – The Sample Letter to the Provincial / Territorial Adoption Authority to Request for the Issuance of the No Objection / No Involvement Letter or Notification of Agreement
- Appendix C – The Sample of Sponsorship Approval Letter for Adoption Cases from the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) to the Sponsor
- Appendix D – The List of Offences Under the Criminal Code that Could Equate to Offences of a Sexual Nature and Offences Concerning Violence Against a Family Member
- Appendix E – The Low Income Cut Offs (LICO) and the Quebec Income Scale – 2011