April 10, 2011

What do I have to do to be approved as a sponsor?

A: First, you and your parents must sign a Sponsorship Agreement. This means that you promise / undertake to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to provide unconditional financial support for your parents’ basic requirements, for a period of 10 years after they become permanent residents. Basic needs include food, accommodation, health care not covered by the provincial system, clothes, etc. This undertaking remains valid even if you divorce, change your province of habitation, become a Canadian citizen, etc. The undertaking will remain in effect even if your financial situation deteriorates.

Then, you must fill out all the required forms and supply all the documents to support your sponsorship application. Mail everything to CPC Mississauga. You will receive an acknowledgment letter stating that your application was received and placed in line for processing. Among the main issues that you must be aware of when sponsoring your parents are the following:

• make sure you meet the financial requirement to sponsor your parents;
• by undertaking to sponsor your parents you will be responsible for their financial well-being for a period of 10 years;
• you are not in default of a previous undertaking, meaning that you sponsored other people before the current sponsorship and those people received or are receiving social assistance. If this is the case, you must repay the government in full for all amounts received.
• same applies if you are in default of any immigration loan, default of a performance bond or court order financial obligations.