Many immigrants come to Canada with the help of family sponsorship in order to meet their relatives. It is necessary, though, to realize the existence of two main categories of family sponsorship, namely permanent and temporary. They both have different needs, procedures and effects on the sponsor and the sponsored family member. Knowing these differences is very instrumental to anyone contemplating family sponsorship in Canada. A consultation with a reputable Toronto immigration attorney may become a right and guiding move or act depending on a given case.
Overview of Permanent Family Sponsorship
When they sponsor family permanent sponsorship, the Canadian citizens and permanent residents sponsor their eligible family members to immigrate to Canada and settle permanently in Canada. This track is aimed at ensuring prompt reunion of close relatives including spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, parents as well as grandparents. This aims at providing the sponsored persons with permanent resident status and providing them with all the rights and benefits just as other permanent residents in Canada get.
The processes of permanent sponsorship have quite thorough applications and may take a long dark time, in some cases, months and numerous years, according to the nation and selection. The receiving party, or sponsor should also fulfil certain eligibility requirements such as financial capability as well as agreement to offer support to the sponsored family member with a fixed and predetermined duration of time. These requirements guarantee that the sponsored person would be able to reside in Canada without being over dependent on the social welfare schemes.
Overview of Temporary Family Sponsorship
Temporary family sponsorship, in its turn, is aimed at the members of the family that are to remain in Canada for a relatively short amount of time. Examples under this category are visitors, students or temporary workers who arrive in Canada in order to join their family yet nothing about becoming permanent residents is taken instantly. Temporary sponsorship is a way of giving family members a chance to live in Canada in a legal manner as long as their temporary nature stays.
Relatively, the procedure of temporary sponsorship is usually quick and not so meticulous as that of permanent one. It is however accompanied by alternative documentation and requirements where cases like proving that the visit or stay was temporary are tested. There are only temporary sponsored persons who should obey the terms of their visa or permit and they cannot get all the advantages of the permanent residents. To individuals who have thought about taking this route, the information on eligibility and duties can be better understood after meeting with an attorney who has a background on Canadian immigration law.
Eligibility Criteria for Permanent Sponsorship
The sponsor should be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident; be at least 18 years old and financially stable in order to provide life-long sponsorship to his or her family. The sponsor should demonstrate his capacity to sponsor the relative in the sponsored family without social aid. This involves attaining minimum income levels; that differ as per the kind of sponsorship and the size of the family.
The sponsor should also sign an undertaking agreement which is a written agreement with the government to support the relative sponsored with money for a certain span of time the time given may be three to ten years. Inability to do this may cause legal action. One can find a Toronto immigration lawyer who is capable of assisting the sponsors to learn about these commitments and guiding him or her to make a substantial sponsorship request.
Eligibility Criteria for Temporary Sponsorship
The temporary family sponsorship is mostly applicable to any family member who is eligible for the temporary resident visa, study permit or work permit. As compared to permanent sponsorship, the financial capability of the sponsor is not so demanding although they might be required to offer proof of sponsorship when they visit temporarily. Temporary sponsors need to provide evidence that the family member will depart Canada after his or her legal status expiration.
This sponsorship is only temporary, therefore the applicant is expected to have a valid status throughout the entire period of his stay in Canada and have to abide by the Canadian immigration regulations. The rules are sometimes complicated and might differ in relation to a particular situation which is why many applicants are ready to consult with a lawyer to make their application cover all the requirements and neglect any future issues with the law.
Rights and Responsibilities under Permanent Sponsorship
In case an individual is sponsored permanently by a family member, s/he acquires the right to reside, work and learn in Canada permanently. They receive healthcare and social services and are allowed to apply for Canadian citizenship when qualified. Obligations of the sponsor on the other hand are continuous and some of them include funding and making sure that the recipient of the sponsorship fits into the Canadian society.
The permanent sponsorship essentially leads to the formation of a long term legal association between the sponsor and the government of Canada. The sponsors need to know what they are required to do since not complying with these requirements leaves room to face a penalty or not being allowed to sponsor any more people in future. Advice of law usually comes in handy to guide the discharge of these duties adequately.
Rights and Responsibilities under Temporary Sponsorship
They have temporary sponsorship where family members can stay in Canada on temporary basis with certain limitations. Temporary residents receive much fewer social benefits and cannot afford to go against the terms of the visa or permit. The financial or emotional aid that has to be paid in exchange of sponsorship may be required of the sponsors, but they have an obligation mainly up to the time of the stay.
The family members should be prepared in terms of residence and the opportunity to become citizens of a particular country because temporary sponsorship does not indicate permanency and the ability to become permanent citizens. It is important to learn the boundaries of temporary status to prevent overstaying or breaching the immigration laws. The recommendations provided by a lawyer may be also helpful to create a way out that will correspond to the long-term demands of a family.
