Can my child's Canadian dad sponsor her?

Dear Ms Powell,

I have a child with a Canadian citizen. Can he sponsor our daughter? What would prevent him from making the application? How long will the process take for her to become a landed immigrant? Thank you for your answers.

- K.P.

Dear K.P.,

The Government of Canada allows citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their dependent children if they satisfy all the requirements. They can also sponsor other family members such as spouses, common-law or conjugal partners, parents, and other relatives.

In order for your daughter's father to sponsor her, he would have to meet certain financial, social, and medical requirements, some of which are:

1. Being able to provide for her financially and proving that he meets certain income requirements. This means that he has to prove that he is able to provide adequate housing arrangements, along with food, clothing, utilities, personal-care items, and household supplies.

2. Ensuring that your daughter has access to health care that is not covered by public health such as vision and dental care. This means that he needs to have enough money to do so. Therefore, your daughter's father would need to prove that he meets certain income requirements in order to sponsor her.

3. Providing a police certificate.

4. Being in good health.

5. Being willing to sign a commitment agreement stating that he will provide support for at least 10 years.

There are certain factors which could make him ineligible. They are:

1. If he has previously committed to sponsor another family member and that family member has had to apply for social assistance.

2. If he has failed to provide financial support in accordance with a court order.

3. If he has received social assistance for reasons other than disability.

4. If he has committed a criminal offense of a sexual nature, or involving violence against a family member.

5. If he has defaulted on an immigration loan.

6. If he is in prison.

7. If he has declared bankruptcy without having been released.

Once your daughter's father has completed his application to qualify to be sponsor and paid the required fee, an application for permanent residency must be made on behalf of your daughter and forwarded to the same office where he submitted his application. You will also need to prove that your daughter is in good health.

You can expect that it will take about three to six months for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to assess your daughter's father's eligibility to be a sponsor. Following that, it will take about another 16 months for the completion of the application and for your child to be able to go to Canada as a landed immigrant.

Note that it is always a good practice to keep a copy of all documents sent to and received from the CIC office for future reference.

Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator, and notary public, who is a member of the Jamaican and Ontario, Canada bars, with main office located in Ottawa, Ontario. Her areas of practice are in immigration, personal injury, real estate, family, and administration of estates. She is on the roster of mediators for Ottawa, Toronto, and the Dispute Resolution Foundation of Jamaica. Email: info@deidrepowell.com. Subject line: Immigration.