Sponsorship of parents, grandparents, adopted children and other relatives — The sponsor’s guide (IMM 5196)

What happens next?

What happens with your application at the Case Processing Centre?

The application you send is verified for completeness. If it is complete, an officer will assess whether you meet the sponsorship requirements or not. If you need to provide additional documents or pay additional fees, your application will be returned to you with a letter asking you to provide the missing information or fees.

If you live in Quebec, and you are found eligible to sponsor, you will receive a letter from CIC’s Case Processing Centre telling you how to proced with the MICC. After you have completed the required forms and provided the supporting documents, the MICC will let you and the visa office responsible for processing the application of the person you want to sponsor know whether your undertaking has been accepted or refused.

We will inform you of the results of its assessment of your sponsorship application and send you the Immigrant’s Guide for sponsored parents, grandparents, adopted children and other relatives with the related forms. If your application to sponsor is approved, you will have to send the guide and forms to the person you want to sponsor.

If you fail to meet the sponsorship requirements, we will inform you of the results of the assessment and will refund part of the processing fees you paid, provided you have indicated that this is your wish on your application to sponsor (form IMM 1344A) and, if you are a Quebec resident and the MICC refused your undertaking, you follow the instructions CPC-M will give you. The application of the person you are sponsoring will not be processed. You will not have a right of appeal.

In the event you do not meet the sponsorship requirements, the application of the person you are sponsoring will be processed by a Canadian visa office. You will not be entitled to a partial refund of the processing fees once processing of the application for permanent residence has begun.

What will the person you want to sponsor have to do?

He or she will have to:

• sign the Agreement (form IMM 1344B);
• complete the forms included with The Immigrant’s Guide for sponsored parents, grandparents, adopted children and other relatives, and send them with the required documentation to the visa office that will be processing his or her application;
• go for an interview at a Canadian visa office;
• undergo a medical examination (results of the medical examination are valid for 12 months). The visa office will send the person you are sponsoring and his or her family members instructions on how to proceed;
  
  Note: It is the responsibility of the person being sponsored and of his or her family members to pay the costs of their medical examination.
• pass criminal and security checks; and
• obtain passports and, in some countries, exit visas.

The person you want to sponsor and his or her family members should not quit their jobs or sell their assets until they have their permanent resident visas.

What happens to the sponsorship and permanent residence applications if you submit an application for someone who is not sponsorable or is excluded as a member of the family class?

We will note that you fail to meet the requirements for a sponsorship as your sponsorship application has been submitted on behalf of someone who is not a member of the family class. If you have indicated that you wish to withdraw the sponsorship, all processing fees except the sponsorship fee ($75) will be returned to you. If you wish to have the application for permanent residence processed by a visa office, the visa office will refuse the family class application as there is no valid sponsorship and it was not submitted on behalf of someone who is a member of the family class. You will not be eligible for any refund of fees if the application is sent to the visa office.

Whether you choose to withdraw the sponsorship or have the application for permanent residence processed by the visa office, you will not have appeal rights as the application was not submitted on behalf of a member of the family class.

What happens with the application for permanent residence of the person you want to sponsor at the visa office?

The visa office will review the application and supporting documentation to assess the eligibility of the person you want to sponsor as a member of the family class and his or her admissibility as an immigrant to Canada. It will contact them to let them know if they need to provide additional supporting documents or be interviewed. The visa office will make a final decision to either approve or refuse the application for permanent residence.

If the application is refused, both the person you want to sponsor and yourself will be informed in writing of the reasons for the refusal. You will be notified of your rights to appeal and be provided with the instructions to commence an appeal, should you decide to do so.

What if you have a co-signer and he or she withdraws his or her financial support?

If your spouse or common-law partner withdraws support for the sponsorship application, you or your spouse or common-law partner must write a letter to CPC-M and the visa office before permanent resident visas are issued to the person you are sponsoring and his or her family members. You must include an amended copy of the sponsorship application and of the agreement, initialled by you and your co-signer, removing the co-signer’s support. We will assess your financial situation to see if you have enough money to support your family without a co-signer. If you do not meet the financial requirements on your own, the application for permanent residence will be refused.

What factors can slow down processing?

Here is a list of common factors that can slow down the processing of your application.

• Incomplete or unsigned application forms
• Incorrect, incomplete address or failure to notify CPC-M of a change of address
• Missing documents
• Unclear photocopies of documents
• Documents not accompanied by a certified English or French translation
• Investigation of sponsors by CIC
• Verification of information and documents provided (for example, there may be lengthy procedures for background checks in the countries where the sponsored person and his or her family members have lived or need for a second interview for additional background screening)
• A medical condition that may require additional tests or consultations
• A criminal or security problem (for example, failure to declare family members or criminal charges pending)
• Family situations such as impending divorce, custody or maintenance issues
• Completion of legal adoption
• Consultation is required with other offices in Canada and abroad
• Inquiring about the status of your application before the standard processing time has elapsed
• The sponsored person is not a permanent resident of the country in which he or she currently lives
• The sponsored person or his or her family members require an interview and live in an area not regularly visited by Immigration officials
• Photos provided by the sponsored person and his or her family members do not comply with specifications set out in Appendix C accompanying the immigrant’s guide

If your case is not routine, we may not be able to process your application within the regular service standards for routine cases. Consult our website for additional information on processing times.

Checking your application status

To find out the current status of your application, follow these steps:

Step	Action
1	Log on to our website.
2	Select “I Need To…” on the right hand side of the page.
3	Click on Check My Application Status.
4	Click on Client Application Status.

If you do not want your information to be made available online, you can remove it by following these steps:

Step	Action
1	Log on to our website.
2	Select “I Need To…” on the right hand side of the page.
3	Click on Check My Application Status.
4	Click on Client Application Status.
5	Access your account.
6	Select the check box next to the message Please don't show my application status on the Internet.

Current processing times are updated weekly on our website.

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