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Canada has introduced a new temporary public policy that allows people to sponsor their family members, even if they have lost their income owing to coronavirus. As per the policy, the Canadians who want to sponsor their family members do not need to make 30 per cent more than the minimum income requirement. The sponsors are allowed to count their regular Employment Insurance benefits in the income calculations in 2020 and not just special Employment Insurance benefits. However, these exemptions in the income requirements for Canada family sponsorship are not applicable to Quebec sponsors as the province has its own family sponsorship program.
Despite the relaxation in the income requirements, the sponsors must still meet minimum necessary income requirements and all other application requirements related to other relevant taxation years. In other words, in every other relevant year, they are expected to meet the additional 30 per cent income requirement. Besides, only their special Employment Insurance benefits will contribute to the total while considering these years.
Income requirement relaxations for Canada family sponsorship: Who are eligible?
The changes in policy are applicable to Canadians applying through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), which will start accepting expressions of interest to sponsor on October 13. The relaxations are applicable for sponsoring the following types of family members as well:
- Spouses and common-law partners
- Dependent children
- Minor siblings, nieces and nephews
- Grand children whose parents are deceased
- Relatives of the sponsor, if the sponsor does not have any close family members, who are Canadian.
The new policy came into effect on October 2. According to the new ministerial instructions, the relaxations in the requirements were introduced as Canadians have faced financial challenged during the coronavirus pandemic.
“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the income requirement for tax year 2020 will be more difficult for some sponsors to meet. This could result in otherwise eligible permanent residence applicants having their application refused, including both current and future applicants in the family class whose sponsor must meet a minimum income requirement,” the instructions read.
The exemptions aim to ensure that the sponsors are not unfairly affected by the impact of the pandemic.
Do you wish to know more about settling permanently in Canada with your family? Talk to the expert Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove to know in detail about the eligibility requirements as well as your options.
