SPONSORS FINANCIAL ABILITY

The Financial requirements for Canada Family Class Sponsorship for those residing in Canada (excluding Quebec) are as follows:

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A sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum necessary income or low-income cut-off (LICO) for a given family size, as established by Statistics Canada. The sponsor is freed from this requirement if:

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• The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner of the Canadian sponsor; or

• The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of the Canadian sponsor.

 

To determine if the sponsor's total income is sufficient, one must deduct the following from the total family income:

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• Workmen's compensation board payments, except for permanent disabilities;

• Payments from provincial or municipal sources for welfare assistance;

• Payments from federal, provincial, or municipal sources for employment training, or for any social or welfare benefits which are not of a fixed and continuing nature; and

• All debts.

 

If the Sponsor is unable to demonstrate a financial ability to provide for the essential needs of the immigrant, his or her spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner may act as a co-signer, if:

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• Their combined income meets the minimum necessary income; and

• The co-signer meets all the other sponsorship requirements of a valid sponsor.