Can I Sponsor My Brothers or Sisters (Siblings) to Immigrate to Canada

Masha is a Canadian citizen who is originally from Russia. She has a 12-year-old brother who lives in Saint Petersburg. Masha’s parents died in a tragic car accident a few weeks ago. She wants to sponsor her younger brother to Canada as he has no guardians in his home country. Consequently, Mahsa wonders if sponsoring siblings to Canada is an option.

Family reunification is an option to assist your family members in immigrating to Canada. However, there are many complexities in sponsoring family members, depending on who you are sponsoring. Regardless, the process of family reunification requires a sponsor and an applicant.

• Who is the sponsor?
• Who is the applicant?
• Sponsoring overage siblings
• Alternative options
• Let us help!

Who could be a sponsor in siblings immigration

The basic requirements to sponsor your siblings or rather brothers or sister is to

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• be at least  18 years old
• reside in Canada
• file a sponsorship application according to the guidelines
• do not owe the government of Canada or any provinces money or other obligations due to previous sponsorship applications
• meet the minimum income requirements (i.e. the 12-month LICO)

Of course, you could become ineligible for particular criminal histories or issues.  Thus, consult a professional if you have any legal problems in Canada or elsewhere.

Who is an applicant in the siblings’ immigration

You may assume a sibling is a brother or a sister. However, sponsoring siblings to Canada needs to meet other conditions. A sibling is eligible for sponsorship if

• both their parents have passed away, and
• the sibling is less than 18 years old.

Can I sponsor a sibling who is 18 years or older?

Under exceptional conditions, the answer to this question is yes. If the siblings are 18 years old or older, the sponsor may still sponsor them if she or he is lonely. In other words, the sponsor does not have a spouse, a common-law partner, a conjugal partner, a mother or father, a child, or grandparents, either

• who live in Canada, or
• the sponsor may qualify to sponsor them.

These are harsh conditions but apply to some people.

What if I do not qualify to sponsor my siblings to Canada

If none of the above conditions apply to you, then you could consider the following options:

(a) Sponsor your siblings on humanitarian and compassionate grounds

Sometimes there are significant humanitarian reasons. Thus, you could ask the immigration officer to consider them while processing the application. However, do not have high hopes as the odds are most likely against you. Read the following article for more information:

• Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds Applications

(b) You could assist your brother or sister to file for Express Entry

The current Express Entry system adds CRS points to applicants who have a brother or sister in Canada. Of course, you need to be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. Read the following article to see if your sibling has enough points.

• Express Entry Points and CRS Calculator

(c) Help your siblings to study in Canada

Studying in Canada could assist your siblings in immigrating to Canada eventually. Therefore, try to support them to get a study permit financially. Of course, you could also help them with the admission process. The following article offers more information.

• Study Permit – Study Visa – International Students in Canada

(d) Become their business partner

Is your sibling a successful business owner or senior manager? Then you could be their business partner to secure a work permit. Of course, they must qualify for this program. The following article helps you understand this option.

• Two-Stage Immigration for Self-employed and Entrepreneurs – IMP Code C11

Of course, depending on the province of your residence, there could be other options available.

Contact us to assist you and your siblings on this journey.

If you want us to assist you in this journey, select one of the following options.

Updated: Jan 23. 2023