Can my mother sponsor her niece?

[Omar]

Thank you for taking the time to clarify some information,

My mother would like to sponsor her niece that lives outside of Canada.

When reading through the eligibility requirements she seemed to meet everything up until the very end.

It mentions that you cannot use the sponsorship program if you have any other family members that are currently a Canadian citizen.

Does this mean my mother won’t be able to sponsor her niece because I am her son who is a Canadian Citizen?

I was born here, not adopted.

She also has never used the sponsorship program in the past with any other family members.

Following this she does not have any family members from her side living here. (Brothers, Sisters, Parents, etc)

Best regards,

Omar

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello Omar,

Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.

You mentioned you are interested in finding out if you mother can sponsor her niece.

You can find some detailed information on what the requirements are to be eligible for this type of sponsorship are on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website in the Determine your eligibility – Sponsor your eligible relatives(CIC) section.

Here is an excerpt of the requirements,

Who you can sponsor

You can sponsor:-brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren who are orphaned, are under 18 and do not have a spouse or common-law partner,-relatives of the above (for example, spouse, partner and dependent children) who will come with them to Canada, or

You can sponsor one relative of any age or relationship, but only if you do not have one of these living relatives who could be sponsored as a member of the family class:

-spouse or common-law partner,
-conjugal partner,-son or daughter,
-parent,-grandparent,-sibling, or
-uncle, aunt, nephew or niece, and

you do not have any relative who is a:
-Canadian citizen,
-permanent resident or
-registered Indian under the Indian Act.

Who you cannot sponsor

You cannot sponsor other relatives, such as brothers and sisters over 18, or adult children who support themselves financially.

If they apply to immigrate under the Skilled Worker Class, they may get extra points for having a relative in Canada.

As you can see it states that you can only sponsor if you do not have any relative who is a Canadian citizen.

As you may have noticed, it is not easy to meet these requirements.

You can find some information on how your brother may be eligible apply to immigrate to Ontario in our Settlement.Org How can I apply to immigrate to Ontario? article.

You can find some information on other ways to immigrate to Ontario in our Settlement.Org How can I apply to immigrate to Ontario? article.

You both may want to contact the IRCC Call Centre directly to speak to a representative about her situation.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

=====
Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org