Vancouver Mandarin Chinese Speaking Family Sponsorship Lawyer

Want to bring your loved ones over from China?

Our team of experienced immigration lawyers can help. We are experienced lawyers who speak fluent Mandarin Chinese, which means you and your family members can get help in the language you’re most comfortable in.

We can answer all your questions, review your unique situation, and help you navigate the complex family sponsorship process.

The Family Sponsorship Process in Vancouver

The family sponsorship process allows those who are already citizens or lawful permanent residents of Canada to sponsor certain family members for permanent residence. The purpose is to unify families who might otherwise be spread out across international lines.

There are two types of sponsorship: inland and outland. Inland lets your family member live and work in Canada while their application is being processed. This category is generally only open to spouses, common law partners, or children, and you must be able to prove that the immigrant will live with you.

Outland sponsorships are for family members who will be living and working outside of Canada until their application is approved.

The process starts with an application for sponsorship. Sponsors must be at least 18 years of age.

We recommend consulting with a family sponsorship lawyer before you begin. While the application may make the process seem simple the reality is anything but. 

You must:

• Meet the requirements for sponsorship
• Provide CIC with fingerprints, background checks, and medical exams
• Go for an interview with CIC with your family members (most applicants).

We can prepare your application packet so that your get your best chance of seeing your family member united with you, and can prepare you for your interview. We can even attend the interview with you, which can prevent problems with your application.

How Much Income Do You Need to Sponsor a Family Member in Vancouver, BC? 

To be a sponsor you must sign a legally binding contract stating that you will provide financial support for your relative for the next three years. That means you have the means and the willingness to provide them with food, shelter, clothing, and medical care, as well as to provide for their other needs. If you fail to meet this obligation and your family member is forced onto public assistance at any time during those three years then you will be charged the amounts that public assistance spends on your family member. 

The amount of income you’ll need will depend on the total number of people you’ll be responsible for. The charts update every year. You’ll find them here. Note that you will be required to submit three years of tax returns to prove that you have had income consistent with the requirements for at least those three years. 

The requirements are fairly light. If it will be just you and your foreign spouse, for example, you can sponsor them (as of the most current numbers) on an income as small as $32,270 per year.  

If you are in the middle of a bankruptcy you will not be able to sponsor a family member. In addition, if you’ve ever tried to sponsor another family member and have failed to meet your obligations then you will not be able to sponsor a new family member. 

Note: sponsors may not permitted to accept repayment of any sort. You cannot “lend” money to your family member to support them. This violates your family member’s human rights. You must be willing to provide them with this support as a gift. 

What Happens If My Sponsorship Application is Rejected?

You will need to move quickly, because your immigration lawyer will need to file an appeal. The strategy we use to appeal CIC’s decision will depend on why the application was refused.

Sometimes we can provide evidence that rectifies CIC’s concerns and allows your application to move forward. At other times we must locate a mistake of fact or law that might help us get the decision overturned. 

How an Immigration Lawyer Helps

Not everyone who applies for family sponsorship will be successful. There are issues which can arise with almost any application. 

Involving an immigration lawyer means spotting and handling potential problems before they arise. It also means preparing your application the right way the first time, and including all the available evidence that Canadian officials will want to see before they say “yes” to your application. 

FAQ

Who is eligible for family class sponsorship?

Qualified relatives include:

• Spouses
• Common law partners
• Conjugal partners
• Dependent children
• Parents
• Grandparents
• Orphaned brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren who are unmarried and are under the age of 18.

You may not sponsor adult siblings, other relatives of other ages, or a fiancée. CIC is also on the lookout for people who are in relationships solely for the purposes of securing immigration benefits. 

Any relative you sponsor must be otherwise eligible to come to Canada. This means they may not have been convicted of any crime that would have been punishable by ten years of prison or more in Canada. In addition, they cannot be found to be a security risk, or to have ever been a member of a terrorist organization. They must not be guilty of violating human rights, or taking action against the Canadian government. 

If you think some of your relative’s past actions could create problems with your application, tell your immigration lawyer right away. There are ways around some issues, but only if we’re told up front.

What is a conjugal partner?

A conjugal partner is a significant other with whom you’ve been involved for over a year, and who has been unable to live with you due to circumstances beyond your control. Those who wish to sponsor a conjugal partner will have to prove that there were significant barriers to being able to live with or marry one another. Examples of these barriers could be wars, taboos against same-sex partnerships, or even the immigration laws of both countries. 

For the most part, Canada is looking for a person who might become your spouse or common law spouse after coming to Canada, even though marriage is not a requirement if the sponsorship is successful. 

What is the difference between a spouse, a common law partner, and a conjugal partner?

A spouse is someone you have legally married, either in Canada or in another country. Providing evidence of a legal marriage is usually the easiest way to bring a romantic partner over to Canada.

A common law partner is someone who has lived with you in a marriage-like relationship known as an “adult interdependent partnership” for at least one year. This is a monogamous, romantic relationship. You share a living  space, bills, and social lives. You may have children together. You may claim this status if you’ve lived together for one year in such a relationship, whether you are heterosexual or homosexual.

When attempting to claim any of these statuses you will need to provide evidence such as leases, mortgages, utility bills, shared bank accounts, photos, communications, travel tickets, and anything else which can help CIC determine that a bona fide romantic and sexual relationship exists. 

If you are claiming a conjugal partner you must be able to prove that significant barriers exist that keep you from becoming spouses or common law spouses but for your conjugal partner’s ability to immigrate to Canada.

How long does family class immigration take in Canada?

It can take ten months to one year. But once you have completed the process, your family member will be a lawful permanent resident in Canada, with all of the rights and responsibilities that status confers. 

That means they will be eligible to live, work, and study here. It means they’ll be eligible for health programs and other social benefits. And it means that they may eventually be eligible for full citizenship. 

Can I bring family members with you?

When you choose a permanent residency visa under another program you can generally bring your spouse or common law partner with you, as well as your dependents, rather than sponsoring them separately or later. They can’t arrive in Canada before you. They must arrive with you or after you. Ask us for more details when you apply. 

Why Choose Us?

Family class sponsorship is one of the trickiest immigration categories to choose.

Hiring us maximizes your chances of success. We have decades of experience with Canadian immigration law. We can help you or your family member get to Canada under the right program for them and for you. We can help you put together a convincing, successful application packet, and we’ll be there to help you appeal if something goes wrong.

We are excited to help you reunite with family members who might currently be stranded in China or in Hong Kong!  

Chinese Lawyer Vancouver serves clients in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey, and White Rock. Call to set up an appointment today.