Family-class Immigration: Canada to cut down income requirements for sponsors

Canada has been taking all the necessary steps to support people in difficult times during the pandemic. The Canadian government has now announced to ease the income requirements for the family-class immigration program. Several people in Canada have lost their regular income due to the ongoing pandemic situation. Therefore, the government has reduced the income requirement for sponsors for the taxation year 2020. Canadians who sponsor their family members through the family-class immigration program need to have an income 30 percent more than the minimum income requirement fixed for their region. However, now the government has announced a new public policy which will remain in effect for a temporary period. As per this new policy, Canada has cut down the more than 30 percent income requirement. Along with the special Employment Insurance benefits, sponsors will be able to include regular EI benefits in the calculations of their income for this year. The new policy has become operational from 2nd October and it will end when Canada processes all eligible applications. This policy is not applicable to the sponsors in Quebec because the province operates its own family-class sponsorship program. Applicants must note that the new policy is temporary. It will not be applicable to other taxation years other than 2020. In all other relevant years, applicants would still have to meet the regular income requirements and they can count only special EI benefits to the total income calculations.

Who is eligible?

The new policy applies to Canadians who sponsor the following types of foreign national family members:

Spouses
Common-law partners
Dependent children
Nieces and nephews, grandchildren whose parents are deceased
Minor siblings
Relatives of the sponsor (if the sponsor does not have a Canadian close family relative)

The minister of immigration, Marco Mendicino has stated that the government has initiated this temporary new policy in order to support people. Several businesses have been closed, many people have claimed unemployment benefits, and many others are facing financial challenges. Due to the loss of jobs and income, the applications of the sponsors for family-class immigration might be refused. Thus, the government has eased the minimum income requirements for the 2020 tax year so that the eligible applications can be processed.