Canadian Family Visas
If you are an Irish citizen who wants to immigrate to Canada with their family, you might be eligible for one of Canadian Family Visas. Find out more about how you can move to Canada permanently and take your family with you.
To receive assistance with your Family Visa application, call our lawyers today on +353 061 518 025.
Page Contents
- What are the Canadian Family Visas?
- What is the Family Class Sponsorship?
- What is the Canadian Express Entry?
- How can Irish citizens apply for the Family Class Sponsorship?
- How can Irish citizens apply for Express Entry to Canada?
- How much does Family Class Sponsorship cost?
- How much does Express Entry cost?
- How can Total Law help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Canadian Family Visas?
Canadian Family Visas are intended for foreign citizens who want to immigrate to Canada with their entire families.
There are two main ways for Irish citizens to move to Canada permanently:
- Family Class Sponsorship – if you have a family member who is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident in Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act, they can sponsor you to come to Canada. In your application for Family Sponsorship, you can include your family members.
- Express Entry – if you are a skilled worker with relevant work experience, you can apply for this programme and receive a score based on factors such as your education, professional experience, or age. Applicants who receive the highest scores can apply for permanent residency in Canada and take their families with them.
If you are not sure which route is the right one for you, talk to our immigration lawyers. They will analyse your circumstances and will advise you on the easiest way for you to immigrate to Canada with your loved ones.
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What is the Family Class Sponsorship?
Family Class Sponsorship is a program allowing Canadians to sponsor their family members from Ireland or other countries to come join them. The relatives that can be sponsored under Family Class Sponsorship are spouses and partners, biological and adopted children, parents and grandparents, siblings, and nieces or nephews.
To become a sponsor, however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents have to meet certain requirements. These include:
- They are a Canadian citizen, permanent
- They are 18 years of age or older
- They live in Canada
- They are able to financially help the sponsored family member after their arrival in Canada and are willing to promise they will do so
- They have not declared bankruptcy and are not in debt
- They are not currently serving a prison sentence
- They do not receive social assistance unless it is for a disability.
If the sponsor’s application is approved, their Irish relatives can come to Canada and stay there indefinitely as permanent residents.
What is the Canadian Express Entry?
The Express Entry program is the fastest way to get permanent residency in Canada. There are a few types of Express Entry you might be eligible for depending on your profession and skills. These are:
When you apply for Express Entry, your application will be given a score based on your age, language abilities, profession, and other relevant factors. The higher your score, the higher your chances of getting the chance to immigrate to Canada. Including your spouse or partner in your application can give you additional points as they also receive a score for their skills and work experience.
Keep in mind that if you decide to come to Canada under the Express Entry, you can only bring your immediate family. That means that you cannot take your grandparents, parents, or siblings with you.
How can Irish citizens apply for the Family Class Sponsorship?
During the first stage of the application process for the Family Class Sponsorship, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident has to submit a petition to be invited to sponsor a family member. When they do so they also need to pay fees for the processing of the application, biometrics, and the right of permanent residence fee.
Then, the Irish citizen who wants to come to Canada needs to attend a biometrics appointment to have their fingerprints collected and do a medical exam.
Finally, if the sponsorship application is accepted, the Irish citizen can apply for permanent residence in Canada.
How can Irish citizens apply for Express Entry to Canada?
To be eligible for Express Entry, you first have to create an IRCC account. Then you need to complete an online form where you provide personal details and information about your work experience. Once you do that you can submit your Express Entry profile that will be added to the Express Entry pool.
After submitting your Express Entry profile, you will be given a score. If you are amongst the highest-scoring applicants, the government of Canada will send you an invitation to apply for permanent residency. You will have 60 days to apply for it and submit the relevant documents.
Once your application to become a permanent resident is approved, you will receive a confirmation of permanent residency (COPR) document. You will need to use it when applying for a card that proves that you are a legal permanent resident in Canada.
How much does Family Class Sponsorship cost?
If you want to apply for Family Class Sponsorship, you have to be prepared to pay the following fees:
- $475 CDN for principal applicant processing fee
- $75 CDN for children application processing fee
- $75 CDN for sponsorship fee
- $500 CDN for right of permanent residence fee
- $150 CDN for including dependent children in the application.
You will also have to pay biometrics fees and fees for attending a medical exam.
How much does Express Entry cost?
Creating the Express Entry profile and submitting your application does not cost anything. You will only have to pay fees if your score is high enough for you to receive the invitation to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Then you will have to pay the following fees:
- $825 CDN per adult coming to Canada
- $225 CDN per child coming to Canada
- $500 CDN for right of permanent residence fee
You will also have to pay fees for having your fingerprints collected and photographs taken.
How can Total Law help?
At Total Law, our lawyers have expert knowledge of Canadian immigration law and they have helped many clients successfully immigrate to Canada. If you hire one of our immigration lawyers, they will assess your eligibility for Canadian Family Visas and will help you submit your application.
Regardless of whether you want to come to Canada under the Family Class Sponsorship or the Express Entry Program, our lawyers can help.
To find out more about how we can help, call us today on +353 061 518 025.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
On average, applications for Family Class Sponsorship take around 12 months to be processed. It is unlikely that you will get the decision sooner but you might have to wait longer if, for example, you fail to submit some of the required supporting documents.
To avoid mistakes that could delay the processing of your application, hire one of our immigration lawyers. They will help you ensure that your application is complete.
There are three main types of Express Entry that skilled foreign workers can apply for. These are:
- Federal Skilled Worker
- Federal Skilled Trades
- Canadian Experience Class.
In addition to that, however, those wanting to come to Canada under the Express Entry can also apply for the Provincial Nominee Program, which allows them to come to live and work in a certain Canadian province.
To be eligible for Express Entry to Canada, you need to score at least 67 points out of 100. Even if you get this score, however, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to immigrate to Canada. Only the highest-scoring applicants receive invitations to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
If you are not selected within one year, your application will expire and you can apply again.
The relatives that can be sponsored under Family Class Sponsorship are:
- Spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners
- Dependent children
- Parents and Grandparents
- Siblings, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
To be able to join their Canadian family member, however, sponsored individuals need to meet the following requirements:
- Live abroad at the time of submitting the Family Class Sponsorship application unless they are in Canada legally under temporary status
- Be related to the Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Do not have a criminal record
- Make an effort to financially support themselves after they arrive in Canada.
If you are not sure whether you can be sponsored to Canada, talk to our immigration lawyers. They will analyse your situation and determine whether you are eligible for the Family Class Sponsorship.