Am I eligible to apply?
To be eligible to apply, you must
- be a Colombian, Haitian or Venezuelan national
- be located in Mexico, Central or South America, or the Caribbean
- be a spouse, common-law partner, child (regardless of age), grandchild, parent, grandparent or sibling of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is willing and eligible to support your application (an “anchor”)
- plan to live outside Quebec
- have a valid passport or eligible travel or identity document
Your immediate family members (dependent child under 22, spouse or common-law partner) may be included in your application.
Am I eligible to be an “anchor” for my relative?
To be an anchor, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, 18 years of age or older. You must reside in Canada, outside the province of Quebec. You must also
- not be subject to a removal order
- not be detained in any penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison
- not have been convicted in Canada of the offence of murder or an offence set out in Schedule I or II of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, or outside Canada for an equivalent offence, regardless of whether it was prosecuted by indictment, if a period of five years has not elapsed since the completion of your sentence
- not be in default of any sponsorship undertaking or any support payment obligations ordered by or registered with a court
- not be in default in respect of the repayment of any debt referred to in subsection 145(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act payable to His Majesty in right of Canada
- not be an undischarged bankrupt under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- not be in receipt of social assistance for a reason other than disability
- have not accepted, and understand you are not to accept, any financial compensation from the foreign national and their accompanying family members
As an anchor, what are my responsibilities?
As an anchor, you are responsible for helping the applicant get set up in Canada, and for providing support to them and their family members for one year as they settle and integrate into their new life.
Welcome and basic needs
When the applicant (and their family as applicable) arrives, you are responsible for meeting them at the airport and getting them to where they are staying. You will need to help them find a home. You should also ensure that they have access to food, clothes, and other basic needs during their first year in Canada. Finally, you should introduce them to life in Canada, including how to access public transportation, banking, shopping, and their rights and responsibilities.
Accessing important services
In addition to basic needs, you are responsible for helping the applicant interpret information and get set up with important services. You should help them open a bank account so they can receive their financial assistance, and help enroll them in provincial and federal programs and benefits, including applying for a Social Insurance Number and enrolling for provincial health care coverage.
You are also responsible for helping the applicant find a family doctor, dentist, and eye care specialist, and for arranging to take care of any other medical needs as applicable for them and their family. Children must be enrolled in school. Finally, you should help them access employment-related services that they will be referred to if they accessed pre-arrival supports, or other settlement services offered by service provider organizations (in English and French only), who can also help them with things like language training or other information about life in Canada.
What settlement services will be available for those who are approved to come to Canada?
Approved applicants may be eligible for the following settlement services:
- pre-arrival services, including an employment skills assessment and a referral to a settlement service provider organization in their intended community
- all settlement services under the Settlement Program (in English and French only)
- transitional financial assistance under the Resettlement Assistance Program to assist with settlement needs upon arrival
How can I apply?
To apply, you must submit your application using the online IRCC portal. You will need to provide a signed statutory declaration from your anchor confirming that they are willing to support you in Canada. Note that application forms are available in English and French.
What documents will I need to submit with my application?
Forms you will fill out online
- Generic Application Form for Canada – for the principal applicant
- Additional Family Information – for the principal applicant, as well as your spouse or partner and each dependent child over the age of 18 (whether they are accompanying you or not)
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration – detailed personal history from the last 10 years or since the age of 18, if you are less than 28 years of age
Documents you will upload with your application
- Schedule 1: Declaration – to be completed and signed by the principal applicant (will be available once applications launch)
- Statutory Declaration for the anchor – to be completed and signed by the anchor and uploaded by the principal applicant (will be available once applications launch)
- Use of a Representative – If you want to use an immigration representative (lawyer or consultant) to help you with your application, the principal applicant and representative must complete, print, sign and date this form and submit it via the representative’s account.
- Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual – if you want to authorize Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to release information from your file to someone who is not a representative
- Proof of relationship – a document to show the relationship between the principal applicant and the anchor (e.g. birth certificates to demonstrate family link)
- Proof of status – a document for the anchor to show proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status
- Identity and civil status documents – provincial government-issued identification from the anchor that shows their full name, date of birth, and address to show proof of residence outside of Quebec
- Police certificate(s) for the principal applicant and dependents over the age of 18 – You must get a police certificate from each country or territory where you have lived for six or more months in a row since the age of 18.
- Travel documents and passports – passports, travel documents, or other identification documents for the principal applicant and dependents that shows their nationality
- Photo – one photo for the principal applicant and each family member (whether accompanying you or not) that has been taken within 6 months of the application submission (JPG or JPEG format)