Sponsoring Mom & Dad

Main information

Timeline

  • T0: Application Time
    • Upon receiving PM visa? -- nope, must be resident in Canada
    • Upon Landing? = T0a (target: before July 29, 2009)
    • T0a + 12months? -- to meet financial requirements? (see below)
  • T1: Processing in Mississauga - currently T0+25 months
  • T2: Processing in Buffalo - currently T1+6 months median (6~13 months 80th percentile)
    • Sometime during this process, they will request medical checks and maybe updated financial information

Possible timelines:

 Immediate applicationLanding + 12 months (to meet financial records requirement?)
LandingJune 2009June 2009
T0June 2009June 2010
T1July 2011July 2012
Medical checkmid-2011mid-2012
T2January 2012January 2013

Financial qualifications

  • Record of 12 months' previous income
    • Minimum for a household of 3 people: ~$32K
    • Based on Canadian tax return ("Option C printout")
    • Will consider salary vs. self-employment income (probably self-employment income is viewed as more risky, but salary could be paid out of a corporation, as well)
    • They don't consider real estate assets (but probably wouldn't hurt to include it as additional information)

  • Must the income be from Canadian sources? (i.e., must we wait 12 months after landing in order to apply?)
    • Unclear. BritishExpats Thread says it should be from Canadian sources.
    • However, the official application does not say so.
    • Canadian tax return is not required (but is probably recommended)
      • Should I file a Canadian tax return for year 2008?? (i.e., voluntarily choose to be considered a resident of Canada for that year?)
        • Depends on "deemed acquisition / disposition" rules. However, since the condo is jointly held, and I can demonstrate that I'm not permanently leaving Canada, I can escape the deemed disposition tax.
        • Also need to calculate Canadian tax vs. Japanese tax via the tax treaty, and find out how much the difference is. Sigh.
  • Should be "currently" employed (at the time of application)

Other considerations