CIMM - Income Supports and Program Eligibility
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Key messages
- Receipt of federal income supports, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or Employment Insurance, do not prohibit a foreign national from making an immigration application.
- However, all applicants must prove their ability to support themselves and their dependents on a go-forward basis.
- We recognize that receipt of temporary benefits like income support is often the result of exceptional circumstances, especially in the current COVID pandemic.
- For the purpose of family sponsorship, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit is not considered social assistance in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada regulations and therefore does not disqualify someone from sponsoring their family members.
- However, applicants must still prove their ability to support themselves and their dependents going forward and, for some dependents, sponsors must meet an income threshold.
Supplementary messages
- While receipt of federal income supports do not prevent someone from making an immigration application, an interruption in an applicant’s employment and the resulting impact to their income may affect their ability to meet admissibility and eligibility requirements for the program to which they are applying.
- We recognize that receipt of temporary benefits like income support is often the result of exceptional circumstances, especially in the current COVID pandemic.
- While having received federal benefits does not disqualify an applicant from making an immigration application, applicants must prove their ability to support themselves and their dependents on a go-forward basis.
- In addition, all applicants must demonstrate that they meet the eligibility requirements of the program to which they are applying.
- For applicants in economic programs, this may require a job offer, Canadian work experience and/or minimum settlement funds (which are required in order to demonstrate that the applicant can support themselves and their dependents upon arrival in Canada).
- For those looking to sponsor in the family class, sponsors must meet a minimum necessary income threshold when sponsoring certain types of family members (e.g., parents and grandparents). Those looking to sponsor refugees must fulfill a settlement plan.
Supporting facts and figures
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not have data showing how many foreign nationals in Canada are accessing the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or other income supports at this time.
Background
- There are two primary “tests” where an applicant’s ability to support themselves and their dependents is a factor in an immigration application: determination of financial admissibility and program eligibility.
- All foreign nationals are assessed for their financial admissibility to Canada, pursuant to section 39 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Receipt of temporary assistance, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Employment Insurance or provincial social assistance or other supports will not necessarily be determinative of an applicant’s ability to support themselves while in Canada, recognizing that receipt of these benefits in many cases is the result of temporary and exceptional circumstances.
- An applicant in receipt of federal income supports or provincial social assistance may have to satisfy an immigration officer that they also have another means of support (e.g., adequate funds, a job offer, significant employable skills and/or evidence that the receipt of social assistance is temporary and they will be returning to employment).
- Regarding program eligibility, irrespective of whether an applicant has ever received financial support from a government in Canada, applicants must always demonstrate that they meet the eligibility requirements of the program to which they are applying.
- For some applicants in economic programs this may require a job offer, Canadian work experience, and/or minimum settlement funds (which are required in order to demonstrate that the applicant can support themselves and their dependents upon arrival in Canada).
- In the case of family sponsorship and refugee sponsorship, sponsors must meet a minimum necessary income threshold when sponsoring certain types of family members (e.g., parents and grandparents) or prove they can fulfill a refugee settlement plan.
- In some cases, the receipt of social benefits, which suggests an interruption in an applicant’s employment and impacts to their income, may affect an individual’s ability to meet program eligibility requirements.
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