Financial Issues?

[rjessome]

You don't have to explain your financial situation or justify it, or prove you can support yourselves. I spent a lot of time researching & verifying this. It says so on the sponsorship guide, on page 8:

"prove that you have sufficient income to provide basic requirements for your spouse or common-law partner‘s dependent children. To do this, you must provide documents showing your financial resources for the past 12 months. This requirement applies only when dependent children who have dependent children of their own are included on the application."
Quoted from the sponsorship guide for spouses, conjugal partners, common law partners and dependent children www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/3999E.pdf

You just need to show them what your situation is at the time of applying, which you do by sending them the option C printout and a letter from your employer if you are employed. Since my hubby is a student, we sent an official letter from the university instead.

There are no income requirements to bring a spouse, or dependent child who has no dependent children of their own, to Canada. However you are not allowed to be on welfare, or go on welfare for reasons other than disability while you're applying to sponsor, are currently sponsoring or are currently being sponsored.

You do sign an undertaking (it's one of the forms) in which you promise that you will take care of basic financial needs for the person or people you are sponsoring for the duration of the sponsorship. How you do that, is basically up to you, as long as welfare is not part of it.

You are right that you don't have to prove a income to be approved as a SPONSOR.  However, you still must meet the requirements of the Act for the PR application to be approved.  A39 states:

39. A foreign national is inadmissible for financial reasons if they are or will be unable or unwilling to support themself or any other person who is dependent on them, and have not satisfied an officer that adequate arrangements for care and support, other than those that involve social assistance, have been made.

There have been a few cases where the PR application has been refused for this reason.

[Indigo]

I did find some evidence of an A39 thing existing on some websites, but whatever I do, I can't find any reference to it on the CIC website. That means either I screwed up, it's hidden or they removed it and the websites I found contains old info.
In case I screwed up: I apologize. In case it's hidden: probably hidden for a reason; either doesn't apply anymore or we're just not supposed to read it. In case they removed it: probably removed for a reason, probably outdated info.

In any case, perhaps it's a good idea after all, especially if the sponsor lived abroad before applying, to explain in your application how you think you're going to support yourselves once the PR comes through.
I was a bit worried for our application for a bit, but I realize now that we are already living together in Canada (so we are already doing it and it will financially get a lot better once I'm a PR and have a job), I had a successful career in The Netherlands in a field I don't need additional diploma's in in Canada, and my hubby is a master's student in Neuroscience. I think we're fine. Should they want more info/proof, they can contact us and we'll make sure they get what they need. I'm done worrying for now. 

[CharlieD10]

I did find some evidence of an A39 thing existing on some websites, but whatever I do, I can't find any reference to it on the CIC website. That means either I screwed up, it's hidden or they removed it and the websites I found contains old info.
In case I screwed up: I apologize. In case it's hidden: probably hidden for a reason; either doesn't apply anymore or we're just not supposed to read it. In case they removed it: probably removed for a reason, probably outdated info.

It is neither hidden, nor outdated, nor removed.  It is section 39 of IRPA and is very much in force, relevant and available.  You can find it here: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-2.5/page-11.html

Any attempts to educate yourself about the requirements of Immigration should include reading IRPA and IRPR (the Act and the Regulations).

[sidkrose]

I was referring to A39, when I said you had to show that you have a way of supporting yourself without social assistance. Thanks rjessome and CharlieD10, I'd forgotten what it was called.

Indigo, I'm sure you'll be fine, it is just in somewhat extenuating circumstances where you have to provide plenty of additional financial information. 

[Indigo]

It is neither hidden, nor outdated, nor removed.  It is section 39 of IRPA and is very much in force, relevant and available.  You can find it here: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-2.5/page-11.html

I'm afraid I don't agree. The IRPA/IRPR are legal documents that most people typically wont run into as there is a perfectly good self sufficient guide supplied to applicants.

While it is possible to get rejected for this reason (A39), it is not a part of the typical immigration procedure as specified by the immigration guide, nor is it suggested to read this document anywhere on CIC's immigration guide. All it says is "This is not a legal document, to see a legal document, see the legal document" (joke at lawyer's expense)

I strongly suspect this is only useful if there is some reason (rightful or not) they think you're going to mooch off the system.

[mel_n]

If you do want to submit pay stubs/bank statements, I will tell you what we did. We simply photocopied the pay stubs or statements then made little number notations next to relevant words that were in German or needed to be explained, then on part of the page that was blank, we made a little "legend" which was like 1) account balance 2) deposit 3) withdrawal, etc. We didn't have it professionally done, since it was not actually a requested document. We also didn't have the police cert. translated (I asked the Berlin office about this, and they said we didn't have to) and there were a couple letters that were from family friends addressed to the two of us, and we didn't translate those either, just highlighted the names, showing that those friends knew we were together and were sending us letters. Everything else we had in English.

Thanks skidrose!

[mel_n]

Hoi mel_n, ik kom ook uit Nederland!

Ok, back to English. 

There is no minimum required income for spousal sponsorships! None. Whatsoever. As long as the sponsor is not on welfare for reasons other than disability, you're good.

My husband is a student. The application said he needed a letter from his employer saying when he got hired, how much he made and how many hours he worked, if he was employed. Since hubby is a student, and student is NOT the same as unemployed, we called CIC about it, and they suggested we substituted the employment letter with proof from his university that he is a student.

The application also said he needed his option C printout, which you need to order from Revenue Canada. Takes about 10 work days, usually less but don't bet on it. It has a lot of information on it, like whether the sponsor is on welfare other than for disability (which will be a problem if they are).

As far as I recall it didn't say anything about payment stubs, neither for him nor for me. It makes sense too:
For the sponsor, the option C printout will say it all and more. For the sponsored person, well (s)he will have to quit his/her job in order to come to Canada anyway, so I don't see whether it would matter.

Hi Indigo! thanks for your reply. Well here is my case... I am a canadian citizen, but haven't actually lived ever in Canada, I was born there.
So I don't have the option C printout as I don't have financial history in Canada.

So I want to send bank statements and the last paystubs I got from my job. The thing is the company I worked for, went bankrupt this october, my contract was going to end anyways this same month, so I recently became unemployed, but I need to show them that at least I earned and saved money (and want to send as well my husbands bank statements to backup that we have enough money to support ourselves while we search for a job in when in Canada).

The other turn, is that the company owes me almost 2 months.. so I had to register in the UWV, the organism that provides the government benefits for them to pay me what the company still owes me... and I also asked for the uitkering while I look for a job to have income to wait for the application to be processed... and now I don't know if that will be a problem. Although it is not the Canadian government paying this welfare and I have never ever before asked for a benefit, but it is still welfare..

I am filled with many doubts about this, and berlin embassy is not answering my emails anymore...

thanks!

[Indigo]

Ouch... mel_n, I'm afraid I can't advise you in this because this is very specialistic stuff. Just to clarify this to anybody who reads this topic and might be able to help you: The UWV is the place where you register if you become unemployed. I believe they do more than that, but that's what they're known for. An uitkering is the Dutch version of unemployment welfare.
You haven't applied yet, have you?
I would try to call someone for more info. I believe the Canadian CIC phone number is only available when you are in Canada. Do you know if the Berlin CIC office has a phone number you can call? There are even immigration lawyers you can hire per hour, perhaps that's an idea. Although I don't know whether your case requires a lot of (pricey) research.

I assume cancelling the uitkering, packing your bags, going to Canada, applying for a job there, then submitting the application is something you considered already and isn't a feasible option? I know it's drastic, but it would change your case from complicated to straightforward, and you would get your life in Canada started earlier. Being unemployed is an excellent opportunity to do something drastic. If it turns out you can't be on an uitkering, it might be worth considering.
I should know about doing drastic things because of being unemployed... I came to Canada 8 months earlier than planned because I lost my Dutch job, and temporary jobs for a 32 year old are a rare thing there... Which is why I am still officially a tourist in Canada!