Finincal Support

Every sponsor signs an agreement promising to provide support. While spousal/common-law sponsorships are minimum income exempt, a sponsor without a job might run up against paragraph 39 of the IRPA, which says: "A foreign national is inadmissible for financial reasons if they are or will be unable or unwilling to support themselves, 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."

They talk more about this in Section 10.3 of the OP2 Processing Manual: "Sponsors of dependent children and of spouses, common-law partners or conjugal partners (unless they have dependent children who have dependent children of their own) do not have to meet financial requirements, but they do undertake to provide for the basic necessities of the sponsored applicants so that the applicants do not need social assistance. Applicants may be refused for financial reasons under A39 if they are unable or unwilling to support themselves and their dependent children and there are not adequate arrangements for their care and support. Officers should take into consideration the sponsor's financial situation and willingness to assist, as well as the financial situation or employment prospects of the applicant, if applicable."