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Parent/grandparent sponsorship: income requirement

jason2540

Member
Jun 6, 2015
13
0
Hi all. I understand that a citizen/PR wants to sponsor a parent/grandparent next year, in 2017, will need to submit tax assessment forms for years 2013, 2014, and 2015. I also understand that the applicant can combine his/her income with their common-law partner to meet the minimum income requirement. My question is, what if the applicant and his/her partner officially got considered as "common law partners" (12 continuous months of living together as per Canada Revenue Agency's definition) only in 2015? If the applicant did not meet the income requirement for 2013 and 2014, can he/she still combine the income with their partner even if they weren't officially considered "common law partners" in those years?
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
93,191
20,658
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
Yes - you can combine for all three years.
 

jason2540

Member
Jun 6, 2015
13
0
scylla said:
Yes - you can combine for all three years.
Thanks a lot. So even if the applicant and co-sponsor only became common-law officially in 2015, they can still combine their income from the previous years..?
Also, it states on the eligibility that if the applicant "received government financial assistance" they may not be able to sponsor their relative. Does receiving the GST credit count as "government financial assistance"?
 

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
31,558
7,196
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
06/12
Yes, they can still combine incomes for all three years.

Government assistance refers only to welfare.