INTENT

To describe when sponsored immigrants may be eligible to apply for AISH.

POLICY

Sponsors are responsible to support a person they have sponsored to Canada. Sponsored immigrants may apply for AISH, however, AISH is not obligated to provide benefits if the sponsor has failed or neglected to provide financial support to the sponsored applicant and is capable of providing financial support.

More information about sponsorship can be found through Immigration and Citizenship Canada.

Applicants

Sponsored immigrants may apply for AISH if:

• The sponsor is unable to provide necessary support;
• The sponsor has abandoned the sponsored immigrant and the sponsor’s location is unknown; or
• The sponsorship arrangement has broken down.

Sponsored immigrants who apply for AISH are required to provide information to verify their immigration status and, in appropriate situations, what amount of support the sponsor is providing or is able to provide.

Sponsorship Default

Sponsorship default occurs when a sponsor is unable to provide support as outlined in the sponsorship agreement to a sponsored immigrant.

AISH notifies Immigration and Citizenship Canada when benefits are issued to a sponsored immigrant.

AISH may recover from the sponsor the full costs of benefits issued to a sponsored immigrant and their dependants.