Family Sponsorships

If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, 18 years of age or older, you can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child (including adopted child) or other eligible relative (such as a parent or grandparent) to become a permanent resident. Sponsors must make a promise to support their relative or family member and their accompanying family members for a period of three to ten years to help them settle in Canada.

A Sponsor is defined as someone who:

• is the person who wishes to help the relative immigrate to Canada
• must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• must be aged 18 years or older
• must be living in Canada
• must satisfy an immigration officer that he or she has sufficient income to support the members of the family class are being sponsored. This is Minimum necessary income as defined in LICO table.
• must sign an undertaking with the government of Canada to provide for the housing, care and maintenance of the applicant and accompanying dependents. 

There are two different processes for sponsoring your family. One process is used for sponsoring your spouse, conjugal or common-law partner and/or dependent children. Another process is used to sponsor other eligible relatives.

Spouses and dependent children—Who can apply

If you are a sponsor as per definition above, then your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children may be eligible to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents. Your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children may be living inside or outside Canada at the time of application.

The first step is for you to apply as the sponsor. Both you, as the sponsor, and your relative must meet certain requirements.

Spouse  

You are a spouse if you are married to your sponsor and your marriage is legally valid and you are at least 16 years of age.

If you were married in Canada:

• You must have a marriage certificate issued by the province or territory where the marriage took place. 

 If you were married outside Canada:

• The marriage must be valid under the law of the country where it took place and under Canadian law.
• A marriage performed in an embassy or consulate must comply with the law of the country where it took place, not the country of nationality of the embassy or consulate.

Dependent child:

• is under the age of 22 and does not have a spouse or common-law partner; 
• is a full time student and is substantially dependent on a parent for financial support since before the age of 22, or since becoming a spouse or common-law partner (if this happened before age 22); or
• is financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22 because of a disability

Other eligible relatives

You can sponsor other relatives or family members from abroad if they are:

• parents and grandparents;  
• dependent children, including adopted children;
• children under 18 years of age whom you intend to adopt; 
• children under guardianship; 
• brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchildren who are orphans; under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship; or 
• another relative of any age or relationship if none of the above relatives could be sponsored, and you have no other relatives who are Canadian citizens, persons registered as Indians or permanent residents and
• accompanying relatives of the above (for example, spouse, partner and dependent children).