Canada welcomes more than 100,000 immigrants through family sponsorship each year. IRCC admits around 80% of these immigrants under the spouse, common-law partner and children programme, and the remaining 20% under the parents and grandparents programme.
Contents
Overview
Family reunification is one of the pillars of Canada’s immigration system. Since the Second World War, Canada has sought to welcome immigrants in order to strengthen the economy, reunite families, and on humanitarian grounds. The family class is the second-largest group of newcomers welcomed by Canada under theCanada’s Immigration Levels Plan.
The country’s immigration system is administered byImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). IRCC sets and administers Canada’s family sponsorship programme. This includes setting the programme criteria, accepting and reviewing family sponsorship applications, and issuing permanent and temporary residence visas.
There are 2 aspects to consider:
- Allowing the applicant’s family member to immigrate to Canada and receive permanent residence (PR).
- Requiring the applicant, as an individual, to undertake to provide for that person’s basic needs and financial support.
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Who can be a sponsor
To sponsor a family member, you need to meet a number of requirements, such as:
- Being a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- Be aged 18 or over.
- Being able to support the sponsored person for a number of years.
Who can be sponsored
- Spouses and common-law partners.
- Dependent children.
- Parents and grandparents.
There are, however, exceptions to this rule, and it may be possible to sponsor a member who is not immediate family (for example, a sister, a niece or an uncle) if:
- You have no other immediate family member you could sponsor.
- You have lawfully adopted them and they meet the definition of a dependent child.
Income requirements
As a sponsor, you are required to sign an agreement with the family member you sponsor. This is your undertaking to provide financial support for the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, and medical needs not covered by public health services) of the person you are sponsoring.
In certain cases, you must also meet or exceed theLow Income Cut-Off (LICO), for example if:
- You are sponsoring a spouse or common-law partner who has a dependent child, and that dependent child has one or more children of their own.
- You are sponsoring a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own.
- You are sponsoring a parent or grandparent.
If you live in Quebec, you must meet Quebec’s requirements and your income will be assessed by Quebec’s immigration ministry.
What is a sponsorship undertaking?
You will be required to sign an undertaking making you legally responsible for the family member you are sponsoring. If that family member needs government social assistance, you will have to repay the amount.
The undertaking is in force for a period based on the family member you are sponsoring and is not cancelled even if circumstances change (that is, if the person you are sponsoring becomes a Canadian citizen, if you divorce or separate, or if you run into financial difficulty).
The length of the undertaking you are required to sign depends on the family member you are sponsoring and, in the case of children, on their age:
| Person sponsored | Length of undertaking (except Quebec) |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or fiancé(e) | 3 years |
| Dependent child | 10 years, or until the age of 25, whichever comes first |
| Dependent child aged 22 or over | 3 years |
| Parent or grandparent | 20 years |
| Other relative | 10 years |
In Quebec, the conditions of the undertaking also include helping the sponsored person learn French and access public services in the province to support their integration. As at November 2023, where the sponsored person is aged between 18 and 55, the sponsor must complete and sign a welcome and integration plan insection 9 of the undertaking form.
For Quebec residents, the length of the undertaking also depends on the family member being sponsored and, in the case of children, on their age:
| Person sponsored | Length of undertaking |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or fiancé(e) | 3 years |
| Dependent child under 16 | A minimum of 10 years (or until the age of 18), whichever is longer |
| Dependent child aged 16 or over | A minimum of 3 years (or until the age of 25), whichever is longer |
| Other relative | 10 years |
How to apply
- Step 1:Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria to act as a sponsor.
- Step 2:Make sure the relative you intend to sponsor meets the eligibility criteria.
- Step 3:You will need to apply at federal level to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or, if you are a Quebec resident, at provincial level to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI). You must submit the sponsorship application and your family members’ or relatives’ permanent residence (PR) applications together. Once you are found eligible to sponsor, the PR application is reviewed.
- Step 4:You will be required to pay the family sponsorship application fee.
- Step 5:Send your application to the correct address. You will find this information in the guide, which can be downloaded from thegovernment websiteor downloaded athere.
Spousal or common-law partner sponsorship
Detailed article on theSpousal sponsorship for immigration to Canada.
If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, you may sponsor:
- Your spouse (to whom you are lawfully married).
- Your common-law partner (you are not lawfully married but have lived together for at least 12 months in a conjugal relationship).
- Your fiancé(e) (you are neither lawfully married nor in a common-law relationship, and they are living outside Canada).
To be eligible for spousal or common-law partner sponsorship, you must:
- Be aged 18 or over and be a Canadian permanent resident living in Canada or a Canadian citizen.
- Demonstrate that you can provide for the basic needs of yourself and your spouse or common-law partner.
- Demonstrate that your relationship with the person sponsored is genuine, by providing supporting documents.
To be eligible for spousal or common-law partner sponsorship, the person sponsored must:
- Be aged 18 or over and not be too closely related to you.
There are 2 types of spousal or common-law partner sponsorship application:
Inland
Detailed article on theSpousal sponsorship within Canada.
The application may be submitted from within Canada because the person you wish to sponsor is currently in Canada. This type of sponsorship allows the applicant to continue living in Canada while their permanent residence application is processed.
Where the application is submitted from within Canada, the person you are sponsoring may apply for anopen work permitallowing them to work for any employer in Canada while the sponsorship application is processed.
It is possible to bring a spouse or common-law partner to Canada by first applying for aTemporary Resident Visa (TRV)beforehand.
Outland
Detailed article on theSpousal sponsorship from outside Canada.
The application is submitted from abroad through an embassy or consulate.
In this case, the person you are sponsoring, who is residing abroad, will usually wait for permanent residence outside the country, but may visit you in Canada.
Sponsoring dependent children
Detailed articleSponsoring dependent children to Canada.
You may sponsor your dependent children, whether biological or adopted, to live with you as permanent residents in Canada.
Children must meet the following definition of a dependent child to be eligible for sponsorship:
- A child is considered dependent if they are neither married nor in a common-law relationship and are under 22.
- A child over 22 may be considered dependent if they have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from supporting themselves.
To be eligible under this programme, you:
- And your child abroad must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to receive a visa;
- Must demonstrate your relationship with the child you are sponsoring, by means of a birth certificate or adoption papers.
Sponsoring parents or grandparents
Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)
Detailed article on theSponsoring parents and grandparents (PGP) to Canada.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) and the Super Visa are two programmes giving Canadian citizens and permanent residents the opportunity to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada.
To be eligible under the Parents and Grandparents Program, you must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident living in Canada.
- Be aged 18 or over.
- Be the child or grandchild of the person or people you are sponsoring.
- Meet theMinimum Necessary Income (MNI)for your family unit size and provide the notice of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency as evidence.
- Sign a sponsorship agreement acknowledging your commitment to provide for the basic needs of the family member or members over a 20-year period.
- Sign an additional agreement if you live in Quebec.
Your spouse or common-law partner may help you meet the income requirement by co-signing the undertaking.
Where a co-signer helps you meet the MNI requirement, the co-signer must meet the same eligibility criteria as you, the sponsor. In addition, your co-signer must:
- Not be the person being sponsored;
- Have lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.
The Super Visa programme
Detailed article on theSuper Visa.
The Super Visa programme allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada on an extended multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years in total. The programme is always open, and an application may be made at the same time as the PGP.
To be eligible under the Super Visa programme, you must:
- Be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- Hold a signed letter of invitation from your child or grandchild.
- Have medical insurance.
- Apply for the Super Visa from outside Canada.
In addition, your child or grandchild in Canada must demonstrate that their household meets the minimum necessary income.
Read more about family sponsorship to Canada on the Government of Canada website athere.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Under the family sponsorship programmes, the following individuals may be included in a sponsored person’s Canadian immigration visa application:
- The dependent children of the children of the sponsored person’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
- The spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the sponsored person.
- The dependent children of the sponsored person.
- The dependent children of the sponsored person’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
- The dependent children of the sponsored person’s dependent children.
The income required varies according to the type of sponsorship you undertake and the number of family members already in your care. You will be required to sign an undertaking to provide for the basic needs of the family member you are sponsoring.
Some sponsorship options will also require you to demonstrate that you have the minimum income needed to qualify as a sponsor. This applies, for example, to the Parents and Grandparents Program.
You must exceed the requirementMinimum Necessary Income (MNI) do Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCCsets for each of the three tax years preceding the date of your application. Your MNI is assessed on the basis of your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment.
Sponsors living in the province of Quebec must meet different income requirements.
The sponsor must undertake to provide the sponsored family members with:
- Food, clothing, shelter and other essentials of daily life.
- Dental and eye care, as well as other health needs not covered by the public health services available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
The obligation to provide for the basic needs of the sponsored person or persons arises only if they are unable to provide for those needs themselves.
Yes, the undertaking to provide “basic needs” may be shared with a co-signer, but only with the sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
You and your co-signer, if any, are required to sign an undertaking with the Government of Canada, and, if you live in Quebec, with that province’s government, committing to provide for the basic needs of the sponsored person or persons for a period after their arrival in Canada.
The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that sponsored family members do not become dependent on Canadian social assistance or welfare.
The period for which you are financially responsible for the person you are sponsoring begins on the day they become a permanent resident and varies according to the type of family member:
| Person sponsored | Length of undertaking (except Quebec) |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or fiancé(e) | 3 years |
| Dependent child | 10 years, or until the age of 25, whichever comes first |
| Dependent child aged 22 or over | 3 years |
| Parent or grandparent | 20 years |
| Other relative | 10 years |
For Quebec residents, the length of the undertaking also depends on the family member being sponsored and, in the case of children, on their specific age:
| Person sponsored | Length of undertaking |
|---|---|
| Spouse, common-law partner or fiancé(e) | 3 years |
| Dependent child under 16 | A minimum of 10 years (or until the age of 18), whichever is longer |
| Dependent child aged 16 or over | A minimum of 3 years (or until the age of 25), whichever is longer |
| Other relative | 10 years |
Once given, the undertaking cannot be cancelled or amended by the sponsor at any time after the sponsored family members have arrived in Canada.
Failure to meet any of the commitments set out in the undertaking may result in legal action being taken against the sponsor and the co-signer.
Where the sponsor does not have the necessary financial capacity, the sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner may act as a co-signer to the undertaking. In that case, their combined financial capacity is assessed, and the co-signer bears equal responsibility in the event of default.
If the combined financial capacity of the sponsor and the co-signer still does not meet the minimum requirements, the family sponsorship application is refused.
The financial capacity requirement does not apply where the sponsored person is the sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child.
The sponsor is obliged to sign a Sponsorship Agreement with the sponsored person. By signing it, the sponsor agrees to provide “basic needs” for the sponsored person or persons, and the sponsored person or persons undertake to make every effort to become self-supporting.
Yes, the sponsored person may work, provided they hold a work permit. While a spousal or common-law partner sponsorship application is being processed, the sponsored person must maintain their lawful status in Canada (visitor, student or worker).
The spouse or common-law partner you are sponsoring may apply foropen work permitand must receive authorisation before starting work. This application takes around four to five months to process. An open work permit is not tied to an employer or a job and allows the holder to work for almost any Canadian employer without a pre-confirmed job offer.
Yes. Your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner may be of any gender.
| Fee | Amount (in Canadian dollars) |
|---|---|
| Sponsorship fee | $75 |
| Principal applicant processing fee | $475 |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee | $500 |
| Biometrics | $85 |
| Total | $1,135 |
If you are sponsoring your spouse and they have dependent children, a further $150 is payable for each child included in the application.
If the sponsor resides in Quebec, or intends to reside in Quebec when permanent residence is granted, an additional fee of CAD$289 applies.
No. Once you are married or in a common-law relationship, you may submit a spousal sponsorship application. A married spouse becomes a permanent resident of Canada only after your sponsorship application is approved.
The sponsorship process may begin while the adoption is at its final stage. Your application will not, however, be processed until a final adoption decision has been made.
No, but whether or not they travel with the sponsored person, all of the sponsored person’s dependants are required to pass the applicable police and security checks, as well as the medical examinations.
In rare cases, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada may wish to meet you and the family member you are sponsoring. This may happen where there are no documents supporting the relationship, or where there is conflicting information in the forms and documents submitted — for example, differences in age and religion, or little or no cohabitation.
In most cases, you will not have to submit proof of income when sponsoring your spouse to immigrate to Canada. An immigration officer may, however, ask you to attend an interview and ask how you will support yourself and your spouse.
Yes. To do so, you will need to submit separate applications for each person (or couple) you are sponsoring. The applications are processed separately.
You may not be eligible to sponsor if you:
- Have been convicted of a violent offence.
- Are in prison.
- Have not paid your child support payments.
- Have declared bankruptcy and have not been discharged.
- Have defaulted on an immigration loan, made late payments, or failed to pay.
- Have sponsored another relative in the past and failed to comply with the terms of the sponsorship agreement.
To apply to sponsor a relative, you must go through the following steps:
- Send your application to the postal address specified in the application guide.
- Obtain the application package from the government website, read the guide and complete the forms.
- Pay your application fees (including processing, biometrics and third-party fees).
- A spousal sponsorship application takes around 12 months to process.
- Processing of applications for dependent children varies by country.
- Processing of PGP applications takes 20 to 24 months.
Theo Immigration Levels Plan, Canada seeks to welcome more than 100,000 family class immigrants each year.
IRCC provides guidance on how to demonstrate the relationship in your application.
The requirements differ depending on who you are sponsoring. For example, a birth certificate may be used as evidence where you wish to sponsor a parent, grandparent or child.
A marriage certificate may be used where you wish to sponsor your spouse. Other documents that may help in relation to spousal sponsorship include photographs, travel itineraries, bank accounts, emails, wedding invitations and more.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the evidence you submit to IRCC should include:
- Other documents issued to the couple showing that they share an address (such as mobile phone bills, payslips, financial statements, tax records and insurance policies).
- A completed version of the questionnaireIMM 5532known as (it is included in your application package).
- A marriage certificate and evidence that the marriage was registered with a government authority.
- Evidence of divorce if either spouse was previously married;
- If the couple have children together, a long-form birth certificate or adoption records naming both parents.
- Wedding invitations and photographs.
- Couples are also expected to provide documents from at least two of the following. They need to provide a written explanation if they cannot provide a minimum of two of the following sets of documents:
- Evidence of joint ownership of residential property.
- A tenancy agreement showing the couple as occupants of the property.
- Evidence of joint utility accounts (such as electricity, gas, telephone or internet), a joint credit card or a joint bank account.
- Motor insurance showing that the couple have been declared to the insurer as residents at the same address.
- Government-issued identification showing the same address (such as a driving licence).
IRCC states that your evidence should include:
- A completedIMM 5532questionnaire (included in your application package);
- Evidence of divorce from a previous spouse if either member of the couple has been married.
- A completedIMM 5519form if either member of the couple was previously in a common-law relationship with someone else.
- A long-form birth certificate naming both parents if the couple have children together.
- Photographs of the couple together.
- At least 2 of the following sets of documents (or a written explanation if you cannot provide documents from at least two of the following sets):
- Documents showing that the couple are recognised as being in a common-law relationship (such as employment benefits or insurance).
- Evidence of shared expenses or financial support between the couple.
- Evidence that the relationship is recognised by friends and/or family (letters, or social media information showing that the relationship is public).
If the couple are living together, they need to provide evidence from at least two of the following sets of documents (or a written explanation of why they cannot provide at least two of the following sets):
- Evidence of joint ownership of residential property.
- A tenancy agreement showing the couple as occupants of the property.
- Evidence of joint utility accounts (such as electricity, gas, telephone or internet), a joint credit card or a joint bank account.
- Motor insurance showing that the couple have been declared to the insurer as residents at the same address.
- Government-issued identification showing the same address (such as a driving licence).
- Other documents issued to the couple showing that they share an address (such as mobile phone bills, payslips, financial statements, tax records and insurance policies).
If the couple are not living together, they need to demonstrate that they lived together for at least one year previously, through the following evidence:
- Evidence that the Canadian citizen or permanent resident visited their common-law partner, by means of flight tickets or boarding passes, or copies of stamped passport pages. Where no visit has taken place, an explanation from the sponsored person must be included in questionnaire IMM 5532 (Part C, question 4).
- Evidence that they have been in contact with one another through letters, printed text messages, emails, social media conversations, or other documents showing that they have been in contact. This should run to a maximum of 10 pages of evidence.
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