FAMILY
SPONSORSHIP

Staying connected to relatives back home strong is important, and family reunification is one of the pillars of Canadian immigration. The family sponsorship stream strives to help new Canadians re-unite with their families.

To sponsor a relative you must:

be 18 years of age or older
be a Canadian permanent resident, citizen, or a person registered in Canada as a member of First Nations
qualify under a Family Sponsorship category

Most categories of family sponsorship require an undertaking, which means as a sponsor you promise to financially take care of the persons you are sponsoring for a specific period of time. The length of time is category dependant and applies to residents outside of Quebec.

What is an Undertaking?

An undertaking commits you to:

provide financial support for your sponsored family members, starting on the day they become permanent residents.
repay any provincial social assistance your sponsored family members get during that time.

An undertaking will remain in effect even if:

your relationship with the person you sponsored changes (separation).
the person you sponsored becomes a Canadian citizen.
your financial situation worsens.
you sent IRCC a request to withdraw the application and it was received after the person became a PR.

If you or your loved one do not qualify for a family sponsorship program, there may be other options! Be sure to look at all immigration programs to find the right pathway to unite your family in Canada.

Explore the categories

Spousal Sponsorship

Spousal sponsorship is available to couples who are both over the age of 18 and are in one of the following categories:

Married: Your spouse must be legally married to you.

Common-law Partner: Your partner must have been living with you continuously for at least 12 consecutive months. Any time separated should have been short and temporary. Proof of the common-law relationship is required.

Conjugal Partner: Your partner must be in a relationship with you for at least 12 consecutive months, lives outside of Canada and cannot live with you because of significant legal and immigration reasons. Proof of the reason for conjugal relationship is required.

In order to sponsor your spouse you need to commit to being the financial supporter, which includes signing an undertaking for 3 years. In addition, sponsors need to sign a sponsorship agreement stating that they will provide for the basic needs of the sponsored family members, and that the person they are sponsoring will make every effort to support themselves and their family members. Income requirements only apply to the sponsor if their spouse has a dependant child, and their dependant child has children of their own. Additional criteria may disqualify someone from sponsoring or being sponsored.

Sponsor a Child

If you have a dependant child (biological or adopted) who is not already a Canadian citizen or PR, you may be eligible to sponsor them. To sponsor a child you need to commit to being the financial supporter, which includes signing an undertaking for one of the following situations:

A dependant child, or child to be adopted in Canada under the age of 22 - 10 year undertaking, or until the age of 25, whichever comes first.
A dependant child 22 years of age or older - 3 years undertaking.

Children qualify as dependants if they are under the age of 22 and don't have a spouse or partner. If they are over the age of 22, they qualify as a dependant if they have depended on their parents for financial support since before they were 22, and, can't financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition. In addition, sponsors need to sign a sponsorship agreement stating that they will provide for the basic needs of the sponsored family members, and that the person they are sponsoring will make every effort to support themselves and their family members. Income requirements only apply to the sponsor if they are sponsoring a dependant child who has 1 or more dependant children of their own. Additional criteria may disqualify someone from sponsoring or being sponsored.

Sponsor your parents and grandparents

If you are residing in Canada, you may be eligible to sponsor your parents or grandparents for permanent residency. When this pathway is open, interested candidates can fill out an interest to sponsor form and will be alerted if they have been invited to apply. To sponsor your parents or grandparents you need to commit to being the financial supporter, which includes signing an undertaking for 20 years starting on the day they become PR. You, the sponsor, and a co-signing spouse or common-law partner (if applicable), will also be required to provide proof you meet the income requirements to support the people you become financially responsible for. Your required income is based on your family size and must be met for 3 years prior to applying. To calculate your family size be sure to include:

yourself
your spouse or common-law partner
your dependant children (yours, your partners and any of your children's dependants)
any other people you (and your co-signer if applicable) are financially responsible for. For example, a previous sponsor you are still financially responsible for
the parents and grandparents you want to sponsor and their dependants. You must include any dependant children, your parent or grandparents current spouse or separated spouse, even if they will not come to Canada.

Sponsors need to sign a sponsorship agreement stating that they will provide for the basic needs of the sponsored family members, and that the person they are sponsoring will make every effort to support themselves and their family members. Additional criteria may disqualify someone from sponsoring or being sponsored.

Sponsor your relatives

Only certain relatives are eligible for sponsorship and in specific situations. They must fit into one of the following categories:

1. You can sponsor an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild if they meet all of the following conditions:

they're related to you by blood or adoption
both their mother and father passed away
they're under 18 years of age
they're single (not married, in a common-law or conjugal partnership)

2. You can sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age, if you meet all of these conditions:

you, the sponsor, do not have another living relative you could sponsor instead. This includes all the following relations: spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, son or daughter, parent, grandparent, orphaned sister or brother, orphaned niece or nephew, orphaned grandchild.
you, the sponsor, do not have any living relatives who are Canadian citizen, PR or registered First Nations.

To sponsor a relative you need to commit to being the financial supporter, which includes signing an undertaking for 10 years starting on the day they become PR. Sponsors need to sign a sponsorship agreement stating that they will provide for the basic needs of the sponsored family members, and that the person they are sponsoring will make every effort to support themselves and their family members. Additional criteria may disqualify someone from sponsoring or being sponsored.

Parent and grandparent super visa

If you are residing in Canada and your parents or grandparent want to visit, there is a special visitor visa category just for them! This is not a pathway to permanent residency, but will allow your parents or grandparents to stay in Canada for longer periods of time. A super visa allows for multiple entries for a period up to 10 years. Currently super visa holders are eligible to stay for up to 5 years at a time, however the border officer holds the ultimate decision on the length of stay allowed upon entry to Canada. To be eligible for a super visa you must:

be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
have a signed letter of invitation from your child or grandchild that includes a promise of financial support for the length of your visit, the list and number of people in the household of this person, and a copy of this person's Canadian citizenship or PR document
have valid medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company
both apply and have the visa printed outside Canada
take an immigration medical exam

It is important to remember this is a temporary residency program, and as such there must be a genuine intention to return to the home country. As the decision for a super visa is at the discretion of IRCC, this will need to be properly addressed in the application.

FAMILY SPONSORSHIP