Canadian Family Sponsorship

Family Sponsorship Categories

Family Sponsorship Primary Benefits

• Family Reunification: Reunite with your family and help them obtain permanent residency in Canada.
• No minimum income requirement: In most cases when sponsoring a spouse, partner or child, there is no income requirement unless 1) the dependent child you are sponsoring has 1 or more dependent children of their own or 2) the spouse or partner you are sponsoring has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more dependent children of their own.
• Flexibility: As long as both parties meet the requirements, you can sponsor your spouse, partner or child at any time. There is no need to wait for an invitation to apply.
• Inland Application: If you and your spouse or common-law partner is living inside Canada, you may apply from within Canada and obtain an Open Work Permit for your spouse.
• Outland Application: If your spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada, you may also apply to be processed by a Visa Application Center in your country.

Basic Requirements for Sponsoring Your Spouse, Partner or Child to Canada

To qualify for sponsoring a spouse, partner or child, sponsors and persons being sponsored need to meet the minimum requirements:

Requirements for Sponsors

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. If you are a Canadian citizen, you may sponsor your spouse, partner or child from outside Canada as long as you plan on living in Canada with the persons you sponsor after their application is approved. If you are a permanent resident, you cannot sponsor your spouse, partner or child from outside Canada.
• You are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than disability
• You are financially able to support your family member’s basic needs
• You promise to financially support your family even after they became permanent residents. The length of time you need to support them depends on who you are sponsoring.
  • If you sponsor your spouse or partner, you need to support them for 3 years.
  • If you sponsor a child under 22 years old, you need to support them for 10 years or until they turn 25, whichever comes first.
  • If you sponsor a child who is 22 years old or older, you need to support them for 3 years.
• You meet all other eligibility requirements.

Requirements for Spouse, Partner or Child being sponsored

• The spouse or common-law partner can be either sex. You must be able to prove your marriage, common-law or conjugal relationship. Merely living together or having legal paperwork, such as a marriage certificate, does not qualify for immigration. Generally, couples must also prove that their relationship is authentic. Examples of proof are but not limited to:
  • Jointly owned residency property
  • Joint lease or rental agreement
  • Joint bank accounts
  • Bills for joint utility accounts, such as gas, electricity, telephone, internet, etc.
  • Legal identity documents with the same address such as driver’s licenses
  • insurance policies
  • Photos, chat history, tickets to visit each other, etc.
  • Reference letters from friends and family
• The child being sponsored must be either under 22 years old and single or over 22 years old but dependent on the sponsor.
• The spouse, partner or child must be otherwise admissible to Canada and meets all other requirements.
  

Basic Requirements for Sponsoring a Parent or Grandparent to Canada

Requirements for Sponsors

• You must be invited to apply.
• You are at least 18 years old.
• You reside in Canada and are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• You can prove that you have enough money to sponsor your parents or grandparents. For proof of income, you can either authorize the IRCC to access your tax information, or you need to provide copies of your tax returns. You can also ask your spouse or common-law partner to co-sign to combine your income.
• You must promise to financially support your parents or grandparents for 20 years, after they become permanent residents.
• You also need to agree to the Sponsorship Agreement to provide for their basic needs during the undertaking period.
• You must meet all other requirements.

Requirements for Sponsors

• Parents or grandparents need to prove their relationship with the sponsor.
• Parents or grandparents must be admissible to Canada and meet all other requirements.

Sponsorship Application Process

As of September 23, 2022, you must submit your application to sponsor a spouse, partner or child online. You will need to complete an application package along with the persons you are sponsoring and then submit the application to become a sponsor.

Your sponsored family members will need to create an account with the Permanent Residence Portal to complete all application forms, upload supporting documents and submit the application.

To sponsor parents or grandparents, you must first submit the Interest to Sponsor Form, then wait to be invited to apply by the IRCC. The policy and the process regarding parents’ or grandparents’ sponsorship changes every year.

If you are invited to apply, you will have to submit two applications together.

Sponsorship Processing Times & Fees

The processing time and fees to sponsor a spouse, partner, or child depend on the country you are applying from.

The IRCC government processing fees to sponsor a spouse or partner start from $1,080, and the processing fees to sponsor a dependent child starts from $150.

The processing time to sponsor parents or grandparents is currently approx. 38 months per the IRCC, including the time your beneficiaries need to provide biometrics.

The IRCC processing fee to sponsor parents or grandparents is $1,080 for the principal applicant and $1,085 for the principal applicant’s spouse.

For up-to-date fees, please visit the Government of Canada’s Fee List.