Introduction
Canada’s family sponsorship program allows eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents to help certain family members become permanent residents of Canada. The program is designed to reunite families by allowing eligible relatives to immigrate to Canada and live with their sponsor.
However, not every family member can automatically be sponsored. The requirements depend on the relationship between the sponsor and the person they want to bring to Canada. Spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, parents, grandparents and certain other relatives fall under different sponsorship categories.
What Is Family Sponsorship in Canada?
Family sponsorship is an immigration pathway through which an eligible Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a qualifying family member for permanent residence.
The sponsor agrees to provide financial support for the sponsored person for a specified period and to help ensure that the person does not need social assistance.
There are different family sponsorship categories, with spouse, partner and dependent child sponsorship being among the most commonly used. Canada also has programs for parents and grandparents and, in limited circumstances, other relatives.
Who Can Sponsor a Family Member?
To sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child, the sponsor generally must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person registered in Canada under the Indian Act
- Live in Canada
- Sign an undertaking promising to provide financial support
- Meet the other applicable requirements under Canadian immigration law
A Canadian citizen who is living outside Canada may be able to sponsor a spouse, partner or child if they can demonstrate that they intend to live in Canada when the sponsored family member becomes a permanent resident.
A permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor a family member under this program.
Can You Sponsor Your Spouse?
Yes. A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can generally sponsor their legally married spouse if the relationship is genuine and the marriage was legally valid.
The sponsored spouse must generally be at least 18 years old and must not be inadmissible to Canada.
Importantly, Canadian immigration authorities assess whether the marriage is genuine rather than primarily entered into for the purpose of obtaining permanent residence.
Therefore, couples should be prepared to provide evidence demonstrating their genuine relationship.
Examples may include:
- Marriage certificate
- Photographs together
- Communication records
- Evidence of visits
- Joint financial documents, where applicable
- Evidence of shared responsibilities
- Birth certificates of children, where applicable
- Other documents showing the history of the relationship
The exact evidence required depends on the circumstances of the relationship and the document checklist provided during the application.
Sponsoring a Common-Law Partner
You do not necessarily have to be legally married to sponsor your partner.
A common-law partner can qualify if the couple has lived together continuously in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months.
The relationship must be genuine, and the partner must also meet Canada’s admissibility requirements.
Applicants may therefore need to provide evidence showing that they have actually lived together and shared their lives as a couple.
Examples could include a shared lease, household bills, correspondence, joint accounts or other evidence demonstrating a common residence and relationship.
What Is a Conjugal Partner?
A conjugal partner is different from both a spouse and a common-law partner.
Generally, this category is intended for someone who has been in an exclusive and mutually interdependent relationship with the sponsor for at least one year but cannot reasonably marry or live together because of significant circumstances.
The sponsored person must live outside Canada, and the couple must demonstrate why marriage or cohabitation has not been possible.
Canadian immigration authorities provide specific requirements for this category, so it should not be treated as simply an alternative for couples who have not yet married or lived together for 12 months.
Can You Sponsor Your Children?
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident may also be able to sponsor a dependent child.
Generally, a dependent child must be under 22 years old and without a spouse or common-law partner.
A child aged 22 or older may still qualify in certain circumstances if they have depended substantially on their parents for financial support since before turning 22 because of a physical or mental condition.
If a child is being sponsored, the application may require documents such as birth certificates, adoption documents where applicable, proof of the parent-child relationship and other supporting evidence.
Sponsoring Parents and Grandparents
Canada also has a family sponsorship program for parents and grandparents. However, this program operates differently from spouse and child sponsorship.
As of September 2026, Canada’s official immigration website states that the Parents and Grandparents Program is currently paused. New applications and new interest-to-sponsor forms are not currently being accepted, while existing applications continue to be processed.
When the program is open, sponsors generally need to meet additional eligibility and financial requirements. They must also receive an invitation to apply.
This means someone who wants to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada should check the current status of the program rather than assuming that applications are always open.
Parents and grandparents who are not being sponsored for permanent residence may have other temporary immigration options, including the Super Visa, depending on their circumstances.
Can You Sponsor Other Relatives?
In limited circumstances, Canada allows an eligible sponsor to sponsor another relative.
This category is much narrower than spouse or child sponsorship. For example, an eligible sponsor may potentially sponsor one relative of any age if specific conditions are met, including circumstances where the sponsor does not have certain close relatives they could otherwise sponsor and does not have other relatives in Canada who meet specified criteria.
Therefore, having a Canadian citizen or permanent resident relative does not automatically mean that you can be sponsored.
Income Requirements for Spouse Sponsorship
A common misconception is that every person sponsoring a spouse must meet a specific minimum income.
For most spouse, common-law partner and dependent child sponsorship applications, there is no minimum income requirement.
However, there are exceptions. For example, an income requirement may apply when sponsoring a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own, or when sponsoring a spouse or partner whose dependent child has one or more dependent children.
The situation is different for parents and grandparents, where the sponsor must generally demonstrate sufficient income and provide evidence covering the required tax years.
Financial Undertaking: What Does the Sponsor Promise?
Sponsorship is not simply a way of helping someone obtain permanent residence. The sponsor takes on a legal financial responsibility.
For a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, the undertaking period outside Quebec is generally three years from the date the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.
For dependent children, the period depends on their age and circumstances. A dependent child under 22 generally has an undertaking period of 10 years or until they turn 25, whichever comes first.
During the undertaking period, the sponsor is expected to provide financial support and ensure that the sponsored family member does not need to rely on social assistance. If the sponsored person receives certain social assistance during the undertaking period, the sponsor may have to repay the amount.
Documents Needed for Family Sponsorship
The exact document checklist depends on the type of sponsorship and the applicant’s circumstances.
Common documents may include:
- Valid passports or travel documents
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificate, where applicable
- Divorce or separation documents, where applicable
- Proof of relationship
- Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence of the sponsor
- Proof of the sponsor’s residence in Canada
- Financial documents where required
- Relationship evidence
- Police certificates
- Medical examination results
- Biometrics
- Required immigration forms
- Passport photographs where required
For spouse and partner applications, relationship evidence is particularly important because the applicant must demonstrate that the relationship is genuine. The application instructions will specify the documents required for the particular case.
How to Apply for Family Sponsorship
The process generally involves two connected applications.
Step 1: Confirm That the Sponsor Is Eligible
Before preparing the application, the sponsor should confirm that they meet the eligibility requirements.
This includes checking their age, immigration status, residence and financial or legal obligations.
Certain circumstances can prevent someone from sponsoring. These can include receiving certain types of social assistance, being in prison, having outstanding family-support obligations, being an undischarged bankrupt or having certain criminal convictions.
Step 2: Confirm That the Family Member Is Eligible
The person being sponsored must also meet the requirements for their category.
For example, a spouse must be legally married to the sponsor, while a common-law partner must meet the 12-month cohabitation requirement.
The sponsored person must also be admissible to Canada.
Step 3: Prepare the Application
There are generally two parts to a spouse, partner or child sponsorship application:
- The sponsorship application
- The permanent residence application
The applications are submitted together through Canada’s Permanent Residence Portal.
All forms should be completed accurately, and the required supporting documents should be uploaded.
Step 4: Pay the Required Fees
The application involves processing fees for the sponsorship and permanent residence applications. Depending on the circumstances, there may also be fees for biometrics, medical examinations and police certificates.
The Right of Permanent Residence Fee may also apply and can be paid before the sponsored family member becomes a permanent resident.
Step 5: Provide Biometrics and Complete Medical Requirements
The sponsored family member may need to provide fingerprints and a photograph.
IRCC may also request a medical examination or additional documents during processing.
Applicants should respond promptly whenever IRCC requests additional information.
Step 6: Wait for Processing and a Decision
After submission, IRCC reviews the sponsorship and permanent residence applications.
The applicant may be asked for additional information, an interview, medical examination or other documents.
If approved, the sponsored family member can complete the final steps to become a Canadian permanent resident.
Common Reasons Family Sponsorship Applications Can Have Problems
Family sponsorship applications can encounter problems when applicants provide incomplete information, fail to establish the relationship or submit inconsistent documents.
Some common issues include:
- Incomplete application forms
- Missing documents
- Weak evidence of a genuine relationship
- Incorrect information
- Failure to disclose relevant family members
- Criminal or medical inadmissibility
- Failure of the sponsor to meet eligibility requirements
- Failure to respond to IRCC requests
Applicants should also avoid submitting fake or altered documents. Immigration applications are subject to serious consequences when false information or fraudulent documents are discovered.
Final Thoughts
Canada’s family sponsorship program can provide a pathway for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with eligible family members, but the requirements depend heavily on the type of relationship.
Spouse, common-law partner and dependent child sponsorship is generally more straightforward than some of the other family categories, while parents and grandparents sponsorship has additional financial requirements and, currently, a paused intake.
The safest approach is to identify the correct sponsorship category first, confirm the sponsor’s eligibility, gather documents that clearly establish the family relationship and complete the permanent residence application according to IRCC’s current instructions.
Because Canadian immigration programs and application procedures can change, applicants should always check the latest requirements on the official Canadian government website before submitting an application.