Sponsor your Family to Immigrate to Canada
Canada welcomes over 100,000 immigrants annually through family sponsorship. This program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their loved ones and bring them to Canada.
IRCC welcomes approximately 80% of these immigrants under the Spouses, Partners, and Children Program, with the remaining 20% under the Parents and Grandparents Program. This comprehensive page from The Millennium Immigration provides an overview of how to sponsor your family for immigration to Canada.
Table of Contents
- Overview of Canadian Immigration Family Sponsorship
- How to Apply for Family Sponsorship
- Sponsor your Wife, Husband, or Common-law Partner
- Sponsor your Dependent Children
- Sponsor your Parents or Grandparents
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview of Canadian Immigration Family Sponsorship
Family reunification is a cornerstone of Canada’s immigration system. Since World War II, Canada has actively welcomed immigrants to boost its economy, unite families, and address humanitarian needs. The family class is the second-largest category of newcomers under Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan.
The Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) oversees family sponsorship, setting criteria, reviewing applications, and issuing permanent and temporary resident visas.
What is Canadian Family Sponsorship?
Family sponsorship has two main components:
1. Permanent Residency: It enables your family member to immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent residence (PR).
2. Financial Commitment: As a sponsor, you agree to support their basic needs financially.
Can I Be a Sponsor?
To sponsor a family member, you must meet certain requirements:
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Be at least 18 years old
Have the ability to support the sponsored person for several years
Who Can I Sponsor?
You can sponsor:
Spouses and common-law partners
Dependent children
Parents and grandparents
Exceptions may allow sponsorship of non-immediate family members, such as a sister or uncle, if you lack other immediate family to sponsor or if you have legally adopted them as a dependent child.
Income Requirements for Sponsorship
As a sponsor, you must sign a Sponsorship Agreement, committing to provide financial support for the sponsored individual’s basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare not covered by public services).
For some sponsorships, you must meet or exceed the Low Income Cut-off (LICO), particularly if you are sponsoring a spouse with a dependent child, a dependent child with children, or a parent or grandparent. If you reside in Quebec, you must comply with its specific sponsorship requirements.
What is a Sponsorship Undertaking?
You will sign an “undertaking,” making you legally responsible for the family member you are sponsoring. If they require government assistance, you must repay that amount.
The undertaking remains in effect for a specified period, regardless of changes in circumstances, such as the sponsored person becoming a Canadian citizen or any personal financial issues. The duration of the undertaking varies depending on the family member’s relationship to you and their age.
Sponsored person | Length of undertaking (excluding Quebec) |
|---|---|
Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner | 3 years |
Dependent child | 10 years, or until age 25, whichever comes first |
Dependent child 22 years of age or older | 3 years |
Parent or grandparent | 20 years |
Other relative | 10 years |
In Quebec, sponsorship undertakings also require sponsors to assist the sponsored individual(s) in learning French and accessing public services to facilitate their integration. As of November 2023, if the sponsored person is between 18 and 55 years old, the sponsor must complete and sign a welcome and integration plan as part of Section 9 of the Undertaking form.
For Quebec residents, the duration of the undertaking varies based on the relationship to the sponsored family member and, for children, their age.
Sponsored person | Length of undertaking |
|---|---|
Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner | 3 years |
Dependent child under 16 years of age | Minimum 10 years (or until age 18), whichever is longer |
Dependent child 16 years of age and older | Minimum 3 years (or until age 25), whichever is longer |
Other relatives | 10 years |
How to Apply for Family Sponsorship
Step 1: Confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria to be a sponsor.
Step 2: Ensure that your relatives meet the eligibility requirements for sponsorship.
Step 3: Apply at the federal level through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and, if you’re in Quebec, also at the provincial level through the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI). You’ll need to submit your sponsorship application alongside the permanent residence applications for your family members. Once you’re approved as a sponsor, their PR applications will be reviewed.
Step 4: Pay the family sponsorship application fee.
Step 5: Send your application to the correct address, which you can find in the sponsorship guide available on the government website.
Sponsor your Wife, Husband, or Common-law Partner
Step 1: Verify that you meet the eligibility criteria to be a sponsor.
Step 2: Confirm that your relatives fulfill the eligibility requirements for sponsorship.
Step 3: Submit your application at the federal level through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If you reside in Quebec, also apply at the provincial level with the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI). You must include both your sponsorship application and the permanent residence applications for your family members. After your sponsorship is approved, their PR applications will be reviewed.
Step 4: Pay the family sponsorship application fee.
Step 5: Send your application to the correct address, which can be found in the sponsorship guide available on the government website.
There are two types of spousal or common-law sponsorship applications:
Inland: This application is made from within Canada, allowing the person you wish to sponsor to stay in Canada while their permanent residence application is processed. If applying from within Canada, the sponsored individual can also apply for an open work permit, enabling them to work for any employer during the application process. Alternatively, spouses or partners can enter Canada by applying for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).
Outland: This application is submitted from abroad through an Embassy or Consulate. In this case, the person being sponsored will typically wait for their permanent residence outside of Canada, but they can visit you in Canada while the application is pending.
Sponsor your Dependent Children
Dependent Child Sponsorship
You can sponsor your dependent children, whether biological or adopted, to live with you as permanent residents in Canada.
To be eligible for sponsorship, a child must meet the following criteria:
The child must be unmarried and under 22 years of age.
If the child is over 22, they may still qualify as a dependent if they have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from supporting themselves.
To proceed with this sponsorship program, you must:
Be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to receive a visa for both you and your child.
Provide proof of your relationship with the child, such as a birth or adoption certificate.
Sponsor your Parents or Grandparents
Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship
The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP) and the Super Visa Program allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada.
To be eligible under the PGP, you must:
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in Canada.
Be at least 18 years old.
Be the child or grandchild of the individual(s) you are sponsoring.
Meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for your family size and provide Canada Revenue Agency-issued notices of assessment as proof.
Sign a sponsorship agreement committing to provide for the basic needs of the sponsored family member(s) for 20 years.
Sign an additional agreement if you live in Quebec.
Your spouse or common-law partner can assist in meeting the income requirement by co-signing the undertaking. If a co-signer is involved, they must meet the same eligibility criteria as you, the sponsor, and must:
Not be the person being sponsored.
Have lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.
Sponsor your Parents or Grandparents
The Super Visa program allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to enter Canada on extended multiple-entry visas, valid for up to 10 years. This program is always open for applications, and you can apply simultaneously with the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP).
To be eligible for the Super Visa Program, 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.
Have medical insurance that covers your stay in Canada.
Apply for the Super Visa from outside Canada.
Additionally, your Canadian child or grandchild must demonstrate that their household meets the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirements.