Family sponsorship may allow an eligible Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act to sponsor certain relatives for permanent residence. Sponsors must meet the requirements for the specific category and sign an undertaking to provide financial support. Both the sponsor and the applicant must meet all applicable requirements.

SPOUSES AND PARTNERS

A spouse must be legally married to the sponsor. Common-law partners must generally have lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months. The conjugal partner category applies only in specific circumstances where partners have been unable to marry or live together because of serious barriers beyond their control. The relationship must be genuine and not entered into mainly for immigration purposes.

DEPENDENT CHILDREN

A dependent child is generally under 22 years old and does not have a spouse or common-law partner. A child who is 22 or older may qualify only if they have depended on their parents for financial support since before age 22 and cannot financially support themselves because of a physical or mental condition. Age lock-in rules may also apply.

PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS

The Parents and Grandparents Program is currently paused for new interest-to-sponsor forms and invitations. Existing applications continue to be processed. Parents and grandparents may also wish to consider the Super Visa, subject to its requirements.

OTHER RELATIVES

In limited circumstances, a person may sponsor an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild who is related by blood or adoption, under 18 years old, has lost both parents and is single. Sponsoring one other relative of any age is possible only in very specific circumstances where the sponsor has no closer living relative they could sponsor and no qualifying relative in Canada.

Family sponsorship rules vary by category and can change. We assess each case using current IRCC guidance.