Family Sponsorship
Under Family Sponsorship, Canadian citizens, permanent residents and those registered as Indians under the Canadian Indian act can sponsor certain family members to immigrate to Canada and obtain Canadian permanent residence.
To sponsor your family to immigrate to Canada, contact our Canadian immigration lawyers for advice and assistance. Call +1 844 290 6312 or fill our contact form to get in touch with us.
Page Contents
- What Is Family Sponsorship?
- Types of Family Sponsorship Programs
- Eligibility Requirements For The Canadian Citizen Or Permanent Resident
- Eligibility Requirements For The Sponsored Person
- How To Apply To Sponsor A Relative
- Permanent Residence Application
- Document Checklist
- Processing Time
- Application Approval
- Rejection Appeal
- How Can Total Law Help
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Family Sponsorship?
Canada welcomes many new permanent residents each year, and family sponsorship remains one of its largest immigration categories, reflecting a strong policy focus on keeping families together.
Through this pathway, eligible Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act can sponsor certain family members, such as a spouse or partner, dependent children, parents and grandparents, and in some limited cases other close relatives, to become permanent residents of Canada.
When you sponsor a family member, you must sign a Sponsorship Agreement and an “undertaking,” a formal legal commitment to the Government of Canada.
Under this undertaking, you agree to provide for your relative’s basic needs, including food, clothing, shelter, everyday living expenses, and health needs not covered by public health services (such as most dental and vision care), for a fixed period that varies by relationship (for example, 3 years for a spouse or partner, up to 20 years for parents and grandparents).
During this time, you also commit to ensuring the person you sponsor does not need social assistance; if they receive it, you may be required to repay those amounts and could be barred from sponsoring again until the debt is cleared.
If the application is approved, the sponsored person becomes a Canadian permanent resident, giving them the right to live, work and study in Canada on an ongoing basis, and to access provincial or territorial public health insurance and many social benefits, subject to normal eligibility rules.
Permanent residents must still respect Canadian laws, can lose status if serious conditions are breached (for example, certain criminality or misrepresentation), and do not have the right to vote or hold some sensitive public offices until they become citizens.
Family sponsorship can also be a first step toward Canadian citizenship. Most adult applicants must be permanent residents and physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) within the five years immediately before applying, with some credit possible for time spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident, plus meeting other requirements such as language, knowledge of Canada, and tax filing.
There is no automatic rule that you must “hold PR for five full years.” Still, you generally need at least two years as a permanent resident within those five years, and to use the official physical presence calculator to confirm you meet the 1,095‑day threshold before applying.
For more information on the Canadian Family Sponsorship immigration route, please call our expert immigration attorneys on +1 844 290 6312 or email [email protected].
Types of Family Sponsorship Programs
Spouse, Common-Law, and Conjugal Partner Sponsorship
Under this program, Canadian citizens and other eligible sponsors can sponsor a partner of either sex who is at least 18 years old. The specific requirements depend on your relationship type:
Spouse
Your partner must be legally married to you.
Common-law Partner
Your partner must not be legally married to you but must have been living with you for at least 12 succeeding months in a conjugal relationship without long periods spent apart.
Conjugal Partner
Your partner must not be legally married to you or in a common-law relationship with you. They must have been in a conjugal relationship with you for at least one year and must be living outside Canada before the application. This category is reserved for partners who cannot live together or legally marry due to serious legal or immigration barriers, such as:
- You are both in a same-sex relationship, and it is illegal in your home country
- Your relationship is not legally or socially accepted and can lead to persecution
- They are married to someone else and not allowed to divorce in their home country
There is generally no Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirement for sponsoring a spouse or partner, unless your partner has a dependent child who also has a dependent child, in which case you must meet specific income thresholds.
If approved, your partner becomes a permanent resident, and you sign an undertaking to support them financially for 3 years from the day they become a permanent resident (outside Quebec).
During this period, you are responsible for their basic needs and may need to repay any social assistance they receive, which can also affect your ability to sponsor again until any debt is cleared.
Dependent Child Sponsorship
You can sponsor your biological or adopted children, or your spouse or partner’s dependent children, to live with you in Canada as permanent residents if they qualify as “dependent children” under IRCC rules. Under Family Class Sponsorship, you are allowed to sponsor your children if they:
- Are under 22 years of age
- Are not married or in a common-law relationship
- Are older than 22 but are unable to financially support themselves due to a mental or physical condition, and have depended on you for financial support since before they turned 22
With the exception of age, your dependent children must continue to meet these requirements until the Canadian government finishes processing the application.
For a dependent child under 22, the undertaking period is generally 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first (outside Quebec). For a dependent child who is 22 or older when they become a permanent resident, the undertaking period is 3 years, similar to a spouse or partner.
Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP)
The Parent and Grandparent Program allows eligible sponsors to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada as permanent residents. You can sponsor your parents and grandparents if you are related by blood or adoption, or if they are your parents or grandparents’ partner.
Note that if you are sponsoring your parent’s or grandparent’s partner, the beneficiary will have to be a dependent of your parent or grandparent.
That means you will file an application for your grandparent or parent in which they are the principal applicant, and their spouse or dependent children can be added as dependents. You can include a dependent child of any parent or grandparent you are filing for as a dependent in the application.
Compared with spousal sponsorship, this stream has stricter financial criteria: you must meet or exceed the Minimum Necessary Income for each of the three taxation years before you apply and prove this with your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notices of Assessment.
Because demand is high, IRCC often manages the program through an intake system where potential sponsors first submit an “Interest to Sponsor” form and may then be invited to apply if selected.
In addition, there is a limit to how many applications are approved for this division. If the quota is filled before you apply, you can consider the super visa or super visitor visa.
Once approved, you agree to an undertaking of 20 years (10 years in Quebec) to support your sponsored parents or grandparents and ensure they do not rely on social assistance during that time.
Sibling, Grandchild, Niece, and Nephew Sponsorship
In limited situations, you can sponsor your sibling, grandchild, niece, or nephew if they meet all of the following criteria:
- They are related to you by blood or adoption
- Both of their parents are deceased
- They are under 18 years old
- They are not married, in a common-law relationship, or conjugal relationship
These cases are strictly defined, and you must still meet general sponsorship conditions, including being able to support the person without them needing social assistance. If their parents are not dead but are not in their lives (for example, in jail or have abandoned the child), you cannot sponsor them to immigrate to Canada.
Other Relatives and “Lonely Canadian” Provision
Apart from your spouse, dependent child, parents, grandparents, and others mentioned above, you can also sponsor certain relatives under the “Lonely Canadian” rule. You may sponsor one relative that is related by blood or adoption, regardless of their age, if:
- You don’t have any other living relative that fits the other four categories that you can sponsor
- You don’t have any relatives in the other categories who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indians of Canada
For most “other relative” sponsorships outside Quebec, the undertaking period is 10 years, during which you remain financially responsible for the sponsored person.
Eligibility Requirements For The Canadian Citizen Or Permanent Resident
If the foreign national meets the requirements for family sponsorships listed above, there are additional requirements you must meet.
As the sponsor, you are to meet requirements that include that you:
- Are at least 18 years old
- Live in Canada
- Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered person under the India act
- Meet the financial requirements to provide for the basic requirements of the relative’s everyday living and health needs not covered by the public health services provided by the government of Canada
- Are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
- Are not in debt due – to a loan or unpaid child support payments
- Have not declared bankruptcy
- Are not in prison
- Did not violate the terms of the sponsorship agreement when you previously sponsored a relative
- Can prove that you are related to the sponsored person
- Can legally stay in Canada and have not received a removal order
In addition, depending on how related you are to the sponsored person, you may need to provide proof of other requirements.
Also, in some categories, you must be invited to apply; if you want to sponsor your parents and grandparents, you must submit an interest to sponsor form and, if invited, can then apply for your parent or grandparent.
Furthermore, you may need to provide additional requirements depending on if you live within or outside Quebec.
If you live outside Quebec, you must be able to provide a promise of undertaking to financially support the person you sponsor for a specific period, usually 3 – 20 years, and repay any provincial assistance rendered to that individual.
If you live in Quebec, you must meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements similar to the above, with a few exceptions, including that the time to support the person will be at least 10 years. After applying to sponsor a family member, you will receive an email or letter with instructions on how to submit a special agreement to the Quebec government.
Eligibility Requirements For The Sponsored Family Members
The family members being sponsored must meet some requirements as well to be able to obtain permanent residence under family sponsorship. In general, immediate family members being sponsored must fall under one of the categories and meet the criteria for that category. In addition, they must:
- Take every effort to support themselves and their dependents if they are not dependents of the Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- Be able to agree to the responsibilities mapped out in the undertaking
- Live outside Canada at the time of application unless they are in Canada legally with a valid temporary visa, such as a work or study permit.
- Be able to provide proof of relationship, such as birth or marriage certificates and pictorial evidence.
- Be able to immigrate to Canada without posing a health risk to the general public.
- Must not have a criminal record
Due to the different categories in family sponsorship and their varying criteria and supporting documents, it’s recommended that you discuss with an immigration solicitor to find out the exact criteria and required documents for your circumstances.
How To Apply For Family Sponsorship
Submitting the application forms
Family sponsorship and other Canadian immigration processes are handled by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or IRCC for short.
The application process starts with submitting a petition to be invited to sponsor your family member if you are sponsoring a parent or grandparent. If you apply without being invited, your application will be rejected without a refund of the processing fee.
If you are sponsoring any other relative, you can submit your sponsorship application and your family member’s application for permanent residence at the same time.
The application for family sponsorship can be submitted through the online portal of the IRCC. However, if you cannot use the online portal due to a disability, the IRCC has provisions for paper, braille or large print applications. To be approved for that method, you must email the IRCC with your details and the method you would like to use.
The Canadian citizen is to fill these forms:
- Document Checklist — Sponsor
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking
- Financial Evaluation
- Income Sources
- Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union, if it applies
- Medical condition statement, if it applies
- Statutory Declaration of Severance of a Common-Law Union, if it applies
- Details Of Military Service, if it applies
The above forms must be printed and signed by hand. You must send the electronic copies of the signed forms to the family member sponsored to upload them in their online application and electronically sign their part of some of the forms and the entire application for themselves and their dependents.
The principal applicant (beneficiary) must fill these PDF forms:
- Generic application form for Canada
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration
- Additional family information form
- Supplementary information – your travels
Because there are different categories of family members that you can sponsor, the exact forms the sponsor and beneficiary need to fill may differ. To be certain of what applies in your case, please reach out to an immigration solicitor.
Pay application fees
The next step is to pay the application fees online. The fees may include:
- Application processing fee and sponsorship fee ($CAN 630)
- The right of permanent residence fee ($CAN 575)
- Processing fee for any dependent child ($CAN 175)
- Biometrics fee ($CAN 85 per person)
The exact fees you will pay may differ. Ensure that you check the application guide for your category or discuss with an immigration attorney before making payment. If you pay the wrong immigration fees or don’t pay any of the fees applicable to you, your application may be rejected.
Also, after the biometrics fee has been paid, your family member will get a letter inviting them to give their biometrics (photograph and fingerprint) at a collection point. They have 30 days to do that.
Also, because you may be required to submit proof of a medical exam and police certificate, you will spend on those as well. The fees vary by approved medical practitioner and country.
Submit your application
The last step is to submit your application. Before doing that, ensure that you have answered all the questions in the forms, have electronically signed the application on the IRCC’s portal, uploaded your supporting documents, and uploaded your application fee receipts.
If you cannot apply online, you may be able to submit your application via courier service, regular mail or a visa application centre.
Before you apply, have in mind that when you sign the undertaking to care for your relative, that agreement is valid even if the partnership ends (divorce, separation, etc.), there is a rift in your relationship, you are unemployed or earn less. Also, if the principal applicant died – in cases where they have dependents in the application – you must continue to provide financial support to the dependents.
In addition, you may need to go through other steps depending on who the relative is. For example, if you are sponsoring your dependent child without sponsoring your partner, you will have to show that the other parent or guardian agrees to your child immigrating to Canada.
As a result of the different categories, forms, and steps, it’s recommended that you contact an immigration solicitor in Canada. Total Law can assist you with your application to maximise your chances. Call us on +1 844 290 6312 or contact us online.
Permanent Residence Application
If the sponsorship application is accepted, the Canadian immigration visa office in your relative’s home country will send your relative an application for permanent residence.
The relative must fill that application. However, if you are sponsoring a dependent child, you or the child’s legal guardian can fill out the application form on the child’s behalf. After completing the form, it should be sent back to the Canadian visa office.
That should be sent along with:
- The relative’s passport (or photocopies, the visa office will let you know which)
- One photograph
- The receipt of the right of permanent residence fee
The visa office will review the application to verify that it meets the Canadian immigration requirements. If the relative is not a child, they may be invited for an immigration interview before a decision is reached.
Please note that Quebec has additional criteria and steps, so be mindful of that when applying to immigrate to Quebec.
Document Checklist
When applying for family class sponsorship, you should provide the required and supporting documents to maximise the chances of success. They include:
- All completed forms
- Document to prove the sponsor’s status, such as a photocopy of either one of the following:
- Permanent Resident Card (both sides) or, if not issued a Canadian Permanent Resident card, your Record of Landing or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence
- Canadian Citizenship Certificate or card (both sides)
- Canadian birth certificate
- Birth certificate issued by the Directeur de l’état civil, if born in Quebec.
- Canadian passport
- The beneficiary’s passport
- A photograph of the principal applicant and dependents
- Receipt of all fees
- Evidence of relationship such as a copy of:
- Your marriage certificate, if sponsoring a spouse
- Your birth certificate, if sponsoring a parent
- Child’s birth certificate if sponsoring a biological child
- The adoption order, if sponsoring an adopted child
- Shared ownership of residential property, if in a common-law relationship
- Proof that you meet financial criteria. That may be:
- A letter from your employer with details on your employment, hours, and salary, if employed
- Last notice of assessment over the 12 months preceding your application, if self-employed
- Bank statement showing any interest deposited in your persona account from your business if self-employed
- Pay stubs over the 12 months preceding your family sponsorship application, Statement of business activities over the 12 months before the application
- Proof of previous marriages or relationships such as a copy of:
- The divorce certificate
- Annulment certificate
- Death certificate
- Declaration of severance of a common-law relationship.
- Police certificates (for relatives)
- Medical examination certificates (for relatives)
Due to the different relationship categories and their specific required documents, it’s recommended that you reach out to a Canadian immigration lawyer to assess your eligibility and provide advice on the exact documents that will boost your application. Get in touch with us for assistance. Please call us on +1 844 290 6312 or email [email protected].
Family Sponsorship Processing Time
The family sponsorship time depends on your relationship with the application. For example, spouse sponsorship applications typically take 12 months to process, but on the other hand, parent or grandparent sponsorships typically take 20 to 24 months.
Other factors may also affect this, including the number of applications the IRCC has to process and if there’s an annual limit to family sponsorship applications in your relationship category.
During the processing time, you will be asked to submit the medical exams and police certificates (for applicants over 18).
Family Sponsorship Approval
When your application has been approved, the IRCC will send the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and a permanent resident visa. They have expiry dates. The beneficiary should travel to Canada and meet an from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at the port of entry before the documents expire.
The immigration officer will ask for the COPR, travel documents, and visa and ask some questions to decide if to formally offer Canadian permanent resident status to the relative.
If the relative is a child and the other parent is not a Canadian citizen, they should travel to Canada with such parent or legal guardian or should be able to present letters of permission from that parent if they are not travelling with them.
After your relative is granted permanent resident status by the Canadian government, they will receive a permanent resident card by mail after a few weeks to a month of entry into Canada to live and work. In a few years, they can apply for Canadian citizenship and then obtain a Canadian passport.
Family Class Sponsorship Rejection
Sometimes, applications are rejected at any of the steps. If the sponsor’s application to sponsor their relative is denied, the sponsor can withdraw their application and get their sponsorship fee back. Other fees will not be refunded.
If the sponsorship application was approved, but the family members’ permanent residence application was rejected, you will get a notice of that and the reasons for the rejection.
If your application for permanent residence was rejected, you can submit Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) appeals if the sponsored relative lives outside Canada. The IRCC will send information on how to appeal the decision. You cannot submit an appeal for a relative that’s already inside Canada.
If you cannot submit an appeal, you can consider other options, such as the Express Entry system or Provincial Nominee Programs.
If your application was rejected, Total Law can help. We will review your application to advise on the next steps, whether it’s an appeal, a re-application, or applying to immigrate to Canada through another program.
How Total Law Can Help
Total Law has expert knowledge and experience in the Canadian immigration system. Our Canadian immigration lawyers have helped several families to immigrate to Canada successfully through Canada’s family sponsorship programs.
Our immigration services include:
- Assessing the eligibility of the sponsor and beneficiaries
- Advising on the best immigration route to take
- Assisting with gathering the required and supporting documents
- Completing all forms with the highest of standards
- Liaising with the IRCC on behalf of the applicants
- Assistance with obtaining travel documents
- Providing concierge and relocation assistance, including moving belongings to Canada
In addition, we provide Canadian citizenship help so that the beneficiary can become a Canadian citizen in the minimum time. We will advise both the relative and sponsor on actions to take while in Canada to ensure that their eligibility for citizenship is not violated, and help to apply for citizenship.
For more information on how we can help you, please call us at +1 844 290 6312 or email [email protected]. You can also reach out to us through our live chat or contact form.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sponsor can check the application status after receiving an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or email. That is usually sent after the IRCC receives your application.
If the relative would like to check the status of the application, they must create an online account and link it to the application using the application number they received when the IRCC started processing the application
A family sponsorship application can be withdrawn at any time before the relative becomes a permanent resident through the online web form. If the IRCC hasn’t started processing the application, you may be able to get a refund after you have successfully withdrawn your application.
Unfortunately, Canada does not allow a permanent resident or citizen to sponsor a friend. If you are interested in other routes they can immigrate to Canada explore here
