Family sponsorship allows eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents to help certain family members become permanent residents of Canada. The most common applications involve spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children, but separate programs may apply to other relatives.
Who can sponsor?
For spouse, partner and dependent-child sponsorship, the sponsor generally must be at least 18 years old and be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person registered in Canada under the Indian Act. Residence rules differ depending on the sponsor’s status. For example, a permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor a spouse or partner from abroad in the same way a Canadian citizen may be able to while planning to return to Canada.
Who can be sponsored?
The relationship must fit the applicable immigration definition. A spouse must be legally married to the sponsor. A common-law partner generally requires at least 12 consecutive months of cohabitation in a conjugal relationship. Conjugal-partner cases have their own requirements and are not simply an alternative for couples who prefer not to marry or live together.
The relationship must be genuine
IRCC assesses whether the relationship is genuine and not entered into primarily to obtain immigration status. Evidence can include the history of the relationship, communication, shared residence, finances, family involvement, travel, photographs and other records appropriate to the couple’s circumstances.
The sponsor’s undertaking
Sponsorship creates a legal financial undertaking. The sponsor agrees to support the sponsored family member for the applicable undertaking period and may be responsible for repaying certain social assistance received during that period.
Two applications are submitted together
For spouse, partner and child sponsorship, the process generally includes both the sponsorship application and the permanent residence application. The principal applicant normally submits the package through the Permanent Residence Portal, subject to current IRCC instructions.
Common sponsorship issues
- Missing or inconsistent relationship evidence
- Eligibility problems affecting the sponsor
- Undeclared family members or incomplete family information
- Previous sponsorship undertakings
- Criminal, medical or other admissibility concerns
- Changes in marital status, children or family composition during processing
CanLink assists clients with spousal, partner and family sponsorship strategy and document preparation. Visit our Family Sponsorship page.
Official resources
Family sponsorship requirements depend on the relationship, sponsor and applicant. This article is general information only.