Sponsoring a Family Member to Come to Canada

Family Sponsorship: Reuniting Families in Canada

Canada's family sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence. Sponsorship is a serious legal commitment — sponsors undertake to financially support the sponsored person and their family members for a defined period.

Who Can Be Sponsored?

• Spouses, common-law partners, and conjugal partners (including same-sex partners)
• Dependent children (under 22 and not a spouse or common-law partner, or 22 and older with a qualifying disability)
• Parents and grandparents (through the annual Parents and Grandparents Program draw)
• Other relatives in limited circumstances (only if you are a Canadian citizen with no other relative who is a citizen or permanent resident)

Who Can Be a Sponsor?

To sponsor a family member, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident living in Canada, or a registered Indian under the Indian Act
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Not be in default on previous sponsorship undertakings
• Not be in receipt of social assistance (except for disability)
• Not have been convicted of certain criminal offences (particularly those involving family violence or sexual offences)
• Meet minimum income requirements (for parent/grandparent sponsorship)

The Sponsorship Undertaking

When you sponsor a family member, you sign an undertaking to be financially responsible for the sponsored person: for 3 years for a spouse or partner, for 10 years or until age 25 for a dependent child, and for 20 years for parents and grandparents. During this period, the sponsored person cannot access most federal social assistance programs.

Common Reasons for Refusal

Sponsorship applications are refused for: the sponsor's inadmissibility or failure to meet income requirements, the sponsored person's inadmissibility (criminal history, medical concerns), misrepresentation, failure to prove a genuine relationship (for spousal sponsorships), or incomplete documentation.