Canadian citizens and permanent residents may be able to sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence. Sponsorship involves both the family member’s permanent residence application and the sponsor’s legal and financial responsibilities.
At a glance
- Spouse, common-law partner and eligible partner sponsorship
- Dependent child sponsorship
- Parents and grandparents sponsorship when intake is available
- Relationship evidence, sponsor eligibility and admissibility
Sponsor eligibility
The sponsor must meet the requirements that apply to the relevant family class. Residence, age, immigration status, previous sponsorship undertakings, social assistance and certain criminal or financial circumstances can affect eligibility.
Relationship evidence
For spouse and partner cases, IRCC assesses whether the relationship meets the legal category and is genuine. Evidence should tell a coherent story and address the couple’s actual history rather than simply provide a large volume of documents.
Undertakings
Sponsorship includes a formal undertaking to provide financial support for the sponsored person for the applicable period. The length and consequences of the undertaking depend on the relationship category.
Current program status matters
Some family categories operate continuously while others use invitations or pauses. The Parents and Grandparents Program is currently paused for new intake, so current IRCC status should be checked before planning an application.
Official government resources
Use these official sources for the current program rules, forms and government instructions.
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