Sponsoring a family member is a legal commitment as well as an application. Before you start, it’s worth knowing two things: whether you, as sponsor, meet the requirements, and whether the relationship will be accepted as the kind the program covers. Most problems we see come from one of those two questions being answered too quickly.
Who can sponsor
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, PROVINCIAL AND/OR TERRITORIAL REQUIREMENT · IRCC
Eligible sponsors can sponsor certain family members to become permanent residents, who can then live, study and work in Canada. To sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child, you must be at least 18, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, and live in Canada; a permanent resident living abroad can’t sponsor, and a citizen living abroad must show they plan to live in Canada when the family member becomes a permanent resident. Some situations can make a sponsor ineligible, including receiving social assistance for reasons other than disability, certain defaults on loans, bonds or support payments, undischarged bankruptcy, certain convictions, and a removal order.
What you commit to as a sponsor
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, PROVINCIAL AND/OR TERRITORIAL REQUIREMENT · IRCC and IRPR
Sponsoring means signing an undertaking to support the family member. It starts when they become a permanent resident and can’t be cancelled or shortened afterwards, even if the relationship ends or they become a citizen. It lasts 3 years for a spouse or partner; for a dependent child, 10 years or until age 25, whichever comes first (3 years if the child is 22 or older); and 20 years for a parent or grandparent (outside Quebec). Lengths differ for Quebec residents. If the person you sponsor receives social assistance during the undertaking, you must repay it and can’t sponsor again until you do. In most cases there’s no income requirement to sponsor a spouse, partner or child; it applies when a dependent child has children of their own. Sponsors of parents and grandparents, and of other relatives, must meet income requirements.
Pathways
Spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
The most common family application, and the one where evidence of the relationship matters most. → Spousal & common-law sponsorship
Dependent children
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, PROVINCIAL AND/OR TERRITORIAL REQUIREMENT · IRCC and IRPR
A dependent child is under 22 and has no spouse or partner, or is 22 or older and has depended on the parent since before 22 because of a physical or mental condition. The child’s age is locked in on the date the application is made, but apart from age, the child must keep meeting the definition until IRCC finishes processing.
Parents and grandparents
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, PROVINCIAL AND/OR TERRITORIAL REQUIREMENT · IRCC
As of October 13, 2026, IRCC lists the Parents and Grandparents Program as paused: no new interest-to-sponsor forms or invitations until further notice, while existing applications continue to be processed (IRCC – Sponsor parents grandparents: canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/sponsor-parents-grandparents.html). Parents and grandparents may instead use a super visa to stay up to 5 years at a time. → Visitor visas
Other relatives
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, PROVINCIAL AND/OR TERRITORIAL REQUIREMENT · IRCC
Other relatives can be sponsored only in narrow cases: an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild who is under 18, single, and related by blood or adoption; or one relative of any age if you have no close relative you could sponsor and no relative who is a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian.
Questions people in your situation ask
- Can I sponsor if I’m on social assistance? If it’s for reasons other than disability, you may be ineligible.
- Can my partner work while we wait? A sponsored spouse or partner living in Canada can apply for an open work permit, if certain conditions are met. → Spousal & common-law sponsorship
- I sponsored someone before. Can I sponsor again? If you sponsored a previous spouse or partner, you may be ineligible until 3 years after they became a permanent resident; and if you were sponsored as a spouse yourself less than 5 years ago, you may not be able to sponsor a new spouse.
Official Government of Canada, Provincial and/or Territorial Requirements: official sources
- IRCC, “Family sponsorship” (IRCC – Family sponsorship: canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship.html)
- IRCC, “Sponsor your spouse, partner or children”: eligibility, who you can sponsor, undertaking (canada.ca, Family sponsorship)
- IRCC, “Sponsor your parents and grandparents” and “Sponsor your relatives” (canada.ca, Family sponsorship)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 2, 25.1 and 132 (Justice Laws – SOR-2002-227 (IRPR) (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-227/FullText.html))
Related
- Spousal and common-law sponsorship → Spousal & common-law sponsorship
- Visitor visas for family → Visitor visas
Common questions
Answers from the Team of Sean G. McKinsley and Kimberly J. White, two Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants working together as co-counsel. Every case is different; for advice on yours, book a consultation.
Does the team handle family sponsorship?
Yes. Family sponsorship is a core part of our practice, including spousal and common-law partner sponsorship, sponsorship of dependent children, and parents and grandparents. We help many same-gender couples with spousal sponsorship. We look at the sponsor’s eligibility, the evidence of the relationship and the right application route, and we tell you the risks before you apply. See Family sponsorship and Spousal sponsorship.
Can you guarantee my application will be approved?
No. Nobody can honestly guarantee an immigration outcome. Decisions are made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and by provincial and territorial governments, not by consultants. Using a representative does not mean an application will be approved. What we can do is give you a straight answer about your options, tell you the risks and costs before you go too far down a pathway, and prepare your matter carefully. Be wary of anyone who promises approval.
More answers: All common questions
Your RCIC team
RCIC · CICC R529731
Verify on the CICC register (Sean G. McKinsley) (register.college-ic.ca)
RCIC · CICC R712483
Verify on the CICC register (Kimberly J. White) (register.college-ic.ca)
Sean G. McKinsley, RCIC, our senior practitioner, conducts your first video consultation.
Check your sponsorship before you file.
No outcome is guaranteed. IRCC decides every sponsorship application.