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Family Immigration to Canada

Family class immigration reunites families in Canadian homes. Canada has a proud tradition of reunifying families under its family class immigration scheme.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada, 18 years of age or older, may sponsor close relatives or family members who want to become permanent residents of Canada. Sponsors must promise to support the relative or family member and their accompanying family members for a period of 3 to 10 years to help them settle in Canada.

You can sponsor relatives or family members from abroad if they are:

A son or daughter is dependent when the child:

Medical Requirements and Up-front Medicals

The medical requirements for spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children are different from the medical requirements that must be met for other members of the Family Class.

Up-front medical examination allows applicants (your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent children) to take the medical examination before the applications for sponsorship and permanent residence are submitted.

Police Certificates and Clearances

You and your family members must provide a police certificate issued by the authorities of each country in which you have lived for 6 months or more since reaching the age of 18.

Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the province of Quebec has a role in determining sponsorship eligibility for Quebec residents. However, the Quebec portion of the process is begun only after Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has finished its assessment of your ability to meet Canada's sponsorship requirements.

If you live in Quebec and want more information about the province's immigration requirements please contact Quebec Immigration for information.