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Sponsoring a Family Member or Relative

When you sponsor a relative or family member to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must promise to support that person and their accompanying family members for a period of 3 to 10 years, depending on their age and relationship to you.

Are You Eligible To Be Sponsored?

Length of Time for Support

You must provide financial support for the relatives or family members you are sponsoring depending on their age and relationship to you.

If you are sponsoring:

• Your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, you must provide financial support for 3 years from the date that person became a permanent resident;
• Your, or your spouse's, common-law or conjugal partner's dependent child who is less than 22 years of age, you must provide financial support for 10 years from the date that person became a permanent resident or until the child turns 25 years of age, whichever comes first;
• Your, or your spouse's, common-law or conjugal partner's dependent child who is 22 years of age or older, you must provide financial support for 3 years from the date that person became a permanent resident; or
• Any other person not mentioned above, you must provide financial support for 10 years from the date that person became a permanent resident.

Who Can Sponsor?

You may be eligible to sponsor if:

• The person you want to sponsor is a member of the family class;

  Note: If that person is not a member of the family class, you will not meet sponsorship requirements and, therefore, your application to sponsor will not be approved and the application for permanent residence of the person you want to sponsor will be refused, unless you decide to withdraw your sponsorship application. If you withdraw the sponsorship, you will have no appeal rights.

• You are 18 years of age or older;
• You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• You reside in Canada.

Canadian citizens not residing in Canada may sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner and/or dependent children who have no dependent children of their own. Canadians travelling abroad as tourists are not considered to be residing outside Canada.

Sponsors not residing in Canada must provide evidence that they reside exclusively outside Canada on the date of giving the undertaking and will reside in Canada at the time their sponsored spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner and/or children become permanent residents of Canada.

Are You Eligible To Be Sponsored?

Evidence that they will reside in Canada may include one or more of the following:

• Letter from an employer;
• Letter of acceptance to a Canadian educational institution;
• Proof of having rented/bought a dwelling in Canada;
• Reasonable plans for re-establishing in Canada or severing ties to the other country;
• You sign an undertaking promising to provide for the basic requirements of the person being sponsored and, if applicable, his or her family members;
• You and the person being sponsored sign an agreement that confirms that each of you understands your mutual obligations and responsibilities;
• You have an income that is at least equal to the minimum necessary income, the amount of which is published yearly by the Canadian government.

If you reside in Quebec, there are additional conditions.

You will have to provide documents that show your financial resources for the past 12 months and prove you are financially able to sponsor members of the family class. You may solicit the help of a co-signer (must be your spouse or common-law partner).

This condition does not apply if you are sponsoring only:

• Your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner who has no dependent children; or
• Your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner whose dependent children have no children of their own; or
• Your dependent child who has no children of his or her own.

You are not eligible to sponsor family or relatives for immigration to Canada if you are in default of a previous sponsorship undertaking, of an immigration loan, of court ordered support payment obligations or of a performance bond.

Are You Eligible To Be Sponsored?