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Family Sponsorship to Canada

We help ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before sponsoring a family member.

Sponsorship Eligibility 

You can sponsor if you:

  • Are 18 years or older

  • Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a person registered under the Canadian Indian Act

  • If a Canadian citizen living abroad, you must demonstrate intent to return to Canada once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident

  • Are not receiving social assistance (except for disability)

  • Are not in default of:

    • A previous sponsorship undertaking

    • Immigration loan

    • Performance bond

    • Court-ordered support payments

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You may need to meet Minimum Necessary Income requirements when sponsoring:

  • A dependent child who has dependent children of their own

  • Parents or grandparents

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You cannot sponsor if you:

  • You are in jail, prison, or under a removal order

  • You have been convicted of certain violent or sexual offences

  • You previously sponsored someone and failed to meet the undertaking

  • You are in default of court-ordered child support or alimony

  • You declared bankruptcy and it has not been discharged

  • You were sponsored as a spouse and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago

  • You sponsored a previous spouse and less than 3 years have passed since they became a permanent resident

Sponsor Obligations

When you sponsor a family member, you must sign an undertaking with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship.


The undertaking is a legal commitment to provide financial support for basic needs including:

  • food, clothing, utilities, personal requirements, shelter, fuel, household supplies, and

  • healthcare not provided by public health, such as eye and dental care. 

 

The undertaking ensures that the family member/s does not have to apply for social assistance. The length of the undertaking depends on their age and their relationship with the sponsor.

Your obligations as a sponsor begin as soon as the person(s) you are sponsoring arrive in Canada. Your spouse or common-law partner may help you meet the income requirement by co-signing the sponsorship application.

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The length of the undertaking is:

  • Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner - 3 years

  • Dependent child over 22 years of age - 3 years

  • Dependent child under 22 years of age - 10 years or until the child becomes 25 years old, whichever comes first,

  • Parents and grandparents - 20 years

  • Other relatives (rare cases) - 10 years

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The undertaking remains in effect even if:

  • The relationship breaks down

  • The sponsor moves provinces

  • The sponsored person becomes a Canadian citizen

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Sponsorship eligibility can vary depending on individual circumstances. Professional guidance may help clarify complex situations.

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