About

Canada’s Family Sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor certain family members to immigrate and live permanently in Canada. It aims to reunite families by enabling spouses, dependent children, parents, grandparents, and other eligible relatives to join their loved ones in Canada.

Who can apply

Sponsors must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, at least 18 years old.
  
  
• Live in Canada or plan to return to Canada when the sponsored family member arrives.
  
  
• Meet financial requirements to support the sponsored relative and avoid social assistance dependency.
  
  
• Not be receiving social assistance for reasons other than disability.
  
  
• Not have defaulted on a previous sponsorship agreement.
  
  
• Be willing to sign an undertaking promising to financially support the sponsored family member for a set period (varies by relationship).
  
  

Eligible family members for sponsorship include:

• Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner.
  
  
• Dependent children (under 22 and unmarried, or over 22 if dependent due to a physical or mental condition).
  
  
• Parents and grandparents (through a specific Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program).
  
  
• Other relatives in certain special cases (e.g., orphaned siblings, nephews, nieces under 18 with no parents).

Benefits

• Reunification of families: Enables family members to live, work, and study in Canada.
  
  
• Permanent residence: Sponsored individuals receive permanent resident status upon approval.
  
  
• Access to healthcare and social services: Once in Canada, sponsored family members have access to provincial health care.
  
  
• Work and study rights: Spouses and dependent children can often apply for work or study permits while sponsorship is being processed.
  
  
• Pathway to citizenship: Sponsored family members may become eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship after fulfilling residency requirements.

Real-Life Example

A Canadian citizen living in Toronto sponsors their spouse from abroad. After fulfilling the application requirements and processing, the spouse receives permanent residence and moves to Canada. They later obtain a work permit and start working, contributing to the Canadian economy while reuniting with their family.

Frequently Asked Questions