Program Minimum Requirements.
Your relatives can live, study and work in Canada if they become permanent residents of Canada. You can sponsor certain relatives to come to Canada if you’re at least 18 years old and a:
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About the process
If you’re eligible, you can sponsor your spouse, partner or dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada.
1. Support Them Financially
2. Make sure they don’t need social assistance from the government
You must meet all the minimum requirements to be eligible.
Sponsor a spouse, partner: about 12 months Sponsor a child: varies by country
The persons you sponsor may need to give biometrics after they apply. This processing time includes the time they need to give their biometrics.
Who is eligible to sponsor their spouse, partner or child:
You can sponsor your spouse, partner or dependent child if:
You’re at least 18 years old
You’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when the persons you want to sponsor become permanent residents.
You can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside Canada.
You’re able to prove that you’re not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
You can provide for the basic needs of any persons you want to sponsor
To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially take care of the persons you are sponsoring for a period of time. We call this promise an undertaking.
The undertaking commits you to:
Providing financial support for your sponsored family members, starting when they become permanent residents
Repaying any provincial social assistance your sponsored family members get during that time
Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. We call this the sponsorship agreement.
The sponsorship agreement means that:
You’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members
The person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members
When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.
In most cases, there isn’t an income requirement to sponsor your spouse or partner or dependent child. You only need to show that you have enough money to meet the income requirements if:
you’re sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own, or
you’re sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more children of their own.
The Financial Evaluation form instructions explain how much money you’ll need and how to fill out the form.
You’ll get the form when you download your application package.
You must meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements after we approve you as a sponsor. You must sign an undertaking with the province of Quebec.
The Quebec ministry in charge of immigration will assess your income.
You can’t sponsor your spouse, partner or child if:
You’re less than 18 years old
You won’t live in Canada when the persons you want to sponsor become permanent residents
You’re not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
You’re a temporary resident, that is you’re visiting, studying or working in Canada on a visa or permit
Your permanent residence application is still in process
You must have permanent resident status at the time you submit your sponsorship application.
You don’t have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor (if applicable)
You may not be eligible to sponsor your spouse, partner if you:
Adaptability
Were sponsored by a spouse or partner and you became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago
Are still financially responsible for a previous spouse or partner that you sponsored. This means you’re still bound by the 3 year undertaking to take care of this person.
You may not be eligible to sponsor your spouse, partner or child if you:
You have already applied to sponsor the spouse, parent or child you are currently seeking to sponsor and a decision on that application hasn’t been made
Are in jail, prison, or a penitentiary
Didn’t pay back:
An immigration loan
A performance bond
Court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support (not applicable if you live in Quebec)
Didn’t give the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past (not applicable if you live in Quebec)
Declared bankruptcy and are not discharged (not applicable if you live in Quebec)
Receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
You were convicted of attempting, threatening to commit or committing a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada
Can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order
There may be other reasons that make you ineligible to sponsor your spouse, partner or child. If we determine you’re not eligible to sponsor, we’ll tell you why.
Your spouse can be either sex and must be:
Legally married to you
At least 18 years old
Your common-law partner:
Isn’t legally married to you
Can be either sex
Is at least 18 years old
Has been living with you for at least 12 consecutive months, meaning you’ve been living together continuously for 1 year in a conjugal relationship, without any long periods apart
If you or your common-law partner choose to end the relationship, we consider the relationship to be over.
You’ll need to give proof of your common-law relationship.
Isn’t legally married to you or in a common-law relationship with you
Can be either sex
Is at least 18 years old
Has been in a relationship with you for at least 1 year
Lives outside Canada
can't live with you in their country of residence or marry you because of significant legal and immigration reasons such as
Their marital status (for example, they’re still married to someone else in a country where divorce isn’t possible)
Their sexual orientation (for example, you are in a same-sex relationship, and same-sex relationships are not accepted, or same-sex marriage is illegal where they live)
Persecution (for example, your relationship is between different religious groups which is not accepted and they may be punished legally or socially)
You’ll need to give proof that you could not live together or get married in your conjugal partner’s country (for example, proof of refused long-term stays in each other’s country).
Children qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:
They’re under 22 years old
They don’t have a spouse or common law partner
Children 22 years old or older qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:
They are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition
They have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22
With the exception of age, your dependent child must continue to meet these requirements until we finish processing your application.
If you’re a Canadian citizen, your child may also be a Canadian citizen, even if they weren’t born in Canada. You can’t sponsor your child for permanent residence if they’re Canadian citizens already. Check if your child is already a Canadian citizen.
If you’re sponsoring just your child, without sponsoring your spouse or partner, you’ll name your child as the principal applicant in the application. You’ll have to show that the other parent or legal guardian agrees to your child immigrating to Canada. See your checklist for what you’ll need to provide.
If the child you want to sponsor has a child of their own (your grandchild), you’ll include your grandchild as a dependant in the application.
If you want to sponsor your adopted child or an orphaned family member, follow the instructions to sponsor your adopted child or orphaned family member instead.
If you’re sponsoring your spouse or partner and a child (either their own child or a child you’ve had together), you’ll name your spouse or partner as the principal applicant and the child as the dependant in the application.
If the child you want to sponsor has a child of their own, you’ll include the grandchild as a dependant in the application.
To show they meet the eligibility requirements, your spouse, partner, dependent child and their dependent children (if applicable) must provide:
All required forms and documents with their application
Any additional information we request during processing, including
Medical Exams
Biometrics
You can’t sponsor someone who is inadmissible to Canada. This means they’re not allowed to come to Canada.
About the process
If you submit the interest to sponsor form and you’re invited to submit a complete application, you can sponsor your parents and grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada:
Support them and their dependants financially
Make sure they don’t need social assistance from the government
The persons you sponsor may need to give biometrics after they apply. This processing time includes the time they need to give their biometrics.
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents if:
You’re at least 18 years old
You live in Canada
You’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
You have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor
To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially take care of the persons you are sponsoring for a period of time. We call this promise an undertaking:
Providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
Repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time
Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. We call this the sponsorship agreement.
The sponsorship agreement means that:
You’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members
The person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members
When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.
You must meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements after we approve you as a sponsor. The Quebec ministry in charge of immigration will assess your income.
Adaptability
You’re less than 18 years old
You won’t live in Canada when you apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents and/or when your parents and grandparents become permanent residents
You’re not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
You’re a temporary resident, that is you’re visiting, studying or working in Canada on a visa or permit
Your permanent residence application is still in process
Your proof of income shows you don’t have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor
Are in jail, prison, or penitentiary
Didn’t pay back:
a) an immigration loan
b) a performance bond
c) court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support
Didn’t give the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past
Declared bankruptcy and are not discharged
Receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
Adaptability
Were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada
Can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.
In case of divorce or separation, you can sponsor your parents’ and your grandparents’ spouses, or conjugal or common-law partners.
In the application, you can only include your brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters, if they qualify as dependent children.
You may sponsor more than 1 person or couple if you meet the income requirements for all the people you want sponsor and their dependants (spouse, partner and children).
About the process
You may be able to sponsor certain relatives to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class if you’re at least 18 years old and a:
Canadian citizen
Person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
Permanent resident of Canada
If you sponsor a relative to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you must:
Support your relative financially when they arrive
Be able to meet basic needs for yourself and your relative, such as:
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Make sure your relative doesn’t need social assistance
You can sponsor certain relatives if you’re 18 years of age or older and a:
Canadian citizen
Person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
Permanent resident of Canada
You must live in Canada to sponsor eligible relatives unless you:
Are a Canadian citizen who lives abroad
Plan to return to Canada when your relatives immigrate
Are sponsoring your
Spouse
Common-law or conjugal partner
Dependent children who have no dependent children
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec’s conditions to be a sponsor after we approve you as a sponsor. This includes signing an “undertaking” with the province. This is a contract that binds your sponsorship.
When you sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must:
Meet set income guidelines
Agree in writing to give financial support to your relative and any other eligible relatives coming with them:
Beginning on the date they become a permanent resident
For up to 20 years (depending on their age and how you’re related)
The person you sponsor must sign an agreement saying they will make the effort to support themselves. This includes sponsored dependent children 18 or older. Dependent children under 19 don’t have to sign this agreement.
You may not be able to sponsor a relative if you:
Are in prison
Have not paid your alimony or child support payments
Have declared bankruptcy and haven’t been released from it yet
Got social assistance for reasons other than being disabled
Didn’t pay back an immigration loan, made late payments or missed payments
Sponsored another relative in the past and didn’t meet the terms of the sponsorship agreementwere convicted of a violent crime, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence, depending on details of the case, such as:
Other things not on this list may stop you from being able to sponsor a relative.
About the process
There are two processes that you must go through when you adopt a child from another country: the adoption process and the immigration process.
The immigration process has two parts:
The application for sponsorship amd.
The application for permanent residence for the child.
After your child arrives in Canada as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship on the child’s behalf. However, the adoption must be finalized before the child can be granted citizenship.
You may be able to sponsor certain relatives to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class if you’re at least 18 years old and a:
Canadian citizen
Person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
Permanent resident of Canada
Be able to meet basic needs for yourself and your relative, such as:
Food
Shelter
Clothing
For your child to be eligible for permanent resident status, you must be:
A Canadian citizen, born or naturalized in Canada, applying on behalf of the adopted child who is under 18 years of age at the time of application
An adopted person who is 18 years of age or older at the time of application, and was adopted by a Canadian citizen, born or naturalized in Canada
A legal guardian applying on behalf of an adopted child under 18 years of age at the time of application if the child had at least one Canadian parent, born or naturalized in Canada, at the time of adoption
You must live in Canada to sponsor eligible relatives unless you:
A non-Canadian adoptive parent applying on behalf of an adopted child under 18 years of age at the time of application if the other parent is a Canadian citizen, born or naturalized in Canada at the time of the adoption.
Most intercountry adoptions will take place in the child’s home country. Each country has different laws and procedures covering adoption by foreigners. For instance, some countries allow adoptions outside the child’s home country, while others only permit adoption inside the country. Not all countries allow adoptions.
If you are adopting a child who is related to you, different rules from the provinces and/or the country of origin may apply.
The immigration process allows two types of adoptions of children under 18. Depending on the law of the child’s home country, the intercountry adoption must either:
Be completed outside of Canada
Be completed in Canada
For Canadian immigration purposes, all intercountry adoptions must:
Be legal in the child’s home country and in the province or territory where you live
End the legal relationship between your adopted child and his or her biological parents
Meet the requirements of your province or territory, including a home study
Create a genuine parent–child relationship between you and the child
Be in the best interests of the child
Not be primarily to gain permanent resident status for the child in Canada
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec’s conditions to be a sponsor after we approve you as a sponsor. This includes signing an “undertaking” with the province. This is a contract that binds your sponsorship.
Children adopted outside Canada may be sponsored to come to Canada if:
Informed consent has been given by both of your child’s biological parents (if they are living).
Your child has been legally adopted outside Canada.
The requirements of the Hague Convention have been met, if they apply.
Adopted children must complete a medical exam before being issued a permanent resident visa. Your province or territory or a licensed adoption agency will tell you how and when it will take place. You must also sign a statement that you have obtained information regarding any medical conditions the child may have.
Intercountry adoption is complex. Other requirements may apply depending on the country from which you are adopting and your home province or territory. Your provincial or territorial government office will be able to tell you about adoption requirements.