This article will help you navigate through the main requirements to sponsor a spouse, a common-law partner or conjugal partner, and dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada. This includes your obligations as a sponsor, your income requirements, and other the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility to Sponsor
You can become a sponsor if you are:
- at least 18 years old,
- a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident,
- able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability, and
- have enough income to provide for basic needs of any grandchildren (dependent children of a dependent child) of the principal applicant.
You must live in Canada to sponsor unless you:
- are a Canadian citizen who lives abroad and
- plan to return to Canada when your relatives immigrate.
You cannot become a sponsor if you:
- signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner and it hasn’t been three years since they became a permanent resident,
- receive social assistance for a reason other than disability,
- previously sponsored someone and did not pay back any social assistance that they received while the undertaking was in place,
- are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond,
- did not pay court-ordered alimony or child support,
- have declared bankruptcy which has not been discharged,
- were convicted of an offence of a sexual nature, a violent crime, an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or threatened or attempted to commit any of the above offences,
- were previously sponsored as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago (even if you got your Canadian citizenship within those five years),
- are under a removal order,
- are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison, or
- have already applied to sponsor your current spouse or partner and haven’t received a decision.
If you live in Quebec, you must satisfy the requirements of both governments. The requirements of Quebec are similar to those of the federal government.
On June 26, 2024, the Quebec government announced the introduction of a cap on family sponsorship:
- From June 26, 2024 to June 25, 2026, a maximum of 10,400 applications will be accepted for the sponsorship of a spouse, common-law spouse, conjugal partner or dependent child aged 18 or over. The cap does not apply to the sponsorship of dependent children under 18 years old or that are dependent on a parent due to disability (per definition below in the “Who can you sponsor?” section).
Obligations as a Sponsor
When you sponsor persons who are members of the family class, you must sign an undertaking with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or with the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) if you live in Quebec.
The undertaking is a promise to provide financial support and basic requirements for the family members you are sponsoring. Basic requirements are:
- 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 these persons and their family members do not have to apply for social assistance. The length of 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.
The undertaking is an unconditional promise of support. For example, the granting of Canadian citizenship, divorce, separation or relationship breakdown or moving to another province does not cancel the undertaking. The undertaking also remains in effect even if your financial situation deteriorates.
The length of the undertaking for residents of provinces and territories outside Quebec is:
- 3 years for your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner,
- 3 years for a dependent child over 22 years of age,
- 10 years for a dependent child under 22 years of age, or until the child becomes 22 years old, whichever comes first.
The length of the undertaking for residents of Quebec is:
- 3 years for your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner,
- 3 years minimum for a dependent child over 16 years of age, or until the child becomes 25 years old, whichever is the longest,
- 10 years minimum for a dependent child under 16 years of age, or until the child becomes 18 years old, whichever is the longest.
Who Can You Sponsor?
You can sponsor your:
You can sponsor the dependent children of your spouse, partner or children. If you do not sponsor them, you are still liable as a sponsor since the undertaking of support concerns the sponsored person and their dependent children. Even if the dependent children of the sponsored person is not part of the sponsorship, they need to be clearly listed on the application regardless. You can still sponsor them later, as long as they remain dependent children.
- spouse, who is at least 18 years old, if your marriage is a legally valid civil marriage. Opposite and same-sex marriages will be recognized for immigration:
- if legally performed in Canada, or
- if performed outside of Canada, the marriage must be legally recognized in the country where it took place and in Canada.
- common-law partner (same or opposite sex), who is at least 18 years old, as long as you’ve been living or have lived with your partner for at least 12 consecutive months in a marriage-like relationship.
- conjugal partner, who is at least 18 years old, if
- there is a significant degree of attachment between the two of you, implying not just a physical relationship but a mutually interdependent relationship, and
- you’ve been in a genuine (real) relationship for at least 12 months where marriage or cohabitation (living together) hasn’t been possible because of barriers such as sexual orientation, religious faith, etc.
- dependent children if they’re under 22 years old and don’t have a spouse or common-law partner. Children 22 years old or older qualify as dependants if they:
- have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22, and
- are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.
You can sponsor the dependent children of your spouse, partner or children. If you do not sponsor them, you are still liable as a sponsor since the undertaking of support concerns the sponsored person and their dependent children. Even if the dependent children of the sponsored person is not part of the sponsorship, they need to be clearly listed on the application regardless. You can still sponsor them later, as long as they remain dependent children.
Income Requirements
There are no income requirements for you to sponsor your spouse, common-law, partner, conjugal partner, or dependent children. However, you must not be receiving welfare benefits (excluding disability), or be in bankruptcy when you apply.
However, you must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) (i) if you are sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own, or (ii) if you are sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more children of their own.
The same applies if you are a Quebec resident.
However, you must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) (i) if you are sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own, or (ii) if you are sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more children of their own.
The same applies if you are a Quebec resident.
Income requirements for residents outside Quebec
Your income must meet or exceed the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), on the date which the sponsorship application is signed.
You need to calculate the number of people in your family, including:
- Yourself and your family members, even if they do not live with you,
- The person you are sponsoring and his/her family members who will be living with you,
- Anyone you have sponsored in the past and their family members,
- Anyone you have co-signed a sponsorship financial obligation in the past and is still in effect, and
- Any person that you are sponsoring who has sponsored or has co-signed a sponsorship financial obligation for in the past and is still in effect.
| Family Size | MNI – 2024 |
|---|---|
| 2 | $36,576 |
| 3 | $44,966 |
| 4 | $54,594 |
| 5 | $61,920 |
| 6 | $69,834 |
| 7 | $77,750 |
| For each additional person | $7,916 |
Income requirements for Quebec residents
If you live in Quebec, the Quebec ministry in charge of immigration will assess your income based on their own minimum income requirements, which differ from the tables above. For example, for Quebec residents, there is no special distinction in required income for parents and grandparents.
However, the same exceptions to minimum income requirements apply for Quebec residents (for spouse, partner, children, …)
The amounts below are in effect from January 1 to December 31, 2024.
Basic income required of the sponsor to meet his or her own family unit’s basic needs:
- For 1 member: $28,242
- For 2 member: $38,124
- For 3 members: $47,068
- For 4 members: $54,135
- For 5 members: $60,250
- For each additional member: $6,115
Additional income required of the sponsor to meet the needs of the sponsored persons:
- For 0 sponsored person aged 18 or older AND:
- For 1 sponsored person under 18: $9,776
- For 2 sponsored persons under 18: $15,493
- For each additional sponsored person under 18: $5,166
- For 1 sponsored person aged 18 or older AND:
- For 0 sponsored person under 18: $20,657
- For 1 sponsored person under 18: $27,755
- For 2 sponsored persons under 18: $31,341
- For each additional sponsored person under 18: $3,582
- For 2 sponsored persons aged 18 or older AND:
- For 0 sponsored person under 18: $30,294
- For 1 sponsored person under 18: $33,935
- For 2 sponsored persons under 18: $36,634
- For each additional sponsored person under 18: $2,689
- For each additional sponsored person aged 18 or older: $9,630
Application Process
To apply to sponsor your spouse, partner or dependent child, there are 2 applications:
- You must apply to become a sponsor.
- Your spouse, partner or child must apply for permanent residence (if the person being sponsored is under 18, you or their guardian can fill out the forms and sign them on their behalf).
If you live in Quebec, you must:
- First submit your federal sponsorship application to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- If you meet the federal requirements to apply for sponsorship, IRCC will send an email or letter with instructions to download Quebec’s sponsorship kit.
- The person you are sponsoring must complete certain procedures, namely, applying for a “Certificat de Selection du Québec” (CSQ) and permanent residence.
Medical Exam & Biometrics Requirements
The sponsored person and their dependents will need to pass a Medical Exam with an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) approved doctor. Find out more in our medical exams article.
It may be required to provide biometrics (fingerprints scanning and photograph). You can find more information on Biometrics in this page.
It may be required to provide biometrics (fingerprints scanning and photograph). You can find more information on Biometrics in this page.
Application Fees
Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner: $1,205
Dependent child under 22 years old: $170
Dependent child over 22 years old: $175
- $85 Sponsorship fee,
- $545 Processing fee, and
- $575 Right of Permanent Residence fee.
Dependent child under 22 years old: $170
- $85 Sponsorship fee, and
- $85 Processing fee.
Dependent child over 22 years old: $175
If you live in Quebec, you will need pay fees for the “Certificat de Sélection du Québec” (CSQ). As of January 1st, 2024, the fees are $319 for the principal sponsored person, plus $128 for each additional sponsored person in the same application.
Processing Times
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a target service standard of processing 80% of spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children sponsorship applications within 12 months.
From April 2022 to March 2023, IRCC processed 66% of applications within the 12-month standard.
You can check the current average processing times for spouse or partner sponsorship applications here:
Processing times for a dependent child sponsorship application depend on the country from where your sponsored family member is living. You can find out your country’s current average processing times here. You need to select “Sponsor a family member”, then “Dependent child”, then choose the country they are living in.
From April 2022 to March 2023, IRCC processed 66% of applications within the 12-month standard.
You can check the current average processing times for spouse or partner sponsorship applications here:
- For a spouse or common-law partner sponsorship application from inside Canada, you need to select “Sponsor a family member”, then “Spouse or Partner living inside of Canada”.
- For a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner sponsorship application from outside Canada, you need to select “Sponsor a family member”, then “Spouse or Partner living outside of Canada”.
Processing times for a dependent child sponsorship application depend on the country from where your sponsored family member is living. You can find out your country’s current average processing times here. You need to select “Sponsor a family member”, then “Dependent child”, then choose the country they are living in.
