Eligible individuals can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada.

In this case, sponsors should support them financially and ensure that they do not need social assistance from the government.

Spouse

Your spouse can be either sex and must be legally married to you and at least 18 years old

Common-law partner

Your common-law isn’t legally married to you and can be either sex, must be at least 18 years old and 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.

Any time spent away from each other should have been short and temporary

If you or your common-law partner choose to end the relationship, they consider the relationship to be over. You’ll need to give proof of your common-law relationship.

Conjugal partner

Your conjugal partner isn’t legally married to you or in a common-law relationship with you, can be either sex, must be 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).

Dependent children

Children qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:

• They’re under 22 years old and 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 conditions and 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 they qualify as a dependent child, you can sponsor them.

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.

The applicant can sponsor their parents, or grandparents who are related by blood or adoption.

In the event of parental divorce, separate applications must be submitted for sponsorship. If the parents or grandparents are divorced and have a new spouse, or common-law partner, these dependents can immigrate to Canada with the sponsoring parents, and grandparents, if approved.

You can only apply for siblings or half-siblings who are eligible as dependent children.

The applicant must be financially able to sponsor all the people and their dependents (spouse, common-law partner and children).

You can’t sponsor your spouse’s parents and grandparents (your in-laws); however, you can be a co-signer on your in-laws’ application.

Application Fees

The applicant can only become a sponsor of an orphan brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild who meets all of the following conditions:

• They are related by blood or adoption to the applicant
• Both their mother and father have died
• They are under 18 years old
• They are single (not married or in a marital relationship)
• The applicant cannot sponsor his or her brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandson if:
• One of their parents is still alive
• No one knows where their parents are
• Their parents left them
• As long as one or both of their parents are alive, someone other than their parents will take care of them
• Their parents are in prison or otherwise, detained

Application Fees

If the applicant meets all of these conditions, he or she can sponsor a relative who has a blood relationship or adoption at any age:

• The applicant does not have a relative who can be sponsored at the moment, such as:

Spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, child, parents, grandparents, orphan brother or sister, orphan niece or nephew or grandchild

• The applicant (potential sponsor) has no family (aunt or uncle or any of the relatives mentioned above), who meets one of the following conditions:
• Is a Canadian citizen
• Permanently resides in Canada
• Registered as early residents in Canada

If a relative who wants to sponsor has a spouse, partner or dependent children with whom they come to Canada, they must include them in the same application.

Application Fees

Who is not eligible to sponsor a family member?

The applicant may not be able to sponsor a relative if:

• He/she is in prison.
• He/she has not paid the family support expenses
• He/she has declared bankruptcy and has not been yet discharged.
• Receives social assistance for reasons other than a disability
• Has not repaid the immigration loan or has made late payments
• In the past, the sponsor has sponsored another relative and has not complied with the terms of the sponsorship
• Depending on the details of the case, he has been convicted of a violent crime or any crime against a relative or sexual offence.
• Depending on the type of offence, and the time it was committed, and whether a record suspension was issued (formerly called “forgiveness” in Canada) and other factors that are not on the list, the applicant may be barred from sponsoring a relative.