Immigration to Canada
Family Class Sponsorship
Canada knows the importance of helping families who come from other countries to reunite in Canada. If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, you can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child (including adopted child) or other eligible relative (such as a parent or grandparent) to become a permanent resident.
As a sponsor, you are responsible for supporting your relative financially when he or she arrives to Canada and you must make sure your relative will not seek financial assistance from the government.
Who can be sponsored?
- spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child (including adopted child)
- parents
- grandparents
- brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons who are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
- another relative of any age or relationship if none of the above relatives could be sponsored, and you have no other relatives who are Canadian citizens, persons registered as Indians under the Indian Act or permanent residents and
- accompanying relatives of the above (for example, spouse, partner and dependent children).
Ineligibility to sponsor
You may not be eligible to sponsor a relative if you:
- failed to provide the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor another relative in the past
- defaulted on a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support
- received government financial assistance for reasons other than a disability
- were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence—depending on circumstances, such as the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred and whether a pardon was issued
- defaulted on an immigration loan—late or missed payments
- are in prison
- have declared bankruptcy and have not been released from it yet.
Other factors not mentioned in this list might also make you ineligible to sponsor a relative.
