Sponsor your spouse or partner
to Canada
Everyone wanting to sponsor their spouse, partner or child to Canada must apply to become a sponsor. If you are eligible to sponsor, your family members (i.e., spouse or partner and dependent children) must apply for permanent residence. Both, the sponsorship and the permanent residence applications must be sent together at the same time.
Who is eligible to sponsor their spouse, partner or child to Canada?
You must meet some basic requirements to become a Sponsor. You must:
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be at least 18 years old
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be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
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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
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you can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside Canada
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prove that you’re not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
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be able to provide for the basic needs of any persons you want to sponsor (meet income requirements when sponsoring a child with a dependent children of their own)
To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially take care of the persons you are sponsoring for a period of time. This promise is known as an undertaking. The “length of undertaking” is the time period you’re financially responsible for the person you sponsor, starting on the day the person you sponsor becomes a permanent resident as follows:
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Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner: 3 years
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Dependent child under 22 years of age: 10 years, or until age 25, whichever comes first
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Dependent child 22 years of age or older: 3 years
The province of Quebec has its own sponsorship rules.
There are countless of particular circumstances that may make you ineligible to sponsor, or that might affect the processing of your Sponsorship application.
Who can you sponsor to Canada?
You can sponsor:
To show they meet the eligibility requirements, your spouse, partner, dependent child and their dependent children (if applicable) must provide:
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all required forms and documents with their application
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any additional information the IRCC may request during processing, including
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police certificates
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They may also be called to be interviewed.
You can’t sponsor someone who is inadmissible to Canada. This means they’re not allowed to come to Canada.