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Family reunification is a key priority of Canada's immigration policy, as defined by Section 3 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. One of the primary mechanisms for implementing this provision is sponsorship. This article is related only to those who want to sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, and/or a dependent child (it does not touch the topic of sponsorship of parents program which does not accept new applications since 2020; a super visa for parents and grandparents is a good alternative for them to visit you and stay in Canada for up to 5 years).
You can sponsor:
your spouse or common-law partner who lives with you in Canada, and their dependent children,
your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner who lives overseas, and their dependent children,
your dependent children.
Application Class:
Family Class:
the person you want to sponsor lives outside Canada,
the person you want to sponsor currently lives with you in Canada but doesn’t plan to stay in Canada while the application is being processed,
you’re sponsoring your conjugal partner or dependent child.
Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class if your spouse or common-law partner:
lives with you in Canada,
has valid temporary resident status in Canada, or is exempt from needing this status under a public policy.
Terminology
If you’re married, you can sponsor the person as your spouse if your marriage is a legally valid civil marriage. Marriages will be recognized for immigration purposes, where the marriage was legally performed in Canada, or if performed outside of Canada, the marriage must be legally recognized both in the country where it took place and in Canada. IRCC does not recognize marriages performed outside of Canada by proxy, telephone, fax, Internet and other forms of marriage where one or both persons were not physically present at the ceremony.
You can sponsor the person as your common-law partner (any gender) as long as you've been living or have lived with your partner for at least 12 consecutive months in a marriage-like relationship.
If they are in Canada, they can apply for an open work permit or study permit if needed.
If you’re in conjugal relationship, a conjugal partner is a person who is living outside Canada, in a conjugal relationship with the sponsor for at least one year. You can sponsor a conjugal partner 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 for any reason. If you’re applying in the conjugal partner class, the person being sponsored cannot be living in Canada.
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,
living in Canada (If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident; you can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside of Canada),
able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability,
you must also be able to show that you can provide basic needs for yourself and those whom you sponsor: your spouse or partner, your spouse or partner’s dependent child(ren) (if applicable), your dependent child(ren) (if you’re sponsoring only your dependent child).
Minimum Necessary Income
If you are sponsoring a spouse, partner or dependent child, there is no minimum necessary income (MNI) requirement you need to meet.
But you must meet the minimum income requirement if the spouse or partner you're sponsoring has a dependent child who has dependent child of their own, or the dependent child you are sponsoring has a dependent child of their own. The income requirement is based on Statistics Canada’s annual Low-income Cut-Off (LICO).
You can still sponsor if you are receiving maternity, parental and sickness benefits paid under the Employment Insurance Act. These benefits also count as income for the purposes of meeting the MNI.
You can still sponsor if you are receiving regular Employment Insurance and federal training allowances. These benefits don’t normally count towards income for the purposes of meeting the MNI.
You may not be able to sponsor if you:
are sponsoring a spouse or partner but you signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner and it hasn’t been three years since they became a permanent resident,
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—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened and if you received a pardon (Sponsorship bar for violent crime),
are sponsoring a spouse or partner and you were previously sponsored as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago,
are under a removal order,
are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison,
have already applied to sponsor your current spouse or partner and haven’t received a decision.
Additional information is here.
Your obligations as a sponsor
You must sign an undertaking, promising to give financial support for the basic needs of your spouse or partner and their dependent children, which are food, clothing, shelter and other needs for everyday living, dental care, eye care and other health needs that aren’t covered by public health services.
If they receive social assistance, you’ll have to pay back what they received during the time you are legally responsible for them. You won’t be able to sponsor anyone else until you’ve repaid the amount.
The undertaking will stay in effect for the length of the undertaking period, even if your situation changes. The undertaking won’t be cancelled, even if the person you sponsor becomes a Canadian citizen, or you become divorced, separated or your relationship with the sponsored person breaks down, or you or the person you sponsor move to another province or country, or you have financial problems.
If you change your mind after you submit the sponsorship application and undertaking, you must write us a letter before a final decision is made on the file and submit the letter as an attachment through the IRCC Webform. You can only withdraw an undertaking if we approve the withdrawal.
Length of undertaking
You’re sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner – 3 years,
You’re sponsoring a dependent child over 22 years of age – 3 years,
You’re sponsoring a dependent child under 22 years of age – either 10 years, or until the child becomes 25 years old, whichever comes first.
Quebec has different rules.
Dependent children
Your child or the child of your spouse or common-law partner can be considered a dependent child if that child meets the requirements below on the day IRCC receives your complete application:
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 have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22, and
they are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.
With the exception of age, dependants must continue to meet these requirements until IRCC finishes processing your application.
You can find out if your child is a dependant by using this tool.
Very Simplified Process Model
Create a profile on PR-portal,
Choose Family and then select necessary category,
Fill out all forms carefully, provide documents and pay fees ($1,205 for your spouse/common-law partner/conjugal partner, $175 for any dependent child included in the application together with a sponsored adult; $170 if you sponsor a dependent child only),
Wait for the decision (you can check approximate processing time here),
Get the decision, and if positive:
if you are in Canada: receive your e-COPR (electronic Confirmation of Permanent Residence), submit your photo and wait for the PR-card.
if you are outside Canada: send your passport for an immigration visa as specified in the decision letter, then get your passport with your visa and COPR, come to Canada within terms specified in your visa, wait for your PR-card at the Canadian address you provided at the border port of entry.
Relationship Genuineness
You must demonstrate that the relationship you are in is genuine. Provide proofs of:
History and development of your relationship: how, when and where you met; engagement and marriage (if applicable); time spent together; relationship development over time.
Communication: ongoing contact, frequency and nature.
Financial aspects: shared finances and financial support.
Social aspects: public recognition, cohabitation, background knowledge, each other’s family involvement.
Commitment and intent: future plans, shared responsibilities, emotional support.
Documentary evidence: marriage certificate, meaningful photos and videos, travel documents, letters, cards, statements from friends and family.
Be ready for an interview: it may be held by immigration officers to assess the credibility, consistency and genuineness of the relationship.
List of documents you may need
applicants’ passports (all pages),
applicants’ documents confirming status in Canada (work permit, study permit, visitor record) (if applicable),
applicants’ birth certificates,
marriage certificate; divorce certificate, court decision on divorce, death certificate (including previous marriages and divorces),
applicants’ police certificates of no criminal record (for persons over 18 years of age) from each country where they lived for more than 6 months since the age of 18 (not required from Canada),
applicants’ digital photos,
applicants’ military ID card or a document replacing it (if applicable),
sponsor’s status document (Canadian passport, PR-card, Canadian birth certificate),
depending on the relationship type, you may need the following documents confirming genuineness of your relationship: family photos (up to 20 pics with descriptions), documents showing the same address (local IDs, driver’s licence, rental agreement, utility, internet, phone bills, letters to each other, communication logs, support letters from relatives and friends), financial documents (joint and personal bank accounts, bank statements, notices of assessment, job letters, travel records, leases, mortgages), social media profiles showing your relationship, etc.
other documents that may be required in your personal situation.
Disclaimer: Provided information is not a legal advice. Every case is unique. We recommend you to discuss your case with a specialist first.
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Last updated October 23, 2025
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