Family Sponsorship Canada

Family Sponsorship Canada

Family reunification is one of the core commitments of Canada's immigration system, and the Family Class Sponsorship program is how Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada delivers it. If you are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Canadian Indian Act, you can sponsor close family members for permanent residence, whether that means sponsoring your spouse or partner, a common-law partner, your dependent children, or your parents and grandparents. Each stream has its own eligibility rules, financial commitments, fees, and processing times, and some of them changed in 2026.

This guide sets out the current requirements, what each undertaking actually commits you to, what the government fees are after the April 30, 2026 fee increase, and where the program is open or paused right now. If you want your own case reviewed before you file, you can start with a free assessment.

What Is Family Class Sponsorship in Canada?

Family Class Sponsorship allows an eligible sponsor in Canada to bring specific family members to the country as permanent residents. Once the sponsored person's application is approved and they land, they hold the same rights as any other Canadian permanent resident, including access to healthcare and social services, the ability to work and study, and eventually the right to apply for Canadian citizenship.

The program is built around two commitments. The first is that families should be able to live together. The second is that the sponsor, not the public purse, carries the cost of settling that family member. That is why every sponsorship involves a signed undertaking in which you promise to provide for the sponsored person's basic needs, including food, shelter, clothing, and health needs not covered by public insurance, for a set number of years.

If the person you sponsored receives provincial social assistance during the undertaking period, you are required to repay it, and you cannot sponsor anyone else until you do.

How to Sponsor a Family Member in Canada

To act as a sponsor you must be at least 18 years old and be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Canadian Indian Act. Permanent residents must be living in Canada. Canadian citizens living abroad may sponsor a spouse, partner, or dependent child, but must show they will return to Canada once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.

The process involves two applications submitted together. You apply to sponsor, and the family member applies for permanent residence. Both are filed online through the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal, except where a disability or another approved reason makes electronic filing impossible. After submission, the applicant completes biometrics, an immigration medical examination, and police certificates as required, and IRCC may request further documents or an interview.

Residents of Quebec have an extra step. After IRCC assesses you as an eligible sponsor, you must also file a separate undertaking application with the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration, and Quebec applies its own intake caps and income rules.

Sponsor Your Spouse, Common-Law Partner, or Conjugal Partner

You can sponsor a partner if the relationship fits one of three categories:

• Your spouse, if you are legally married and both of you are at least 18 years old
• Your common-law partner, if you have lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months
• Your conjugal partner, if you have been in a marriage-like relationship for at least one year but have been unable to live together or to marry because of significant legal or immigration barriers

There is no Minimum Necessary Income requirement for sponsoring a spouse or partner. You still have to show that you can support them without turning to social assistance, and you must sign a three year undertaking that stays in force even if the relationship later breaks down.

Inland vs Outland Spousal Sponsorship in Canada

Outland sponsorship applies when your partner is outside Canada, and it is processed through IRCC's network of visa offices. Based on IRCC's figures as updated in July 2026, outland applications destined outside Quebec take approximately 17 months. The outland stream carries the right to appeal a refusal to the Immigration Appeal Division, and your partner can still visit Canada during processing if they qualify for temporary residence.

You may also file outland while your partner is physically in Canada. That is permitted, and it preserves the appeal right, but your partner must keep valid temporary status for the whole processing period, which often means extending a visitor record before it expires.

Inland sponsorship applies when your partner is already in Canada holding valid temporary status such as a visitor record, study permit, or work permit. They must remain in Canada throughout processing. If they leave and the Canada Border Services Agency refuses re-entry, the application can fail.

The advantage of the inland stream is the Spouse Open Work Permit, which your partner can apply for once IRCC issues the Acknowledgement of Receipt. IRCC's posted processing time for that permit is now about 186 days, roughly six months, so plan for a longer gap before your partner can work than was the case in previous years. Inland permanent residence processing is also slower, currently around 27 months outside Quebec, and a refusal carries no right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. The only recourse is judicial review at the Federal Court.

Applications processed under Quebec run longer on both routes, in the range of 32 to 33 months.

Choosing between the streams is a strategic decision rather than an administrative one. If speed and appeal rights matter most, outland is usually stronger. If your partner is already here and needs work authorization, inland delivers that. A regulated Canadian immigration consultant can map your circumstances against both options before you commit.

Sponsor Your Dependent Children for Permanent Residence

A dependent child is a biological or adopted child of the sponsor, or of the sponsor's spouse or partner, who is under 22 years old and does not have a spouse or common-law partner.

A child aged 22 or older can still qualify under an exception if they have depended on their parents for financial support since before turning 22 and cannot support themselves because of a mental or physical condition. The exception is narrow. Being a student or between jobs does not qualify.

There is no Minimum Necessary Income requirement for sponsoring a dependent child, with one exception: if the child you are sponsoring has dependent children of their own, you must meet the income threshold for your family size.

The undertaking length depends on the child's age when they become a permanent resident:

You must also prove the parent and child relationship with documents such as birth certificates and identity documents. Where those documents cannot establish a biological relationship, IRCC may offer DNA testing as an alternative. Adopted children can be sponsored, but the application must satisfy both Canadian immigration law and international adoption rules.

When Is a Dependent Child's Age Locked In?

IRCC fixes, or locks in, a child's age on a set date so that slow processing does not cause an otherwise eligible child to age out. For family class sponsorship, the lock-in date is normally the date IRCC receives the complete permanent residence application.

Once that date passes, the child's age on that date is what governs eligibility, even if they turn 22 while the file is still open. Marital status is different: the child must remain without a spouse or common-law partner throughout processing, and a marriage during processing can end their eligibility regardless of the locked-in age.

Sponsor Your Parents or Grandparents Through the PGP

The Parents and Grandparents Program is the permanent residence route for parents and grandparents, and it operates on an invitation-only basis rather than open intake.

Is the Parents and Grandparents Program Open in 2026?

No. New intake has been paused since January 1, 2026, and on July 15, 2026 the federal government confirmed the pause would continue for the rest of the year. IRCC is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms and is not issuing new invitations to apply until further notice. No reopening date has been announced.

What is still happening:

• IRCC continues to process applications filed under the 2025 intake, drawn from the 2020 interest to sponsor pool
• IRCC still plans to finalize permanent residence for up to 15,000 people under the program in 2026
• Applications that do not meet the intake conditions are returned

If you were not invited, the practical alternative is the super visa, described below. Anyone who submitted an interest to sponsor form in the original pool should keep their contact details and supporting documents current in case invitations resume.

Minimum Necessary Income for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship

When the program is open, sponsors must meet the Minimum Necessary Income for each of the three tax years before the date of application, proven with a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency for each year. The thresholds for the most recent intake, which covered tax years 2022, 2023, and 2024 for sponsors outside Quebec, were as follows:

These figures apply to the last intake. When a new intake opens, IRCC will publish updated thresholds tied to the new set of tax years, so treat the table above as a planning reference rather than a fixed target.

The undertaking for parents and grandparents is 20 years outside Quebec and 10 years in Quebec, and it begins the day they become permanent residents. It cannot be cancelled or shortened afterward, and it survives a change in your relationship, a move to another province or country, or financial hardship on your side.

Co-Signer for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship

If your own income falls short of the Minimum Necessary Income, your spouse or common-law partner can co-sign, and the combined income of both of you is then assessed against the threshold for each of the three tax years.

A co-signer must supply their own Notice of Assessment for the same three years and must meet the same eligibility criteria as the primary sponsor. They cannot be receiving social assistance for a reason other than disability, cannot have defaulted on a previous undertaking, cannot be under a removal order, and cannot have been convicted of certain violent or sexual offences.

Co-signing means accepting the full 20 year undertaking, or 10 years in Quebec, in your own name. That obligation continues even if the relationship ends through separation, divorce, or the breakdown of a common-law relationship.

Family size drives which threshold applies, so it has to be counted correctly. Your family unit includes you, your spouse or common-law partner whether or not they are co-signing, your dependent children, the parents or grandparents being sponsored, their accompanying spouse or partner, their dependent children, and anyone you or your co-signer previously sponsored who is still covered by an active undertaking. A married sponsor with one child sponsoring both parents has a family unit of five. If those parents have a dependent child who will accompany them, the unit becomes six.

Super Visa as an Alternative While the PGP Is Paused

The super visa is a long-term, multiple-entry temporary resident visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. It allows stays of up to five years at a time without renewing status from inside Canada.

It is not permanent residence, and it does not put your parents in a queue for it, but it is currently the only route that reliably reunites families while PGP intake is closed. Applicants must show that the child or grandchild in Canada meets the required income level, and must hold valid medical insurance covering at least one year.

Who Can I Sponsor to Come to Canada?

If you are an eligible sponsor, you can sponsor:

• Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner. They must be at least 18 years old and the relationship must be genuine. No minimum income applies, and the undertaking is three years.
• Dependent children. Under 22 and without a spouse or partner, or 22 and over where a mental or physical condition prevents financial self-support. No minimum income applies in most cases, and the undertaking is 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.
• Parents and grandparents. Through the Parents and Grandparents Program, subject to the Minimum Necessary Income and a 20 year undertaking. Intake is currently paused.
• Orphaned relatives. A brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild may be sponsored if they are under 18, both parents are deceased, and they are not married or in a common-law relationship. A child with one surviving parent does not qualify as an orphan, even if that parent has abandoned them.

In limited circumstances, a sponsor with no living relatives from the categories above and no relative already in Canada may be able to sponsor one other relative of any age.

How Can I Be Eligible to Sponsor a Family Member?

IRCC assesses sponsors against these criteria, which vary slightly depending on who you are sponsoring:

• Age. You must be at least 18 years old.
• Status in Canada. You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or registered under the Indian Act. Permanent residents must reside in Canada. Citizens abroad must show they will return to Canada with the sponsored family member.
• Financial ability. You must show you can meet the sponsored person's basic needs. For parents and grandparents you must also meet the Minimum Necessary Income.
• The undertaking. You must sign an undertaking for the applicable period, which is three years for a spouse or partner, 10 years or until age 25 for a dependent child under 22, and 20 years for parents and grandparents.
• No social assistance. You cannot sponsor while receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability.
• Legal standing and conduct. You cannot sponsor if you have defaulted on a previous undertaking or on an immigration loan or court-ordered support payments, are an undischarged bankrupt, are in prison, are under a removal order, or have been convicted of certain violent or sexual offences.

Quebec residents must also satisfy provincial requirements set by MIFI.

Who Is Not Eligible to Sponsor a Relative?

You cannot sponsor if you:

• Are under 18 years old
• Are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Indian Act
• Are a permanent resident living outside Canada
• Receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
• Have been convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence
• Have failed to support someone you previously sponsored, or defaulted on an immigration loan or support payments
• Are an undischarged bankrupt
• Are in prison or are subject to a removal order
• Cannot provide the required proof of financial ability

Do I Need a Job to Sponsor a Family Member?

Not necessarily. Sponsoring a spouse, partner, or dependent child carries no Minimum Necessary Income requirement, so there is no salary threshold to clear. What you must show is that you can meet the sponsored person's basic needs without relying on social assistance.

Sponsoring parents or grandparents is different, because the Minimum Necessary Income does apply and must be proven for three consecutive tax years. Even then, employment is not the only route. Income reported on your Notice of Assessment can come from sources other than a salary, including investment income and, where a co-signer is used, your spouse's or partner's income.

How Long Does Family Sponsorship Take in Canada?

Processing times depend on the stream, the visa office, and how complete your file is. Based on IRCC's published figures as updated in July 2026:

IRCC's published service standard for spousal sponsorship remains 12 months, but no stream is currently meeting it, so plan around the published processing times rather than the standard. These figures reflect how long it took to finalize 80 percent of applications and are updated regularly, so check the current figure for your category before you rely on it.

Your file can take longer if IRCC requests additional documents, if background or security checks are complex, or if an interview is scheduled. Responding quickly to every IRCC request is the single most effective thing a sponsor can control.

What Are the Requirements for a Family Visa in Canada?

Both sides of the application carry requirements. As the sponsor you must prove status, eligibility, and financial capacity. The sponsored person must submit the required forms, give biometrics, complete an immigration medical examination, provide police certificates, and show they are not inadmissible to Canada on criminal, security, medical, or misrepresentation grounds.

Government fees rose across all permanent residence categories on April 30, 2026. The current amounts are set out below. You can confirm them against the official schedule on IRCC's family sponsorship pages before you pay.

Fees for sponsoring a spouse or partner

The total government fee for sponsoring a spouse or partner with no dependent children is $1,260 CAD. That is made up of a $90 sponsorship fee, a $570 principal applicant processing fee, and the $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee. You can defer the RPRF until just before permanent residence is granted, in which case the upfront total is $660. Each dependent child included in the application adds $180. Biometrics cost $85 per person, capped at $170 for a family of two or more applying at the same time.

Fees for sponsoring parents or grandparents

Parents and grandparents sponsorship follows the same structure. Each sponsored parent or grandparent costs $1,260 including the RPRF, or $660 without it. An accompanying spouse or partner of the sponsored parent adds a further $1,260, and each dependent child of the sponsored parent adds $180.

Additional costs to budget for

Government fees are only part of the picture. Immigration medical examinations with an IRCC designated panel physician typically run $200 to $450 per person. Police certificates are required from every country where the applicant has lived for six months or more since turning 18, and costs vary by country. Certified translations of documents not in English or French usually run $30 to $100 per page. Passport photographs meeting IRCC specifications cost roughly $15 to $25. Quebec residents pay an additional provincial fee for the MIFI undertaking.

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee is the only government fee that is refunded if an application is withdrawn or refused. The sponsorship fee, the processing fee, and biometrics are not refundable once IRCC opens your file.

Required Documents for Family Sponsorship

An incomplete package is one of the most common causes of delay and returned applications, so build the document set before you file.

From the sponsor

Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, valid government-issued identification such as a Canadian passport or PR card, and the completed and signed Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking (IMM 1344). For a parents or grandparents application, add your Notice of Assessment for each of the last three tax years, the Financial Evaluation form (IMM 5768), and the Income Sources form (IMM 5748). A co-signing spouse or partner must supply their own Notices of Assessment for the same years and sign the undertaking.

From the sponsored person

The Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008), a valid passport or travel document, a birth certificate, and a marriage certificate or other proof of the relationship. They also need police certificates from every country where they lived for six months or more since turning 18, and the results of an immigration medical examination performed by an IRCC designated panel physician. Medical results are valid for 12 months, so timing matters if you do not want to repeat the exam. Two passport-sized photographs meeting IRCC specifications are also required.

Proving your relationship is genuine

For spousal and common-law partner applications, IRCC scrutinizes whether the relationship is genuine and was not entered into primarily for immigration purposes. Strong files usually include photographs together across different times and places including family events, communication records such as call logs, messages, and emails showing consistent contact, evidence of shared finances such as joint accounts or transfers between partners, proof of shared living arrangements such as a lease or utility bills in both names, travel records including tickets, bookings, and passport stamps, and written statements from people who know the relationship personally. Variety of evidence matters more than volume of any single type.

Translation and document format

Any document not in English or French must be submitted with a certified translation and a copy of the original, and the translator must provide a signed affidavit confirming accuracy. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, police certificates, and national identity documents are the items most often translated. If you are unsure whether your package meets IRCC standards, a regulated immigration consultant can review it before submission through a free assessment.

Family Sponsorship in Quebec: Intake Caps for 2026 to 2028

Quebec caps the number of sponsorship undertaking applications it accepts. The previous cap of 13,000, which ran from June 2024, was exhausted in July 2025, and MIFI stopped accepting new undertaking applications in the capped categories from that point.

MIFI reopened intake on July 2, 2026 under a new two-year period running to June 30, 2028, with a maximum of 15,700 undertaking applications:

• Up to 13,300 for spouses, common-law partners, and conjugal partners
• Up to 2,400 for parents, grandparents, and other specified relatives

Applications are received according to a structured calendar based on the date of the eligibility letter issued by IRCC, so sponsors who have been waiting longest are processed first. Applications submitted outside the assigned window or beyond the cap are returned without processing.

Dependent children are exempt from the caps entirely, and that exemption now includes dependent children aged 18 and over, along with orphaned minor children and children being adopted. Those undertakings can be filed at any point during the intake period.

If you live in Quebec, confirm that MIFI is still accepting applications in your category before you file federally. Given how quickly the previous quota filled, the spousal allocation could be exhausted well before June 2028.

What Should I Do if My Sponsorship Application Is Refused?

If the refusal came down to missing or weak documentation, reapplying with a properly built file is often the faster route. Address the specific gap IRCC identified rather than resubmitting the same package.

If you believe the decision was wrong, an outland application carries the right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division, and the appeal must be filed within 30 days of receiving the refusal letter. The IAD can review the decision, hear new evidence, and overturn the refusal. Inland applications carry no appeal right, and the only recourse is an application for judicial review at the Federal Court, which is more costly and reviews the process rather than the merits.