Family sponsorship: spouse, partner or child

Official requirements

These requirements are drawn from the official government pages. Tap “Source” to verify each one yourself.

1. 1

   Sponsor must be at least 18, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered under the Indian Act, and live in Canada (a citizen abroad must intend to return; a PR abroad cannot sponsor), and sign an undertaking.

   Source
2. 2

   The sponsored person is a spouse (legally married, 18+), a common-law partner (18+, lived together 12 consecutive months in a conjugal relationship), or a conjugal partner (18+) — a genuine relationship, not inadmissible to Canada.

   Source
3. 3

   The sponsor signs an undertaking to financially support the sponsored person for 3 years from the day they become a permanent resident (Quebec differs).

   Source
4. 4

   In most cases there is no income requirement for a spouse, partner or dependent child; it applies only in specific nested-dependent cases.

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5. 5

   You cannot sponsor if, e.g., you were sponsored as a partner and became a PR less than 5 years ago, are in prison, are behind on required payments, are an undischarged bankrupt, receive social assistance (non-disability), have certain criminal convictions, or are under a removal order.

   Source