Family Class Sponsorships

Anyone who is a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada, is over 18 years of age and is not in receipt of welfare can sponsor their child or spouse. A child can be included in the sponsorship if they are under the age of 22 and not married, or are over 22 but have been continuously in attendance at a post-secondary institution.

Sponsoring a parent

If you are sponsoring a parent or a grandparent, you are also required to demonstrate a certain level of annual income which would permit you to support your sponsored relative without relying on social public services such as welfare assistance.

Please note that as of date, sponsorships of parents have been taking several years from start to finish. If exceptional circumstances which may warrant a more expedited assessment exist, please ask our experts about the possibility of filing for a Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) application, given the particulars of your specific case.




Sponsoring a spouse

You can sponsor a person as your spouse if that person is married to you and the marriage is a legally valid civil marriage. You are not required to demonstrate a minimum level of income for this type of sponsorship. Your only goal is to show that your marriage is genuine. Some ways to prove that your relationship is true is through evidence of frequent and regular contact, financial support and common children.

It is legal in Canada for same-sex partners to formalize their relationship as marriage. Same-sex marriages are subject to the same requirements.
In the absence of a legal marriage, a “common law partner” sponsorship is available where you and that other person have cohabited in a conjugal relationship for a period of at least one year.