Spousal Sponsorship
Introduction:
Spousal Sponsorship is a sub-category under family sponsorship. Canadian citizens or permanent residents are entitled to sponsor their spouse to become permanent resident of Canada. IRCC is committed to accelerate to process spousal or common-law partner sponsorship application. Most spousal or common-law partner sponsorship will be processed within 12 months.
Eligibility to Sponsor Your Spouse/Common-Law Partner and Dependent Children:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Not in receipt of social assistance
- Is not sponsored to be a permanent resident in the past 5 years
- Did not sponsor other spouse in the past 3 years
- Are not undischarged bankrupt and not in late in making payment of immigration loan or support payment, have not been order to leave Canada
- Do not have record of abuse against family
Parents and Grandparents
Introduction:
Canadian citizens or permanent residents may also sponsor their parents or grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada, and the annual application limit is set by IRCC. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) for immigration to Canada operates according to an Expression of Interest / Invitation to Apply system. The uninvited sponsor may apply Parents and Grandparents Super Visa instead.
Eligibility to Sponsor Parents or Grandparents:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Is not in receipt of social assistance
- Meet the minimum income requirement
- Are not undischarged bankrupt and not in late in making payment of immigration loan or support payment, have not been order to leave Canada
- Do not have record of abuse against family
- Ensure the sponsored family will not be in receipt of social assistance
- Is not sponsored to be a permanent resident in the past 5 years
Children Sponsorship
Introduction:
Canadian citizens or permanent residents may also apply to sponsor their adopted children to become permanent residents. They may apply at the final stage of adoption process.
Eligibility to Sponsor Your Adopted Children:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- If the sponsor is permanent resident of Canada, he/she must reside in Canada
- Be 18 years of age or older
- The adoption process compliance with Canadian law and the local law
- Have no record of serious violent offence against anyone
- are not undischarged bankrupt and not in late in making payment of immigration loan or support payment, have not been order to leave Canada
Eligibility to be Sponsored:
- The biological child or adopted child of the parent
- Less than 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner or
- Is 22 years of age or older and has depended substantially on the financial support of the parent since before the age of 22 and is unable to be financially self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition.
Other Relatives
Introduction:
Canadian citizens or permanent residents may also apply to sponsor their close relatives such as orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild to become permanent residents.
Eligibility to Sponsor Your Relatives:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- is not in receipt of social assistance and meet set income guideline
- are not undischarged bankrupt and not in late in making payment of immigration loan or support payment, have not been order to leave Canada
- do not have record of abuse against family
Eligibility to be Sponsored:
- they’re related to you by blood or adoption
- both their mother and father passed away
- they’re under 18 years of age
- they’re single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship)
Income required for the 3 tax years right before the day you apply (sponsors applying in 2022)
| Total number of people you’ll be responsible for | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $32,898 | $32,270 | $41,007 |
| 3 people | $40,444 | $39,672 | $50,414 |
| 4 people | $49,106 | $48,167 | $61,209 |
| 5 people | $55,694 | $54,630 | $69,423 |
| 6 people | $62,814 | $61,613 | $78,296 |
| 7 people | $69,934 | $68,598 | $87,172 |
| If more than 7 people, for each additional person, add: | $7,120 | $6,985 | $8,876 |
Since many sponsors may have been affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, the income requirement for the 2020 and 2021 tax years have been reduced to the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30%.
Also, family class sponsors will be able to count these benefits in their income calculations for the 2020 and 2021 tax years:
- regular Employment Insurance benefits (rather than just special Employment Insurance benefits)
- any Canada Emergency Response Benefits issued under the
- Employment Insurance Act or
- Canadian Emergency Response Benefit Act
- other temporary COVID-19 related benefits
- as long as they’re not part of provincial social assistance programs
Note: This does not affect the income requirements for the 2019 tax year.
