Sponsor Your Relatives

Check your eligibility

You may be eligible to sponsor certain relatives to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class if you are at least 18 years old and one of the following:

• A Canadian citizen
• A person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• A permanent resident of Canada

As a sponsor, you must:

• Financially support your relative when they arrive in Canada.
• Be able to meet basic needs for yourself and your relative, including: Food, Shelter and Clothing
• Ensure that your relative does not require social assistance.

You must live in Canada to sponsor eligible relatives unless you:

• Are a Canadian citizen living abroad,
• Plan to return to Canada when your relatives immigrate, and
• Are sponsoring your:
  • Spouse,
  • Common-law or conjugal partner, or
  • Dependent children without dependent children of their own.

Your Responsibilities as a Sponsor

When sponsoring a relative for permanent residence in Canada, you must:

• Meet set income guidelines.
• Agree in writing to provide financial support to your relative and any accompanying eligible relatives starting when they become permanent residents. This financial responsibility may last up to 20 years, depending on the relationship and the relative’s age.
• The person you sponsor must sign an agreement stating they will make an effort to support themselves. Sponsored dependent children 18 or older must sign this agreement. Children under 19 do not need to sign.

Who Isn’t Eligible to Sponsor a Relative

You may not be eligible to sponsor if:

• You are in prison.
• You have not paid your alimony or child support payments.
• You have declared bankruptcy and haven’t been released from it yet.
• You have received social assistance for reasons other than disability.
• You failed to pay back an immigration loan or missed payments.
• You previously sponsored a relative but did not meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement.
• You were convicted of a violent crime, an offence against a relative, or a sexual offence. Eligibility may depend on factors such as: The type of offence, how long ago it occurred,

And whether a record suspension (formerly “pardon”) was issued.

Who you can sponsor

Orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild

You can sponsor an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild if they meet the following criteria:

• They are related to you by blood or adoption.
• Both of their parents are deceased.
• They are under 18 years old.
• They are single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship).

You cannot sponsor these relatives if:

• One of their parents is still alive.
• The whereabouts of their parents are unknown.
• Their parents have abandoned them.
• Someone else is taking care of them while their parents are alive.
• Their parent is incarcerated or otherwise detained.

Sponsoring Other Relatives

You can sponsor one relative (by blood or adoption) of any age under specific conditions:

You do not have any of the following close relatives to sponsor instead:

• Spouse
• Common-law partner
• Conjugal partner
• Son or daughter
• Parent
• Grandparent
• Orphaned sibling, nephew, niece, or grandchild.

You do not have any living relative in Canada who is a:

• Canadian citizen
• Permanent resident
• Registered Indian under the Indian Act

If the relative you wish to sponsor has a spouse, partner, or dependent children, they must be included in the same sponsorship application.