Sponsor Your Spouse, Common-law Partner Or Dependent Children

About the Process: If you’re eligible, you can sponsor your spouse, partner, or dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada.

As a sponsor, you must be able to:

• Provide financial support for them
• Ensure they don’t rely on government social assistance

Check your Eligibility

You can sponsor your spouse, partner, or dependent child if:

• You’re at least 18 years old.
• You’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or registered under the Canadian Indian Act.
• If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to return to Canada when the person(s) you want to sponsor become permanent residents.
  Note: You cannot sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside Canada.
• You can prove you’re not receiving social assistance, except for reasons related to a disability.
• You can provide for the basic needs of the person(s) you want to sponsor.

If you live outside Quebec

As a sponsor, you must commit to financially supporting the individuals you’re sponsoring for a set period of time. This is called an undertaking, which requires you to:

• Provide financial support for your sponsored family members once they become permanent residents.
• Repay any provincial social assistance your sponsored family members receive during that time.

Additionally, you and your sponsored family members must agree to the sponsorship agreement, which outlines:

• You will support the basic needs of your sponsored family members.
• The person you sponsor will do their best to support themselves and their family members.

When you apply, you must sign a form that includes both the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.

Length of Undertaking: The length of undertaking refers to the period during which you’re financially responsible for the person you sponsor. This responsibility begins the day the person you sponsor becomes a permanent resident. You remain financially responsible even if:

• Your relationship with the person you sponsored changes (e.g., divorce or separation).
• The person you sponsored becomes a Canadian citizen.
• Your financial situation worsens (e.g., job loss or debt).
• You request to withdraw your sponsorship application, and we receive it after the person has become a permanent resident.

Income Requirement: In most cases, there is no income requirement to sponsor your spouse, partner, or dependent child. However, you must demonstrate that you meet the income requirements if:

• You’re sponsoring a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own, or
• You’re sponsoring a spouse or partner with a dependent child, and that child has one or more children of their own.

 Who Cannot Sponsor Their Spouse, Partner, or Child

You cannot sponsor your spouse, partner, or child if:

• You are under 18 years old.
• You plan to live outside Canada when the person(s) you want to sponsor become permanent residents.
• You are not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
• You are a temporary resident (e.g., visiting, studying, or working in Canada on a visa or permit).
• Your permanent residence application is still in process (you must have permanent resident status when you submit your sponsorship application).
• You do not have enough financial resources to support the person(s) you wish to sponsor (if applicable).

You may also be ineligible to sponsor your spouse, partner, or child if:

• You were sponsored by a spouse or partner and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago.
• You are still financially responsible for a previous spouse or partner you sponsored and are still bound by the 3-year undertaking.
• You have already applied to sponsor someone else (spouse, parent, or child), and the decision on that application has not been made.
• You are incarcerated in jail, prison, or a penitentiary.
• You have failed to repay:
  • An immigration loan
  • A performance bond
  • Court-ordered family support payments (alimony or child support, unless you live in Quebec)
  • Financial support commitments from a previous sponsorship agreement (unless you live in Quebec)
• You declared bankruptcy and have not been discharged (unless you live in Quebec).
• You receive social assistance for reasons other than disability.
• You have been convicted of attempting, threatening, or committing a violent criminal offense, any offense against a relative, or any sexual offense, either within Canada or abroad.
• You cannot legally stay in Canada and must leave due to a Removal Order.

Check application processing times

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html