Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada can sponsor eligible relatives to become Permanent Residents of Canada under the Family Class (FC) immigration program.

The basic requirements to sponsor relatives in Canada are:

The Sponsor:

• Must be 18 years or older
• Must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
• Must Prove to support the family member(s) financially and consent to support them for three years from the date their relatives become permanent Canadian residents.
• Must meet or exceed the minimum income level for this program. Married and Common-Law couples can combine their incomes by meeting this income requirement.
• Sponsor- Financial undertaking varies according to the family member, dependent child and other relatives.   

Following are the relatives who can be sponsored under the Family Sponsorship Canada program:

• Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner;
• Parents or grandparents;
• Dependent child;
• Orphaned, unmarried, and under 18 years of age brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild;
• Intended adopted child under 18 years of age; and
• One relative, if the sponsor has no relative listed above and no other relatives.

Canada Immigration Family Sponsorship Processing Time

Sponsorship applications can take up to 12 months to process. Depending upon the nature of your case, the time may extend longer than 12 months.

Who is Ineligible to Sponsor Their Spouse, Partner, or Child?

You can’t sponsor if:

• You are not more than 18 years old.
• You will give up Canadian citizenship when the person you want to sponsor becomes a permanent resident.
• You are not a citizen of Canada or registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
• You are working on a visa or permit in Canada.
• Your application for permanent residency is still in process (Having a permanent resident status when submitting a sponsorship application is compulsory.)
• You lack money to support the person you want to sponsor
• You must repay an immigration loan, performance bond, alimony, or child support.
• You are declared bankrupt.
• You are convicted of threatening to commit, attempting, or committing a violent criminal offence against a relative or sexual offence within or outside the boundaries of Canada.
• You received a legal order to leave Canada.

Many more reasons might make you ineligible to sponsor your spouse. Learn about eligibility for Canada Immigration Family Sponsorship from our experts.