Family immigration to Canada usually means an eligible Canadian sponsor helping a qualifying spouse, partner, child or other permitted relative obtain permanent residence. Your relationship, the sponsor’s status and residence, the destination province and current program intake determine the route. A Canadian relative does not automatically make every family member eligible.
Official sources reviewed: 4 November 2026. This guide helps sponsors and family members plan eligibility, documents, government fees and application steps. The IRCC family sponsorship directory is the starting point. The Parents and Grandparents Program is currently paused for new intake, and Quebec has its own staged undertaking rules. Check those gates before spending money.
Choose the right family immigration route
People searching for a “Canada family visa” may mean permanent sponsorship, accompanying a principal applicant or a temporary visit. These are different applications. Begin with the outcome you want and the status your relative already holds.
| Your situation | Starting route | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| An eligible citizen or permanent resident wants a qualifying spouse, partner or child to settle permanently. | Family sponsorship. | The sponsor and sponsored person have separate eligibility requirements. |
| You are applying for economic permanent residence with a spouse and dependent children. | Include eligible accompanying dependants under that program. | This is not a separate sponsorship application by an already established Canadian sponsor. |
| A parent or grandparent wants a longer family visit. | Assess a super visa or ordinary visitor route. | Temporary permission does not confer permanent residence. |
| You want to bring a sibling, adult child, aunt or cousin. | Check the narrow other-relative rules or their independent immigration options. | A family connection alone does not create a general sponsorship entitlement. |
IRCC explains which family members may accompany someone immigrating to Canada. Parents and siblings are not simply added as dependants to an economic application. If sponsorship is not the right route, our Canada immigration programs guide helps you compare other pathways.
Who can sponsor family in Canada?
For a spouse, partner or dependent child, the sponsor generally must be at least 18 and be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada under the Indian Act. They must meet the residence rules, sign the required commitments and satisfy the remaining eligibility conditions.
Residence matters: a qualifying Canadian citizen abroad can sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child if they demonstrate plans to live in Canada when that person becomes a permanent resident. A permanent resident living abroad cannot use that return-plan exception. The parent and grandparent route has its own Canadian-residence requirements. Sources: spouse/child sponsor eligibility and parent/grandparent eligibility.
Check possible bars before collecting an expensive application package. Previous sponsorship obligations, an undischarged bankruptcy, certain convictions, a removal order, unpaid obligations or social assistance other than for disability can matter. Spousal cases also have specific five-year and previous-undertaking restrictions. Use the category’s full rules rather than treating this summary as an individual eligibility decision.
Spousal, common-law and conjugal partner sponsorship
The relationship must be genuine and meet the relevant definition. A wedding photograph or an intention to marry does not, by itself, establish the correct category.
| Category | Core relationship requirement |
|---|---|
| Spouse | A legally married partner aged 18 or older; the marriage must be recognized under the applicable requirements. |
| Common-law partner | A partner aged 18 or older with at least 12 consecutive months of qualifying cohabitation in a conjugal relationship; brief temporary absences are treated differently from long separations. |
| Conjugal partner | A partner aged 18 or older living outside Canada, in an exclusive, mutually interdependent relationship for at least one year, with circumstances preventing marriage or qualifying cohabitation. |
Read IRCC’s relationship definitions before relying on labels such as boyfriend, girlfriend or fiancé. Couples of any gender may qualify. A conjugal application is not a shortcut around evidence or a freely interchangeable alternative to marriage or common-law eligibility.
For spouses and common-law partners, Guide 5289 distinguishes the Family Class from the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class. The latter involves living together in Canada and meeting the applicable status requirements or policy exception. Family Class can also be relevant to a person temporarily in Canada. Physical location alone is not a complete class-selection test; review travel, residence and procedural consequences before choosing.
Dependent child sponsorship: check age and dependency
A dependent child normally must be under 22 and have no spouse or common-law partner. A person aged 22 or older must meet the specific physical-or-mental-condition and financial-dependency requirements, including dependence since before 22. Remaining a full-time student alone does not establish that exception.
Use the official dependent-child rules, including age-lock-in instructions. If you are a Canadian citizen, first check whether the child is already Canadian: a Canadian citizen does not need sponsorship for permanent residence. Intercountry adoption and orphaned-relative applications use their own instructions.
Prepare a complete family picture, including relevant non-accompanying children and custody arrangements. A child living with another parent must not simply disappear from the file. Follow examination requirements and explain documented obstacles. IRCC’s application instructions explain why declaration and examination can affect later sponsorship.
Expired-policy warning: IRCC states that the special public policy for certain previously undeclared family members ended on 10 September 2026. Do not assume an older article describing that policy still permits a new application. If a family member was omitted or not examined, obtain advice on the actual record and applicable rules before proceeding.
Parents and grandparents: check the current intake first
IRCC is not currently accepting new Parents and Grandparents Program applications. Its current application page says new interest-to-sponsor forms and invitations are paused until further notice, while existing applications continue to be processed. Do not pay someone to obtain a guaranteed invitation or assume the previous intake dates apply now.
For an eligible invited case, the sponsor’s relationship, Canadian residence, income evidence and undertaking must all be assessed. A spouse or common-law partner may be an eligible co-signer under the program’s conditions; a sibling or friend cannot simply replace that role.
A family visit is a separate possibility. Our Canada super visa requirements guide covers eligible parent/grandparent visits. A super visa is not permanent residence and does not turn a paused sponsorship intake into an open one.
Can you sponsor a sibling or another relative?
There is no general entitlement to sponsor an adult brother, sister, aunt, uncle or cousin. Under the other-relative rules, an orphaned sibling, niece, nephew or grandchild must meet all the stated conditions: a blood/adoption relationship, age under 18, both parents deceased and no marriage or common-law relationship. Abandonment, an absent parent or parental detention is not the same as both parents having died.
Another narrow provision may allow one relative related by blood or adoption when the sponsor has no living relative they could sponsor instead and no specified relatives who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered persons under the Indian Act. The complete family tree matters; being emotionally close or living alone is insufficient.
Planning example: an adult sister with living parents does not qualify through the orphaned-minor rule. That does not determine every other immigration option, but it means the family should stop using that particular checklist and investigate a genuinely applicable route.
Canada family sponsorship income requirements vary by route
For most spouse, partner and dependent-child cases outside Quebec, there is no fixed minimum-income threshold. However, a financial evaluation is required in the specified situations where a sponsored dependent child has dependent children of their own, including that situation within a sponsored spouse or partner’s family. The obligation to provide support remains even without a numeric threshold. See IRCC’s income exceptions.
Parent and grandparent cases have a different test: the applicable income must be met for each of the three relevant tax years, with family size calculated under IRCC’s instructions. It is not a three-year average. The currently displayed income table is expressly labelled for the 2025 intake; it should not be advertised as a new 2026 invitation threshold.
Count existing undertakings and required family members before selecting a row. Separate gross-income evidence, eligible income and savings; they are not automatically interchangeable. Quebec applies its own financial assessment where required. Avoid using one generic salary figure for every category.
Understand the sponsorship undertaking before signing
The undertaking is a continuing commitment to meet basic needs and repay qualifying social assistance received during the responsibility period. It starts when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. Separation, divorce, citizenship or a later financial setback does not automatically cancel it.
| Sponsored person | Responsibility period |
|---|---|
| Spouse or partner | 3 years. |
| Dependent child under 22 | 10 years or until age 25, whichever comes first. |
| Dependent child aged 22 or older | 3 years. |
| Parent or grandparent | 20 years. |
Sources: spouse/child undertaking and parent/grandparent undertaking. For the child undertaking categories, the relevant age is the age when permanent residence is obtained; do not confuse that with eligibility age-lock-in. Quebec periods differ, including ten years for parents/grandparents. Read the actual agreement before committing.
Quebec family sponsorship has an additional intake gate
Quebec residents need the applicable federal process and a provincial undertaking. The current MIFI intake rules cover 2 July 2026–30 June 2028, with category caps and a staged schedule tied to the date of the relevant IRCC document. The old statement “paused until June 2026” is not an adequate current instruction.
Under that published schedule, the stage opening 1 November 2026 covers qualifying IRCC documents dated no later than 30 June 2025. The next listed stage opens 1 January 2027 for documents dated no later than 31 August 2025. These dates do not mean everyone can submit now; check the category cap and your exact document.
Normally follow IRCC’s instruction about when to approach Quebec. MIFI also specifies when a sponsor-addressed acknowledgement of receipt can be used instead of the eligibility letter for the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class. An ordinary applicant AOR is not automatically that document. Certain dependent-child, adoption, orphaned-minor and dependant-addition cases have published exemptions. Read the exception and current submission instructions before mailing anything.
Build a sponsorship document checklist around the evidence
Get the current category and country-specific package through the official application page. There is no universal “Canada family visa application form” that replaces the complete package. The following worksheet is an editorial way to organize it, not an additional IRCC checklist.
| Evidence area | Prepare and cross-check |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Status, residence, existing obligations and the income evidence required for the selected category. |
| Relationship | Relevant marriage, birth, adoption or civil records; a consistent relationship history supported by the evidence requested. |
| Common-law relationship | A dated cohabitation timeline and appropriate shared-address records, rather than photographs alone. |
| Children and family composition | Complete family details, accompanying/non-accompanying declarations and applicable custody or consent documents. |
| Identity and admissibility | Current passports, required police/medical steps and translations that meet the instructions. |
| Submission control | Correct form versions, consistent names/dates, required signatures, payment receipt and a saved copy of what was submitted. |
For proof of relationship, explain genuine gaps or unusual records honestly. Create a chronology before choosing supporting documents, then follow checklist limits. More files do not necessarily resolve an inconsistency. Do not fabricate photographs, shared addresses, messages or financial transactions.
Police certificates, medical instructions and translation requirements depend on the application package and history. Use the official country instructions and request timing, and flag an unavailable record with evidence and an explanation rather than leaving a silent omission.
Canada family sponsorship fees and a worked budget
The figures below are Canadian dollars, checked against the current IRCC fee list. They separate government charges from medical exams, certificates, translation, travel and professional services. A listed fee does not mean a paused category is accepting applications.
| Charge | CAD | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor a spouse or partner | 1,260 | Includes the sponsorship/processing amounts and the right of permanent residence fee. |
| Include a dependent child | 180 per child | Dependent children do not pay the right of permanent residence fee. |
| Independently sponsor a dependent child | 180 per child | Use the fee row matching an independently sponsored child. |
| Sponsor a parent or grandparent | 1,260 | Includes the right of permanent residence fee; new intake is currently paused. |
| Biometrics, if required | 85 individual; up to 170 for an eligible family | The family maximum has conditions, including applying together. |
The adult right of permanent residence fee is CAD 600 where applicable. Do not add it again to a quoted total that already includes it. Other-relative fees depend on age and category; Quebec undertaking charges are additional where applicable.
Budget example: one sponsored spouse plus one dependent child has a base federal amount of 1,260 + 180 = CAD 1,440. If both require biometrics and qualify for the CAD 170 family maximum, the subtotal becomes CAD 1,610. This is an illustration, not an all-inclusive price or a determination that both people need biometrics.
How to apply for family immigration to Canada
- Confirm the category and intake. Record who is sponsoring whom, intended province and whether the route is accepting the relevant submission.
- Assess both parties. Sponsor eligibility and the relative’s relationship/admissibility requirements are distinct.
- Get the live package. Use the correct category, application class and country-specific instructions. Adoption, orphaned relatives and PGP are separate packages.
- Divide responsibilities. The sponsor supplies their application and undertaking evidence; the sponsored person supplies permanent-residence and family information. Resolve inconsistent dates together.
- Complete the applicable portal forms and uploads. In spouse/partner/child sponsorship, the principal applicant submits the sponsorship and PR applications together through the PR Portal. Follow special signature/guardian instructions for a minor principal applicant.
- Pay and review. Use the official payment route, attach the receipt and check signatures, required documents and explanations before final submission.
- Keep records and follow instructions. Save the submitted package, correspondence and deadlines. Complete Quebec’s stage only under the applicable federal/provincial instructions.
IRCC’s current digital application instructions explain portal and representative roles. A paid representative can help through the authorized process, but cannot electronically sign the principal applicant’s declaration for them. Getting assistance does not remove the applicant’s responsibility to review what is declared.
After submission: status, processing time and work permission
Submission, acknowledgement of receipt, sponsor approval and the applicant’s final PR decision are different milestones. A receipt is not permanent residence. Use our Canada family reunification status guide to choose the appropriate status service and understand which party’s record you are viewing.
For timing, use the IRCC processing-time tool with the actual category and Quebec/non-Quebec destination. A dated website estimate is not a guaranteed completion date. Answer document requests by their stated deadlines and report relevant family or contact changes.
A sponsorship or PR submission does not automatically authorize work or extend temporary status. Some sponsored partners and accompanying dependent children living in Canada may qualify for a separate open work permit, subject to the current public-policy conditions. These include residence and AOR/status requirements, with a limited specified exception for applying without AOR. Do not begin work merely because a family application was submitted.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Canadian permanent resident sponsor family while living abroad?
A permanent resident living outside Canada cannot use the citizen-abroad return-plan exception. A qualifying Canadian citizen abroad may sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child if they show plans to live in Canada when that person becomes a permanent resident. Category-specific rules still apply.
Is there a minimum income for sponsoring a spouse to Canada?
Usually there is no fixed federal minimum for a spouse or partner outside Quebec, but specific dependent-child-with-dependent-children situations require a financial evaluation. Sponsors still have support obligations. Parent/grandparent and Quebec financial rules are different.
Can I apply to sponsor my parents to Canada now?
At the 4 November 2026 review, IRCC’s Parents and Grandparents Program page says new intake is paused: no new interest-to-sponsor forms or invitations until further notice. Existing applications continue to be processed. A super visa is a separate temporary-visit route.
How much does Canadian spousal sponsorship cost?
The reviewed IRCC fee list shows CAD 1,260 for a spouse or partner including the right of permanent residence fee, plus CAD 180 for each included dependent child. Biometrics, medical exams, documents and any applicable Quebec or professional charges are separate.
Can a sibling automatically sponsor me for Canadian permanent residence?
No. Sibling sponsorship is limited to specific rules, including qualifying orphaned minors or the narrow other-relative provision. Age, parents’ circumstances, relationship and the sponsor’s wider family situation matter. Otherwise, assess an independently available immigration route.
Source and update note
This is an independent planning guide, not a personal legal assessment or an approval service. Use the linked IRCC and Quebec instructions for the actual application. Fees, intake availability and policies can change; preserve the source date and category when comparing advice.