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Family sponsorship lets you reunite with your spouse, children, parents, or grandparents in Canada. Canus Immigration helps you pick the right stream and build a strong application.
Canada built its immigration system around family unity. If you are a citizen or permanent resident, you can sponsor close family members to join you and become permanent residents themselves. Family sponsorship remains one of the biggest parts of Canada’s immigration plan every year, second only to economic immigration.
This program covers spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, parents, and grandparents. In rare cases, it also covers other relatives.
You can act as a sponsor if you meet these conditions.
Not everyone qualifies to sponsor. If you have unpaid support payments, past sponsorship defaults, or certain criminal convictions, IRCC may refuse your application.
You can sponsor your spouse or partner if your relationship is genuine. Common-law partners generally need to show 12 months of continuous cohabitation. Conjugal partner sponsorship applies only in rare cases where the couple cannot live together or marry due to serious barriers.
You can sponsor your children if they are under 22 and do not have a spouse or partner of their own. Children 22 or older may still qualify if they depend on you financially due to a physical or mental condition.
You can sponsor your parents or grandparents through the Parents and Grandparents Program, known as PGP. This stream usually runs through a lottery-style intake, and it is not accepting new applications right now. While you wait for the next intake, the Super Visa offers a long-stay alternative that lets parents and grandparents visit for extended periods without becoming permanent residents.
In limited cases, you can sponsor another relative, such as an orphaned sibling, niece, nephew, or grandchild, if you have no other family member you could sponsor instead.
Income rules depend on who you want to sponsor.
For most spousal and partner sponsorships, there is no fixed income requirement. You just need to show you are not receiving social assistance, apart from a disability-related benefit.
For parent and grandparent sponsorship, the rules get stricter. You need to meet the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) plus 30% for your family size, across three straight tax years before you apply. IRCC checks this through your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
When you sponsor a family member, you sign an undertaking. This means you agree to support their basic needs, including food, clothing, shelter, and medical care not covered by public health insurance.
This commitment lasts for a set period, depending on who you sponsor.
Your responsibility continues even if your relationship with the sponsored person changes.
Family sponsorship applications get refused for small reasons all the time. Missing proof of a relationship, an incomplete financial document, or a wrong form can send you back to square one.
We sit down with you, understand your family situation, and map out the stream that fits best. From there, we handle your documents, check every detail, and keep you updated at each stage.
Reach out to Canus Immigration today. Let’s bring your family together in Canada.
Do I need to meet an income requirement to sponsor my spouse?
In most cases, no. You just need to avoid social assistance, apart from disability benefits. Income rules apply mainly to parent and grandparent sponsorship.
Can I sponsor my parents for permanent residence right now?
The Parents and Grandparents Program is not accepting new applications at the moment. You can apply for a Super Visa instead, which allows longer stays while you wait for the next PGP intake.
What age limit applies to sponsoring a dependent child?
Your child generally needs to be under 22 and without a spouse or partner. Children 22 or older may still qualify if a disability makes them dependent on you.
How long does my financial responsibility last after I sponsor someone?
It depends on who you sponsor. Spouses and partners fall under a three-year undertaking. Parents and grandparents fall under a twenty-year undertaking.
