Spousal Sponsorship

You know that your relatives can live, study and work in Canada if they become permanent residents of Canada. You can sponsor certain relatives to come to Canada if you’re at least 18 years old and a :

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

Canadian Government is committed to family unification, whenever possible. It knows that your family is important to you and for that reason, it offers many ways to allow Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents to sponsor their loved ones to come to Canada under its Family Sponsorship Class. Sponsoring a family member is one of the fastest category of Canadian Immigration.

You can sponsor a foreign relative. There are only three (3) types of relatives that are eligible to be sponsored by a Canadian:

• Spouse or common-law partner and
• Dependent children under 22 years of age who are not married or in a common-law relationship
• Parents and grandparents

The types of relatives you can sponsor for permanent residence are extremely specific and no other types of relatives will be considered. No other type of family member is eligible to be sponsored. That means you cannot sponsor or be sponsored by a sibling, cousin, niece, nephew or close friend. Unless you are married or in common‐law relationship, you cannot sponsor your partner. You cannot sponsor your fiancé because engagement provides no status in Canada.

Who can become a sponsor?

You may become a sponsor if you are :

• at least 18 years old
• a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident living in Canada:
• if you are a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident
• you can’t sponsor someone if you are a permanent resident living outside Canada
• able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
• have enough income to provide for basic needs of any grandchildren (dependent children of a dependent child) of the principal applicant

Note: All sponsors must show that they can provide for the basic needs of the persons being sponsored. However, if the spouse or partner you’re sponsoring has a grandchild who is coming with them, you must also show that you can meet the LICO. This also applies if you’re sponsoring your dependent child who has a dependent child that is coming with them.

You may not be able to sponsor if you :

• signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner and it hasn’t been three years since they became a permanent resident,
• receive social assistance for a reason other than disability,
• previously sponsored someone and did not pay back any social assistance that they received while the undertaking was in place,
• are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond
• did not pay court-ordered alimony or child support
• have declared bankruptcy which has not been discharged
• were convicted of :
  • an offence of a sexual nature,
  • a violent crime,
  • an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or
  • threatened or attempted to commit any of the above offences—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened and if you received a pardon
• were previously sponsored as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago and,
  • are under a removal order,
  • are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison,
  • have already applied to sponsor your current spouse or partner and haven’t received a decision.

Sponsoring if you live outside Canada

If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you can sponsor your :

• Spouse
• common-law partner
• conjugal partner
• dependent child who has no children of his or her own

You must show that you’ll live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.

If you are permanent resident and are living outside Canada, you cannot sponsor these persons.

Sponsoring your spouse or common-law partner who lives with you in Canada

You can apply under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada (SLPC) class if your spouse or common-law partner cohabits (lives) with you in Canada and has temporary resident status.

To qualify under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class, the sponsored person must:

• be the spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada, and
• have legal immigration status

Your spouse or partner may be eligible for an open work permit.

Important information: if your spouse or partner is already working or studying in Canada and would like to continue, they must apply for an extension before their work or study permit expires. Leaving Canada can automatically cancel temporary resident status as a visitor, student or worker.

If your spouse or common-law partner leaves Canada before becoming a permanent resident, they may not be allowed to come back. This is especially true if they need a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada. Consequently, If your spouse or partner can’t return to Canada, you must submit a new application.