Sponsoring a spouse, partner, child, parent or grandparent: a plain-English guide

Last checked October 11, 2026 against 13 official IRCC pages · How we write guides

IRCC runs family sponsorship programs that let Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people registered under the Indian Act sponsor certain family members to become permanent residents. The spouse, partner and dependent child program is listed as open; the Parents and Grandparents Program is listed as paused, and IRCC points to the super visa as a way for parents and grandparents to visit for long periods.

What family sponsorship is

IRCC says you may be able to sponsor family members to become permanent residents so they can live, study and work in Canada.^[1]

IRCC's family sponsorship page groups its programs as follows:^[1]

Spouse, partner or dependent children: IRCC lists this program's status as open.^[2]
Adopted child: a separate process for bringing an adopted child to Canada as a permanent resident.^[1]
Certain other relatives: IRCC lists this program's status as open.^[8]
Parents and grandparents: IRCC lists this program as paused.^[9]

The same page also links to immigration options for victims of family violence and help for spouses or partners experiencing abuse.^[1]

To sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child, IRCC says you must:^[3]

be at least 18 years old^[3]
be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada under the Indian Act^[3]
live in Canada. A Canadian citizen living outside Canada must show they plan to live in Canada when the sponsored people become permanent residents; a permanent resident living outside Canada can't sponsor.^[3]
commit to supporting the people you sponsor by signing an undertaking and sponsorship agreement^[3]

IRCC says that in most cases there isn't an income requirement to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child. It lists the cases where one applies, which involve a sponsored dependent child (or a sponsored partner's dependent child) who has dependent children of their own.^[3]

IRCC lists reasons you may not be able to sponsor a spouse or partner. These include having been sponsored as a spouse or partner yourself and becoming a permanent resident less than 5 years ago.^[3]

Other situations in which IRCC says you may not be able to sponsor a spouse, partner or child include when you:^[3]

are already sponsoring the same person and no decision has been made yet^[3]
are behind on payments for an immigration loan, a performance bond, or court-ordered family support^[3]
are receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability^[3]
were convicted of a violent criminal offence, an offence against a relative causing bodily harm, or a sexual offence^[3]

If you live in Quebec, IRCC says you must also meet Quebec's requirements and sign an undertaking with the Government of Quebec.^[3]

Who counts as a spouse, partner or dependent child

Spouse: legally married to you, at least 18, of any gender, and in a genuine relationship that isn't only for the purpose of getting permanent resident status.^[4]
Common-law partner: not legally married to you, but has lived with you for at least 12 consecutive months.^[4]
Conjugal partner: not legally married to you or in a common-law relationship with you, at least 18, of any gender, and in an exclusive and mutually interdependent relationship with you for at least 1 year.^[4]
Dependent child: your (or your spouse or partner's) biological or adopted child who is either under 22 with no spouse or common-law partner, or 22 or older, unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition, and dependent on their parents since before age 22.^[4]

IRCC says a conjugal partner lives outside Canada and may not be able to live with you or marry you in their country of residence for legal, immigration, social, cultural, religious or other reasons.^[4]

IRCC notes that a child who is already a Canadian citizen can't be sponsored for permanent residence, and that a child of a Canadian citizen may be a citizen even if born outside Canada.^[4]

IRCC says the temporary public policy that allowed certain previously undeclared family members to be sponsored ended on September 10, 2026, and does not apply to applications submitted after that date.^[4]

IRCC says that if the people you sponsor receive social assistance while you're responsible for them, you have to repay the amount, and you can't sponsor anyone else until you've repaid it.^[5]

IRCC says the undertaking period starts once the sponsored people become permanent residents. For all provinces except Quebec, IRCC lists:^[5]

Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner: 3 years^[5]
Dependent child 22 or older: 3 years^[5]
Dependent child under 22: 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first^[5]
Parents and grandparents: 20 years (10 years if you live in Quebec)^[11]

IRCC says that once the sponsored family members become permanent residents, there is no way to cancel or shorten the undertaking period.^[5]

Under the sponsorship agreement, IRCC says you agree to provide for basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, plus dental care, eye care and other health needs not covered by public health services.^[5]

IRCC says there are 2 applications: the sponsorship application, where you apply to become a sponsor, and the permanent residence application, where your spouse, partner or child applies for permanent residence.^[6]

The principal applicant (the person being sponsored) submits both applications together online using the Permanent Residence (PR) Portal.^[6]

IRCC lists these steps:^[6]

Create an account or sign in.^[6]
Get your forms and documents ready, using the application package and its document checklist.^[6]
Pay your application fees online and include the receipt with your application.^[6]
Submit the completed application. IRCC says an incomplete application will be rejected.^[6]

IRCC says you can't sponsor a family member after becoming a permanent resident if you don't declare them in your application and have them examined as required.^[6]

IRCC says you don't need to hire a representative, and that using one will not draw special attention to the application or mean it will be approved.^[6]

If your spouse or partner lives in Canada: open work permit

IRCC says a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner living in Canada who is being sponsored for permanent residence can apply for an open work permit, as can an accompanying dependent child of the principal applicant.^[7]

IRCC says the sponsored person must also be in a genuine relationship with the sponsor, be living in Canada with the sponsor, and be included in a permanent residence application that has an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter confirming it is being processed.^[7]

IRCC says you can't apply for this open work permit if the permanent residence application has been refused, withdrawn or returned, or if you plan to apply for the work permit at a port of entry.^[7]

Parents and grandparents: paused, and the super visa

IRCC says it has paused the Parents and Grandparents Program. It will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice, but will keep processing existing applications.^[9]

For the most recent intake, IRCC says that starting July 28, 2025, it invited potential sponsors who had submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020. It sent 17,860 invitations with a goal of accepting 10,000 complete applications. The last day to apply was October 9, 2025.^[12]

IRCC says you can sponsor your biological or adopted parents and grandparents if, among other requirements, you:^[10]

are invited to apply^[10]
are at least 18 years old and live in Canada^[10]
are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Indian Act^[10]
have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor, shown through proof of income^[10]

IRCC says a spouse or common-law partner may co-sign the application to combine incomes.^[10]

For those not invited to apply, IRCC says parents and grandparents may be eligible for a super visa, which lets them stay in Canada for 5 years at a time. While in Canada, they can also apply for 2-year extensions.^[9]

For a super visa, IRCC says the host (the child or grandchild) must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, be at least 18 and live in Canada, meet or exceed the minimum necessary income, and write and sign a letter of invitation.^[13]

IRCC says the super visa applicant must, among other requirements:^[13]

be outside Canada when submitting the application^[13]
show proof of private health insurance valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry^[13]
take an immigration medical exam^[13]

Frequently asked questions

Can a permanent resident living outside Canada sponsor a spouse?

IRCC says a permanent resident living outside Canada can't sponsor. A Canadian citizen living abroad must show they plan to live in Canada when the sponsored people become permanent residents.^[3]

Is there a minimum income to sponsor a spouse or partner?

IRCC says that in most cases there isn't an income requirement to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child. The exceptions involve dependent children who have dependent children of their own.^[3]

Does the undertaking end if we separate or divorce?

IRCC says you remain responsible for the entire undertaking period even if your relationship with the people you sponsored changes.^[5]

Can I submit an interest to sponsor form for my parents now?

IRCC says it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice.^[9]

Can my parents apply for a super visa while a sponsorship application is in process?

IRCC says that if a sponsorship application has already been submitted, the parent or grandparent can apply for a super visa while waiting for a decision, or withdraw the sponsorship application and apply for a super visa.^[13]

This guide restates IRCC’s published rules; it is not legal advice and does not assess any application. Rules change: check the official pages below before you apply.

Sources

Official pages this content quotes, all checked on October 11, 2026.