Family Sponsorship

Family Sponsorship includes spouses and common-law partners, parents and grandparents, dependent children, and spousal sponsorship programs in Winnipeg under the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For parents and grandparents, there is also the Super Visa immigration program. Sponsor your wife, husband, child, grandfather, or grandmother. Spouses of Canadian citizens or permanent residents may qualify for an open work permit under the in-Canada spousal sponsorship program by IRCC.

Family Sponsorship Categories

• Spouse, wife, husband and common-law sponsorship
• Parents and grandparents sponsorship
• Dependent and adopted children sponsorship

The Spousal Sponsorship Category

The Spousal Sponsorship program is a subsection of the Family Class immigration category. Under this program, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident may sponsor a spouse or common-law partner for Canadian permanent residence.

Both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident (the “sponsor”) and the foreign national (the “sponsored person”) must be approved by IRCC for the sponsored person to receive a visa.

To receive a visa through this program, the sponsor and sponsored person must prove their relationship qualifies under one of three categories:

• Spouse
• Common-law Partner
• Conjugal Partner

Note: Canada recognizes same-sex marriage, and same-sex partners may be eligible to apply under any of the above three categories, provided they meet all eligibility requirements.

Outland Sponsorship

An Outland application is generally pursued when the sponsored partner is living outside of Canada. However, Outland applicants can still be in Canada and apply through the Outland program, and may be permitted to travel in and out of Canada throughout the application process. Outland applications are processed through the visa office that serves the applicant’s country of origin, or where they have resided legally for at least one year.

Inland Sponsorship

The Inland route applies when the couple is together in Canada and the foreign spouse or common-law partner has temporary status in Canada — either as a worker, student, or visitor. The person being sponsored may be eligible for an Open Work Permit, allowing them to work for any employer in Canada while the sponsorship application is being processed.

After Sponsorship

Permanent residence granted under the Spousal Sponsorship program carries certain conditions:

• The sponsor is financially responsible for the person sponsored for three years after the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.
• Individuals who come to Canada as spouses are themselves barred from sponsoring a new spouse or partner for five years after receiving Canadian permanent residence.

Who Can Sponsor

To be a sponsor, you must be:

• A citizen or permanent resident of Canada, and at least 18 years old
• Living in Canada and intending to continue living in Canada
• Financially eligible to qualify (processing fees apply for each sponsorship)

Who Can Be Sponsored

• Spouse or common-law partner (16 years or older) who has lived with the sponsor in a spousal/marital relationship for at least one year
• Parents and grandparents of the sponsor
• Dependent children under 19 years old who are unmarried
• Brothers, sisters, nephews/nieces or grandchildren who are under 18 years old, orphaned, and unmarried
• A relative of any age if the sponsor has no other living relatives who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents

Financial Requirements

If the individual being sponsored is a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children under 19 without children of their own, the sponsor does not need to meet the LICO requirements. However, the sponsor cannot be in receipt of government social assistance unless for disability reasons.

For sponsorship of parents, grandparents, and their dependants, the income of the sponsor for each of the three years before the date of application must meet the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) plus 30%.

Length of Sponsorship Undertakings

Sponsored Person	Sponsorship Period
Spouse, common-law, conjugal partner, dependent children 19+	3 years from date of landing
Dependent children under 19	10 years or until child turns 25, whichever comes first
Parents and grandparents	20 years from date of landing
All other relatives	10 years from date of landing

Sponsorship Process

From Outside Canada

The sponsorship application is sent to the Case Processing Center in Mississauga (CPC-M), which ensures the forms are complete and the sponsor is qualified. If approved, the application transfers to the visa office abroad where the applicant resides for completion of processing, including medical and criminal checks and potentially an interview.

In Canada (Inland)

If the sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner is in Canada with temporary status, an Inland sponsorship can be submitted. The sponsored person may apply for a work or study permit while the application is being processed. After passing a medical examination, the sponsored person may be eligible for provincial health coverage.

Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications

This type of application is used by those who do not qualify under the in-Canada spouse and common-law partner class. To have a successful H&C application, applicants must satisfy Canada Immigration that their circumstances are such that they would face unusual, undeserved and disproportionate hardship if required to obtain a permanent resident visa from outside Canada.

Beware of Scams

Be careful of fraudulent consultants. Only work with a licensed RCIC in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) or a member of a provincial Law Society. GoTo Canada Immigration consultants are fully licensed and recognized by the Government of Canada to legally represent you.