Spousal Sponsorship

You can become a sponsor if you are:

  • at least 18 years old
  • a Canadian citizen
  • If you are a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative(s) become(s) 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, and;
  • can provide for the basic needs of any person you are sponsoring (and in some limited situations, that you meet the low-income cut-off).

Note: There is no low-income cut-off (LICO) for spouse, partner or dependent child sponsorships, unless a dependent child also has one or more dependent children of their own.

Who can’t become a sponsor

You can’t be a sponsor if you:

  • have failed to pay:
  • an immigration loan
  • a performance bond
  • family support payments
  • have failed to provide for the basic needs of a previously-sponsored relative who received social assistance
  • are under a removal order
  • are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison
  • receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
  • are still going through the process of bankruptcy (undischarged bankruptcy)
  • were sponsored by a spouse or partner and you became a permanent resident less than five years ago
  • sponsored a previous spouse or partner and three years have not passed since this person became a permanent resident
  • have already applied to sponsor your current spouse, partner or child and a decision on your application hasn’t been made yet
  • were convicted of a violent or sexual offence, or an offence that caused bodily harm to a relative or you attempted or threatened to commit any of these offences

Who you can sponsor

To be eligible for permanent residence, the principal applicant and any dependents must not be inadmissible to Canada.

You can sponsor a:

Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner

You can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner if:

  • they are at least 18 years old
  • your relationship is genuine (real) and wasn’t entered into just to get permanent resident status in Canada

If your spouse or common-law partner is applying in the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class, they must already co-habit (live) with you in Canada.

Important: A conjugal partner is, in relation to a sponsor, a foreign national residing outside Canada who has been in a conjugal relationship with the sponsor for at least one year. A foreign national residing inside Canada cannot be sponsored as a conjugal partner.

Dependent child

If you’re sponsoring a spouse or partner, any dependent children should be listed on their application forms. If you are sponsoring one or more dependent child(ren) as the principal applicant(s), you must submit a complete set of application forms and documents for each child.

Note: Canadian citizens cannot be sponsored. If you have a child who was born after you became a Canadian citizen, or your child was born in Canada, they might be a Canadian citizen.

Dependent children qualify as dependents if they are:

  • under 22 years old, and
  • they don’t have a spouse or common-law partner.

Children 22 years old or older (also known as an overage dependent children) qualify as dependents if they meet both of these requirements:

  • they have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22, and
  • they are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.

Overage dependents

To be eligible as a dependent, children 22 years old and older must:

  • have depended on a parent's financial support since before the age of 22 because of a physical or mental condition

or

  • have been a full-time student on an ongoing basis since before the age of 22
  • have depended on a parent's financial support since that time.

If your child became a spouse or partner before the age of 22, your child may be eligible as a dependent only if your child meets both of these requirements:

  • has been a full-time student on an ongoing basis since before the age of 22, and
  • has depended on a parent's financial support since they became a spouse or partner.

Dependent type

There are different types of dependent children. On your immigration application forms, you must select which type your dependent child is.

Type A

The dependent is under the age of 22 and single (not married and not in a common-law relationship).

Type B

The dependent has been continuously enrolled in, and in attendance, as a full‑time student at a post-secondary institution accredited by the relevant government authority and has depended substantially on the financial support of a parent either:

  • since before the age of 22, or
  • since marrying or entering into a common-law relationship (if it happened before the age of 22)

Type C

The dependent is 22 years of age or older, has depended substantially on the financial support of a parent since before the age of 22, and is unable to provide for himself or herself because of a medical condition.

For further information, please contact us.