How to Sponsor your Family to Canada

Reuniting with family is a cherished dream for many, and Canada offers a pathway to make this dream a reality. If you're a Canadian citizen, a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act, or a permanent resident of Canada, you may have the opportunity to sponsor your eligible relatives for immigration under the Family Class. To help you navigate this process smoothly, we've prepared a comprehensive checklist for sponsoring your loved ones to Canada.

To initiate the process of family sponsorship, you need to meet certain eligibility criteria. Specifically, you must be:

• At least 18 years old.
• A Canadian citizen, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act, or a permanent resident of Canada.

When you sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, several responsibilities come your way. These include:

• Meeting set income guidelines.
• Committing in writing to provide financial support for your relative and any other eligible relatives joining them. This support typically starts from the date they become permanent residents and can extend up to 20 years, depending on their age and relationship to you.
• Ensuring the person you sponsor signs an agreement indicating their effort to support themselves. This also applies to sponsored dependent children aged 18 or older.

Specific Sponsorship Categories

You can sponsor these relatives if they meet the following conditions:

• They are related to you by blood or adoption.
• Both their mother and father have passed away.
• They are under 18 years of age.
• They are single (not married or in a common-law or conjugal relationship).

You may sponsor one relative, related by blood or adoption, of any age if you meet the following conditions:

• You don't have a living relative you could sponsor instead, such as a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, son or daughter, parent, grandparent, orphaned brother or sister, orphaned nephew or niece, or orphaned grandchild.
• You don't have any relatives (aunt, uncle, or any of the relatives listed above) who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or registered Indians under the Indian Act.