CanadaFamily permanent residence

Family sponsorship in Canada

A route to permanent residence for the close relatives of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. The sponsor takes on financial obligations towards the state and undertakes to support the person invited for an agreed period. The streams differ: spouses, partners and dependent children on one side, parents and grandparents on the other; the selection rules are not the same. The sponsor and the relative prepare the documents together and file through the immigration department's portal. In time the status opens the way to citizenship.

Source: canada.ca — Sponsor your family members to immigrate to Canada

Who can be sponsored

The range of relatives who may be sponsored falls into two streams, with different intake rules and different availability at the moment.

Spouse, partner and children

The sponsor's lawful spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
A dependent child of the sponsor or of their partner
In most cases there is no income requirement for the sponsor
While the application is being considered inside Canada, the partner may obtain an open work permit

Parents and grandparents

The sponsor's own or adoptive parents, and their grandparents
The sponsor receives an invitation to file a full application as a result of the annual selection
The sponsor must show that their means are sufficient to support the relatives invited
Intake of interest-to-sponsor forms for the selection is currently suspended until further notice

When this programme is not suitable

The couple are not married and cannot prove a year of living together or a stable relationship at a distance

gather evidence of a common-law union first (living together for 12 months or more) or formally register the marriage, and file the sponsorship application after that

The sponsor themselves obtained permanent resident status through sponsorship by a spouse or partner less than 5 years ago

wait for that five-year period to expire — until then sponsoring a spouse or partner again is not allowed

Parents or grandparents need to be brought to Canada right now

consider the temporary super visa for parents and grandparents while intake of forms under their sponsorship programme is suspended

The sponsor is receiving social assistance (other than disability payments), is going through bankruptcy or is serving a prison sentence

resolve those matters first — a sponsorship application will not be accepted where there are outstanding debts to the state, bankruptcy or convictions for serious offences

What it costs

Sponsorship of a spouse, partner or dependent child — including the right of permanent residence	1 260 CAD
The same fee for a spouse or partner where the right of permanent residence is paid separately later	660 CAD
Sponsorship of a parent or grandparent — including the right of permanent residence	1 260 CAD
The same fee for a parent or grandparent where the right of permanent residence is paid later	660 CAD
An additional dependent child included in either of these applications	+180 CAD
A separate application where only a dependent child is sponsored, without a parent	+180 CAD
The spouse or partner of a sponsored parent or grandparent, included in the same application	+1 260 CAD
The same fee for the spouse of a sponsored parent where the right of permanent residence is paid later	660 CAD
Biometrics — fingerprints and photograph for one person	85 CAD
Biometrics for the whole family where they file together — the maximum for the group	170 CAD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “An additional dependent child included in either of these applications” adds 180 CAD; “A separate application where only a dependent child is sponsored, without a parent” adds 180 CAD; “The spouse or partner of a sponsored parent or grandparent, included in the same application” adds 1 260 CAD; the “The same fee for a spouse or partner where the right of permanent residence is paid separately later” branch replaces the “Sponsorship of a spouse, partner or dependent child — including the right of permanent residence” line — 2 005 CAD; the “The same fee for a parent or grandparent where the right of permanent residence is paid later” branch replaces the “Sponsorship of a parent or grandparent — including the right of permanent residence” line — 2 005 CAD; the “Biometrics for the whole family where they file together — the maximum for the group” branch replaces the “Biometrics — fingerprints and photograph for one person” line — 2 690 CAD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	2,605–4 225 CAD

Paid separately

The medical examination by a doctor from the list approved by IRCC — Paid separately; the cost depends on the clinic and the country
Police certificates — Obtained and paid for in the applicant's country of residence, outside the IRCC system
The Quebec provincial assessment for those settling in that province — A separate procedure and fee of the province of Quebec, in addition to the federal sponsorship
Translation and notarisation of documents — Not part of the government fee; paid separately

Documents to gather

The list is drawn up for an application for a spouse, partner or dependent child; for parents and grandparents some of the forms and supporting material differ.

The generic application form to come to Canada (IMM 0008)
The Schedule A background/declaration form (IMM 5669) for the sponsored person and every family member aged 18 or over
Additional family information (IMM 5406)
Travel history, where applicable (IMM 5562)
A photograph of each participant meeting the IRCC requirements
The receipt for payment of the government fees
The results of a medical examination by a doctor approved by IRCC
Police certificates from every country of residence
Documents proving that the relationship between sponsor and sponsored person is genuine
The authority for a representative, where a consultant or lawyer is handling the application (IMM 5476 and IMM 5475)

How the process runs

The sponsor and the sponsored person prepare and file both sets of documents together, as a single application.

1
Registering on the PR Portal and gathering the documents
The sponsor and the sponsored person create accounts on the permanent residence portal, assemble the forms from the checklist and pay the fee online.
2
Filing the application through the PR Portal
The principal applicant signs the form electronically and uploads all the documents; the sponsorship application and the permanent residence application are filed as a single package.
3
The completeness check and acknowledgement of receipt
IRCC checks that the package is complete; where documents are missing or the fee is unpaid the application is returned. Where the check is successful the applicant receives a file number and an Acknowledgement of Receipt letter.
4
Assessment of the sponsor's eligibility and the sponsored person's admissibility
The department checks whether the sponsor meets the requirements (no convictions, bankruptcy or debts from earlier sponsorships) and whether the sponsored person is admissible for permanent residence.
5
The medical examination and biometrics
biometrics must be given within 30 days of the request letter
The sponsored person is examined by a doctor approved by IRCC and gives fingerprints and a photograph.
6
The decision on the application
IRCC notifies the approval or the refusal by letter or through the account on the portal.
7
Confirmation of permanent resident status and entry into Canada
The approved candidate receives a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, where they are outside Canada, a permanent resident visa. These documents are shown to the border officer on entry — from that moment the person officially becomes a permanent resident.

Timelines and rights

Work

Once permanent residence is granted the person works for any employer. While the application is being considered inside Canada, a spouse or partner may ask for an open work permit.

Who you can bring with you

How long the sponsor is financially liable for the relative invited depends on who is being sponsored.

A spouse, common-law or conjugal partner

The sponsor's undertaking lasts 3 years from the date the partner obtains permanent resident status

A dependent child under 22

The undertaking lasts 10 years, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first

A dependent child aged 22 or over

The undertaking lasts 3 years

Trips, renewal and the grace period

730 days in Canada in every 5 years — an obligation of the person who arrives, not of the sponsor.

Permanent resident status is granted indefinitely, but the plastic permanent resident card is normally valid for 5 years (in some cases 1 year), and once it expires it has to be reissued through the same portal by a separate application with a new payment. Even where the card has expired, permanent resident status itself is retained — provided the person complies with the rule on days of presence in Canada.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Family sponsorship	Asylum and refugee status	Refugees referred by the UN
Visa term	Permanent residence is granted indefinitely and the PR card for 5 years	Not a status that is renewed; if the claim is accepted the person becomes a protected person	Arrivals come straight in as permanent residents (PR)
Money	In most cases there is no income requirement for sponsoring a spouse, partner or dependent child	No income or savings requirement	GAR: government support for about 1 year; PSR: sponsors for about 12 months
Work	Once permanent residence is granted the person works for any employer	The 2026 reforms speed up the issue of a work permit	As a PR — the right to work immediately, with no permit
Residence	730 days in Canada in every 5 years — an obligation of the person who arrives, not of the sponsor	The claim is made from inside Canada or at a port of entry	The PR obligation: 730 days in every 5 years

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Yes, it leads to permanent resident status

Route to citizenship

Citizenship is applied for after 1,095 days of presence within 5 years.

Frequently asked questions about Family sponsorship

Does a sponsor need a proven income in order to sponsor a spouse or child?

In most cases there is no income requirement. It arises only in particular situations — for example where the sponsored child has dependent children of their own, or where the sponsored spouse or partner has a dependent child who has children.

What happens if the sponsored relative applies for social assistance?

The sponsor will have to repay the amount the state paid the sponsored person in social assistance during the period of the undertaking. Until that debt is settled, no one else can be sponsored.

For how many years is a sponsor liable for parents or grandparents once they become permanent residents?

Outside Quebec the undertaking lasts 20 years, and for those settling in Quebec 10 years. It runs from the day the relatives invited obtain permanent resident status, and it cannot be brought to an end early.

Is IRCC currently accepting interest-to-sponsor forms for the parents and grandparents selection?

No. Since 15 July 2026 the intake of new interest-to-sponsor forms and the issuing of invitations to file a full application have been suspended until further notice. Full applications already filed continue to be processed.

How many days a year does the sponsored person have to spend in Canada in order not to lose permanent resident status?

The rule is calculated not by year but over a five-year period as a whole: the person must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within any five consecutive years, and those days do not have to be uninterrupted.

How long after obtaining permanent residence can an application be made for Canadian citizenship?

An adult must be physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) within the five-year period counted back from the date the citizenship application is filed, and at least 730 of those days must have been spent as a permanent resident.

Other ways to move to Canada

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Canada.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.