Sponsoring your family
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) knows it is important to help families who come from other countries to reunite in Canada. If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, you can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child (including adopted child) to become a permanent resident.
As of October 25, 2012, CIC introduced amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. The amendments specify that spouses, common-law or conjugal partners who are in a relationship with their sponsor for two years or less and have no children in common with their sponsor at the time of the sponsorship application are subject to a period of conditional permanent residence. The condition requires the sponsored spouse or partner to cohabit in a conjugal relationship with their sponsor for a period of two years after the day on which they became a permanent resident. The conditional measure only applies to permanent residents whose applications are received on October 25, 2012, or after the day that the amendments come into force.
Examples
Condition applies if the couple:
Condition does not apply if the couple:
For more information, consult the Frequently Asked Questions.
The enclosed instructions and forms are sent to the principal applicant (you) by the sponsor (a Canadian citizen or permanent resident) who wishes to support the application for immigration to Canada of a person (you) as a member of the family class.
The sponsor agrees to sign a contract (the sponsorship undertaking) by which he or she promises to provide, for a specific number of years, coverage of your basic requirements and those of your dependants, such as:
It is important that you familiarize yourself with the contents of this guide before you complete the forms and return them to your sponsor. Your sponsor cannot submit the sponsorship forms until he or she receives your application.
The family class includes, among others, persons who are the sponsor’s
Note: You cannot be sponsored as a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner if the sponsor gave a previous sponsorship undertaking in favour of a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner and three years have not passed since that spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner became a permanent resident of Canada.
If you are being sponsored as a member of the family class, your spouse or common-law partner (except where your spouse or common-law partner is the sponsor) must be included in your application as a family member. You must also include all your dependent children from your current and previous relationships, whether they will be going with you to Canada (accompanying family members) or not (non-accompanying family members).
All your family members, whether accompanying you or not, must be declared on your application and be examined. If family members are not examined, it is generally not possible to sponsor them at a later date. This includes children in the custody of a former spouse or common-law partner.
In addition, failure to declare family members on your application and have them examined goes against your duty to provide truthful and accurate information, and may cause you to be found inadmissible to Canada.
Note: The visa office will not issue permanent resident visas to family members whom you identify as not accompanying you to Canada.
Your family members include your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children and any children that are their dependent children.
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