Immigration to Canada

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) or other eligible relative (such as a parent or grandparent) to become a permanent resident. CIC refers to the immigrants who are eligible to use this family sponsoring process as the Family Class. If you become a permanent resident, you can live, study and work in Canada. For more information about being a permanent resident in Canada, see the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. When you arrive in Canada as a permanent resident, you must make every reasonable effort to provide for your own essential needs and those of your family. If you sponsor a relative to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you are responsible for supporting your relative financially when he or she arrives. As a sponsor, you must make sure your spouse or relative does not need to seek financial assistance from the government. The process to sponsor your family begins when you, as a citizen or permanent resident in Canada, apply to be a sponsor. There are two different processes for sponsoring your family. One process is used for sponsoring your spouse, conjugal or common-law partner and/or dependent children. Another process is used to sponsor other eligible relatives. Learn about: Family Class: Spouses, partners and dependent children (includes common-law and conjugal partners) Sponsoring your family: Spouses and dependent children A Canadian citizen or permanent resident may sponsor her or his spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, or dependent children to come to Canada as permanent residents. See the Who can apply section below to find out if your relationship qualifies. You can then find out if your spouse, partner or child meets the requirements for you to sponsor them. Family Class: Other eligible relatives Sponsoring your family: Eligible relatives Your relative may be able to come to Canada as a permanent resident. If you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, you can sponsor your relative under the Family Class program. To find out if you qualify to sponsor a relative, see the Who can apply link below. If you want to adopt a child from outside Canada, please see Adopt a child on the left-hand side of this page under “Canadian Residents”.