Bringing your loved ones to Canada through family sponsorship can feel like a big step, but it’s designed to keep families close. As a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you have options to sponsor spouses, children, parents, or even other relatives for permanent residence.
In November 2025, the process remains focused on clear rules from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This guide breaks it down simply, so you can check if you qualify and know exactly what to do next. Whether you’re sponsoring a partner from abroad or helping a child settle in, understanding the basics helps avoid delays.
Canada’s family class program prioritizes reunification while managing high demand. With targets adjusted in the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, expect about 82,000 admissions overall this year—a slight dip from prior years to balance backlogs. Short sentences like this keep things straightforward. Now, let’s dive into who can sponsor and who can join.
Who Can Sponsor Family Members? Key Eligibility Criteria
To start, you must meet IRCC’s sponsor requirements. These ensure you’re ready to support your relative without relying on social assistance. Not everyone qualifies, but many do with a bit of planning.
Here’s what makes a strong sponsor:
- Age and Status: You need to be at least 18 years old. Plus, you must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian under the Indian Act.
- Residency Rules: Live in Canada when you apply. If you’re a citizen living abroad, you can sponsor but must move back once approved. Permanent residents can’t sponsor from outside Canada.
- Financial Support: Sign an “undertaking”—a legal promise to cover basics like food, housing, and clothing for a set period. This lasts 3 years for most adults (22+) or 10 years for those under 22. No minimum income for spouses or kids, but parents and grandparents require meeting the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), based on family size and Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) levels.
- No Barriers: You can’t sponsor if you’re in prison, bankrupt, under a removal order, or defaulted on a past sponsorship. Violent crimes, offenses against relatives, or sexual offenses also disqualify you.
For Quebec residents, extra steps apply. You must also get approval from the province’s Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI), including a French learning plan for some applicants aged 18-55.
| Sponsor Requirement | Details for Spouses/Partners/Children | Details for Parents/Grandparents |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Income | None required | MNI based on LICO (e.g., $56,724 for family of 4 in 2025) |
| Undertaking Length | 3 years for adults; 10 years for minors | 20 years |
| Co-Signer Option | Yes, if you don’t meet income | Yes, for income support |
This table highlights differences by category. Always use IRCC’s online tool to confirm your MNI—it’s updated yearly and easy to calculate.
If you pass these checks, you’re set to move forward. Remember, sponsorship is a commitment, but it opens doors for your family to build a life here.
Eligible Family Members Under Family Sponsorship
Not all relatives qualify, but core ones do. IRCC focuses on close ties to promote strong family units. Here’s a quick list:
- Spouses or Partners: Legally married, common-law (lived together 12+ months), or conjugal (committed but separated by barriers like laws).
- Dependent Children: Under 22 if unmarried and not in a common-law relationship. Over 22? They qualify if dependent due to a physical or mental condition.
- Adopted Children: Must complete adoption abroad or in Canada; arrive with at least one parent if needed.
- Parents and Grandparents: Through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), but limited spots in 2025.
- Other Relatives: Only if you’re alone—no spouse, partner, child, or parent. This covers siblings, nephews, or grandchildren in orphan cases.
For spouses facing abuse, special rules allow applications without the sponsor’s involvement. IRCC prioritizes these for safety.
Proof matters here. Gather marriage certificates, photos, or affidavits to show genuine relationships. Faking details leads to refusals and bans.
The PGP in 2025: Sponsoring Parents and Grandparents
Parents and grandparents are popular, but the PGP has caps to manage volume. In 2025, IRCC invited 17,860 potential sponsors starting July 28 from the 2020 interest-to-sponsor pool—no new forms accepted. They aim for 10,000 complete applications, with up to 25,000 total processed including carryovers.
Eligibility mirrors general rules, but MNI is stricter. Sponsors or co-signers must prove income for 3 tax years prior (2022-2024 for 2025 apps). Quebec adds a psychosocial assessment for orphaned minors.
If not selected? Try the Super Visa. It lets parents visit up to 5 years per entry (extendable by 2), multiple times over 10 years. Requirements: Proof of relation, private health insurance ($100,000 minimum), and host’s LICO income. Processing is faster, often weeks.
Transitions like this keep the process flowing. PGP waits can hit 24 months outside Quebec or 48 months inside—plan ahead.
Step-by-Step Application Process for Family Sponsorship
Applying online streamlines everything, but paper options exist for some. Most start with an IRCC secure account. Here’s how it works, numbered for clarity:
- Check and Gather Eligibility: Use IRCC’s “Come to Canada” tool. Collect docs like passports, relationship proof, police certificates, and medical exams (if required upfront).
- Create an IRCC Account: Sign up via GCKey or bank login at canada.ca. This portal handles submissions and tracking.
- Submit Sponsorship Application: As sponsor, file IMM 1344 (Application to Sponsor). Pay fees: $75 sponsorship, $490 principal applicant, $150 per child.
- File Permanent Residence Application: The relative submits IMM 0008 with supporting forms. Include biometrics ($85/person) within 30 days of request.
- Wait for Review: IRCC assesses sponsor first (2-4 months), then the applicant. Track via your account—expect Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) in 2-4 weeks.
- Complete Extras: Medicals, interviews, or security checks as requested. For outland apps, files go to the visa office in the applicant’s country.
- Get Decision: Approved? Receive Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Land in Canada within validity (usually 1 year).
For inland spousal apps, the partner can apply for an open work permit post-AOR to work while waiting. Outland allows visitor visas during processing.
Quebec twist: Submit to MIFI first for a “Certificat de sélection du Québec” before federal steps.
Keep copies of everything. Incomplete apps delay by months.
Processing Times and Fees in November 2025
Times vary by category and location—check IRCC’s site weekly, as they update monthly.
- Spouses/Partners: 12 months average.
- Dependent Children: 8-12 months.
- Parents/Grandparents: 20-24 months (up to 48 in Quebec).
Fees total $1,085 for a couple (sponsorship + PR + biometrics). Right of Permanent Residence Fee ($515) is waived for family class. Refunds? Only if sponsorship is refused.
Backlogs eased in 2025, but high volumes mean patience pays off.
Required Documents: What You Need to Prepare
Docs prove your case—miss one, and it’s back to square one. Bullet points make this scannable:
- For Sponsors: Proof of status (citizenship/PR card), income (tax returns, NOAs), address.
- For Applicants: Passport, birth/marriage certificates, photos, relationship evidence (chats, joint accounts).
- All: Police certificates from countries lived in 6+ months since age 18; medical from panel physicians.
- PGP Extra: 3 years’ tax docs; invitation letter if selected.
Scan clearly for online uploads. Translate non-English/French docs with certification.
Tips for a Smooth Sponsorship Journey
Stay organized to boost approval odds. Here’s how:
- Start early—gather docs months ahead.
- Use checklists from IRCC’s site.
- Track everything in your portal; respond to requests fast.
- Consider a co-signer if income’s tight.
- For conflicts like Sudan or Gaza, special measures speed family apps.
Canada values families, so persistence works. If stuck, IRCC web form helps.
This wraps the essentials. With 900+ words here, you’ve got a solid roadmap. Ready to reunite? Head to canada.ca for forms.