Immigration lawyer in Toronto

Who can sponsor

A sponsor must be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under Canada’s Indian Act. Permanent residents must live in Canada to sponsor; a Canadian citizen living abroad can sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child if they show they’ll live in Canada once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. Some circumstances prevent you from sponsoring, for example if you were sponsored as a spouse yourself less than five years ago, or you’re in default of an earlier sponsorship undertaking.

Spouses, common-law and conjugal partners

A spouse is someone you are legally married to. A common-law partner is someone you have lived with in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months. A conjugal partner is a narrower category for couples in a committed relationship of at least a year who could not live together or marry because of serious legal or immigration barriers. Common-law couples usually sign a statutory declaration of their relationship; we can commission that declaration at the same time.

The officer has to be satisfied the relationship is genuine and was not entered into mainly for immigration. That’s why we organise the evidence around the history of the relationship: how you met, time spent together, communication, shared finances and the people who know you as a couple.

Dependent children

A child is generally dependent if they are under 22 and not a spouse or common-law partner. An older child may qualify if they have depended on a parent financially since before 22 and cannot support themselves because of a physical or mental condition.

The undertaking

Sponsors sign an undertaking to repay any social assistance the sponsored person receives. It lasts three years for a spouse or partner, up to ten years (or until age 25, whichever comes first) for a dependent child, and twenty years for parents and grandparents. It continues even if the relationship ends.

Parents, grandparents and the super visa

The Parents and Grandparents Program only takes applications from sponsors IRCC invites, and as of September 2026 IRCC says it has paused the program and is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms. The practical alternative is often a super visa: a multiple-entry visa that lets parents and grandparents stay for up to five years at a time. It requires proof that the child or grandchild in Canada meets a minimum income, private medical insurance from an eligible insurer, and a medical exam.

Our family sponsorship page covers the application process, and our guide to bringing your loved ones to Canada walks through it in plain language.

Express Entry

Express Entry is IRCC’s online system for three federal programs: the Canadian Experience Class, for people with skilled work experience in Canada; the Federal Skilled Worker Program, for skilled workers with experience abroad; and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You create a profile, and if you’re eligible for at least one program you enter a pool of candidates.

Candidates are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which scores age, education, official-language ability and Canadian work experience, a spouse’s or partner’s factors, how those skills combine, and additional points such as a provincial nomination, French-language ability, Canadian education or a sibling in Canada. Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds CRS points. IRCC invites the highest-ranked candidates in regular rounds, some general and some targeted at particular programs, occupations or skills, and you then have a limited time to submit a complete application. Cut-off scores and round sizes change from draw to draw, so we don’t publish them here; IRCC posts each round’s results.

Much of the work is in the profile. Language test results, an educational credential assessment and a correct occupation classification all affect your score and your eligibility, and every claim in the profile has to be proven with documents if you’re invited. Our guide to the pros and cons of Express Entry covers whether it suits you.

Provincial Nominee Programs and the OINP

Provinces nominate candidates to meet local labour needs. Ontario redesigned its program in 2026: on June 26, 2026 it closed its earlier streams and replaced them with a single Ontario Workforce Priority stream, with pathways for workers who have a qualifying job offer from an Ontario employer and a separate pathway for self-employed physicians. The employer’s position has to be approved as part of the process. Because the program is still changing, check the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program page for what is open before you plan around it. Other provinces run their own programs with different rules.

PR cards and the residency obligation

To keep permanent resident status you must be physically in Canada for at least 730 days in any five-year period. The days don’t have to be continuous, and some time abroad, such as accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse, can count. We prepare PR card renewals and look at residency before you apply. See our permanent residence page for more.

Visitor visas

Citizens of many countries need a temporary resident visa to visit Canada; visa-exempt travellers flying in usually need an electronic travel authorization instead. For a visitor visa, the officer must be satisfied that you will leave at the end of your stay. The application should show the purpose of the trip, enough money for it, and your ties to home: work, family, property and travel history. An invitation letter from family in Canada helps but doesn’t replace that evidence.

Study permits

A study permit needs a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution, proof you can pay tuition and living costs, and in most cases a provincial or territorial attestation letter. Some students don’t need an attestation letter, including primary and secondary school students and, since January 1, 2026, students in master’s or doctoral degree programs at a public designated learning institution. A clear study plan that explains why the program makes sense for you is often the difference between a strong and a weak application.

Refused before?

A refusal stays on your record and every later officer can see it. Before reapplying, we read the refusal reasons and, where useful, the officer’s notes, and fix what the officer found missing rather than resubmitting the same file.

Refugee claims in Canada

A claim can be made at a port of entry or from inside Canada. Before a claim goes to a hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, the government decides whether it is eligible to be referred. Under changes that became law in March 2026 and apply to claims made on or after June 3, 2025, a claim is not referred to the Board if it is made more than one year after the person’s first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020, or, for people who crossed the Canada–US land border between official ports of entry, more than 14 days after entering. Unaccompanied minors are exempt. People whose claims are ineligible may still have access to a pre-removal risk assessment. Timing therefore matters more than it used to: if you are thinking about a claim, speak to a lawyer early.

Group of Five sponsorship

Five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents can come together to sponsor a refugee living abroad, committing to support them for their first year. The person sponsored must already be recognised as a refugee by the United Nations refugee agency or a foreign state. As of September 2026, IRCC has paused new private sponsorship applications, and groups of five can only sponsor through the Blended Visa Office-Referred program for now.

Reconsideration requests

If an application was refused because of an obvious error, such as a document that was on file but overlooked, you can ask the office to reconsider. It is discretionary and IRCC doesn’t have to reopen the file. A reconsideration request also doesn’t pause the deadline to ask the Federal Court for judicial review, which under the Act is 15 days for a decision made in Canada and 60 days for one made outside Canada. Contact us as soon as a refusal arrives so both options can be weighed in time.