Navigating Family Sponsorship: Bringing Your Loved Ones to Canada
Family sponsorship is a pathway that allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their family members to immigrate to Canada.
Programs
Who you can bring
Each program has its own eligibility rules, evidence and obligations for the sponsor. The overview of all immigration pathways is on our immigration law page.
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Spousal and partner sponsorship
Permanent residence for a husband or wife, a common-law partner you have lived with for at least a year, or a conjugal partner abroad. The relationship must be genuine, and it’s proven with documents, not assertions.
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Dependent children
Sponsoring a biological or adopted child who is under 22 and not a spouse or partner, or an older child who has depended on you since before 22 because of a physical or mental condition.
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Parents and grandparents
Permanent residence through the Parents and Grandparents Program, which only accepts applications from invited sponsors and is paused as of September 2026.
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Super visa
A multiple-entry visa that lets parents and grandparents stay with you for up to five years at a time, without applying for permanent residence.
The sponsor
Can you sponsor? Eligibility, bars and the undertaking
Before anyone looks at the relationship, IRCC checks the person in Canada. A sponsorship refused because of the sponsor is usually a problem that could have been spotted at the first consultation.
The basic requirements
You must be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Indian Act. Permanent residents have to live in Canada. A Canadian citizen living abroad can sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child if they show they will live in Canada once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. For spouses, partners and children there is generally no minimum income, unless the person you sponsor has a dependent child who has children of their own.
What prevents you from sponsoring
IRCC’s sponsor eligibility rules list situations that bar a sponsorship. The ones we see most often:
- You were sponsored as a spouse or partner yourself and became a permanent resident less than five years ago.
- You sponsored a previous spouse or partner and three years haven’t passed since they became a permanent resident.
- You are receiving social assistance for a reason other than disability.
- You are behind on an immigration loan, court-ordered family support, or an earlier sponsorship undertaking, or you are an undischarged bankrupt.
- You were convicted of a violent, sexual or family-violence offence, or you are subject to a removal order or in prison.
Several of these depend on dates and details, so we confirm them from your documents rather than from memory.
The undertaking
Every sponsor signs an undertaking to repay any social assistance the sponsored person receives. It lasts three years for a spouse or partner, and ten years or until age 25, whichever comes first, for a dependent child. It stays in force for the whole period even if you separate or divorce, so it deserves a careful read before you sign.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
The relationship
Spouse, common-law or conjugal: proving a genuine relationship
The category you apply under decides what you have to prove. The evidence then has to show a real relationship, not just a legal one.
Which category you’re in
A spouse is someone you are legally married to; the marriage must be legally registered where it took place. A common-law partner has lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months, with only short periods apart. A conjugal partner is a narrower category for someone living outside Canada, in a committed relationship with you for at least a year, who could not live with you or marry you because of legal, immigration, religious or similar barriers. Couples who could have married or moved in together usually don’t qualify as conjugal partners. Common-law couples sign a statutory declaration of their relationship, which we can commission at our Toronto office.
The genuineness test
Under section 4 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, a person isn’t considered your spouse or partner if the relationship was entered into primarily to gain status in Canada, or if it isn’t genuine. Either one is enough for a refusal, so the application has to answer both.
What makes relationship evidence strong
- A consistent history. How you met, when the relationship began, visits, the proposal and the wedding, told the same way in both of your forms and matching your travel records.
- Evidence from across the relationship, not just the weeks before applying: messages and calls over time, trips together, photos with family and friends.
- Shared life. A joint lease or mortgage, shared bills and accounts, insurance or pension beneficiary designations, and mail at the same address.
- Other people’s knowledge. Wedding guests, family involvement, and letters from people who know you as a couple.
- Explanations for anything unusual: an age gap, a short courtship, a previous sponsorship, or a period living apart.
Declare every family member
The person you sponsor must declare all their family members, and so must you when you immigrated. Under section 117(9)(d) of the Regulations, a family member you didn’t declare and have examined when you became a permanent resident generally can’t be sponsored later as a member of the family class. If that applies to you, we look at the options before anything is filed.
Inside or outside Canada
Inland or outland: choosing the right class
Spouses and common-law partners can be sponsored under two classes. The choice affects travel, work and what happens if the application is refused.
Spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (inland)
This class is for a spouse or common-law partner who lives with you in Canada and has valid temporary status, or is exempt from needing it. While the application is processed, they may be able to apply for an open work permit for sponsored spouses and partners once IRCC confirms receipt of the permanent residence application, or earlier if their current permit expires within two weeks. The inland route suits couples who plan to stay in Canada together. Leaving is risky: IRCC warns that a partner who leaves before becoming a permanent resident may not be allowed back in.
This work permit is different from the open work permits for spouses of foreign workers and students, which IRCC narrowed in January 2025 to spouses of workers in certain occupations and of students in certain programs. A sponsored spouse who already holds one of those permits may want to keep it valid while the sponsorship is processed.
Family class (outland)
Outland applications are processed through IRCC’s overseas network. They are used when the partner lives outside Canada, or lives here but expects to travel during processing. Conjugal partners and dependent children are always sponsored in this class. If an outland application is refused, the sponsor can usually appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division, which can consider the evidence afresh and, in some cases, humanitarian factors.
Why the choice matters
An inland refusal has no appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division; the only route is an application to the Federal Court for judicial review, with a short deadline. IRCC’s complete sponsorship guide (IMM 5289) sets out how to choose. We weigh the partner’s current status, travel plans, work needs and any weak points in the file before recommending one.
Parents and grandparents
Parents, grandparents and the super visa
With the sponsorship program paused, most families in the GTA who want their parents here for long stretches are looking at the super visa.
The Parents and Grandparents Program
The program only accepts applications from sponsors IRCC invites. As of September 2026, IRCC says it has paused the program and is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms. When it runs, sponsors must meet a minimum income over several tax years and sign a 20-year undertaking. If you submitted an interest form in an earlier year, keep your address and email up to date with IRCC so an invitation isn’t missed.
The super visa
A super visa is a multiple-entry visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians. It can be valid for up to ten years and allows stays of up to five years at a time. The super visa requirements include:
- a signed letter of invitation from the child or grandchild in Canada, with a promise of financial support;
- proof that the host’s household meets a minimum income for its size (the figure changes, so we check it when you apply);
- private medical insurance from a Canadian insurer, or an approved insurer outside Canada, valid for at least a year from entry;
- an immigration medical exam; and
- applying from outside Canada. Dependants can’t be included.
The officer must still be satisfied that your parent will leave at the end of their stay, so ties to their home country matter here as they do for any visitor visa.
How it works
The sponsorship, step by step
The same four steps apply to spousal, partner and child sponsorships and to super visas; the documents differ.
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Step 1: Consultation
We review your status, both of your immigration histories, any earlier sponsorships and the relationship itself, then confirm you are eligible to sponsor and recommend the class or program. Tell us about previous refusals, earlier marriages and any criminal charges now; they are easier to deal with before filing than after.
You provide
- Passports and status documents for both of you
- Marriage or relationship documents
- Any earlier IRCC applications or refusals
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Step 2: Document list and relationship evidence
You receive a list specific to your program and category. We help you choose relationship evidence that tells the story across time rather than sending everything you have, and flag anything that needs a written explanation.
You provide
- Identity and civil status documents
- Evidence of the relationship over time
- Financial documents where the program requires them
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Step 3: Application preparation
We prepare the sponsor and applicant forms, then check every date, address and job against each other and against what either of you has told IRCC before. Documents not in English or French need certified translations.
We handle
- Sponsor and applicant forms
- Consistency review across both histories
- A written submission where the file needs one
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Step 4: Submission and follow-up
The application is submitted online and you’re told what comes next: biometrics, the medical exam, police certificates, and possibly an interview. If an open work permit is available to an inland spouse, we prepare it once IRCC acknowledges the sponsorship.
Avoiding refusals
Why sponsorships are refused, and what to do if IRCC has concerns
Most refused sponsorships we review fall into a small number of patterns. Most can be prevented before filing, or answered when the officer raises them.
Common refusal reasons
- The officer isn’t satisfied the relationship is genuine, often because the evidence covers only a short period or the partners’ accounts differ
- Inconsistencies with earlier visitor, study or work applications, such as a marital status or address that doesn’t match
- A family member who wasn’t declared when the sponsor immigrated
- The sponsor turns out to be ineligible, for example because of the five-year rule or unpaid support
- Missing documents or signatures, which can get the application returned unprocessed
- Misrepresentation, which carries a five-year bar
If an officer has concerns
- You may receive a procedural fairness letter setting out the concern and a deadline to respond. Treat it as the last chance to fix the file, not a formality
- You may be called to an interview, separately or together. Preparation means knowing your own history, not rehearsing answers
- After an outland refusal, the sponsor can usually appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division within a short time limit
- After an inland refusal, the route is judicial review in the Federal Court, which has a strict deadline from the date of the decision
Received a refusal or a procedural fairness letter? Contact us the day it arrives so the deadline can be met. Our plain-language guide to family sponsorship covers the basics.
Fees
Priced to your application
Fees depend on the program, the category and how much evidence work the relationship needs, so we quote after the consultation. You can describe your situation in the quote form. Government fees are separate and set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. See our legal fees page for how immigration matters are priced.
Guides
Family sponsorship guide
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Questions
Family sponsorship questions
Who can I sponsor?
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians aged 18 or older may be able to sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and dependent children, and parents or grandparents when that program is open. You must also not be barred, for example by a recent sponsorship of your own or unpaid family support.
Should we apply inside or outside Canada?
Inland suits couples living together in Canada who don’t plan to travel, and may let the sponsored partner get an open work permit. Outland allows travel and, if refused, an appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. The right choice depends on status, travel plans and the strength of the file.
Can my spouse work while the sponsorship is processed?
A spouse or common-law partner living with you in Canada and sponsored in the inland class may be able to get an open work permit once IRCC acknowledges receipt of the permanent residence application. They need valid status, or to be eligible to restore it.
We haven’t lived together for a full year. Can I sponsor my partner?
Not as a common-law partner: that requires 12 consecutive months of living together. Depending on your situation, marriage or, in narrow cases, the conjugal partner category may apply. We look at the facts before you choose.
What happens to the undertaking if we separate?
It continues. The undertaking lasts its full term, three years for a spouse or partner, even if the relationship ends, and the sponsor remains responsible for repaying social assistance the sponsored person receives in that period.
Can I sponsor my parents now?
As of September 2026 the Parents and Grandparents Program is paused and not accepting new interest forms. A super visa, which allows stays of up to five years at a time, is often the practical alternative.
What is a procedural fairness letter?
A letter from IRCC explaining a concern, such as doubts about the relationship or a possible misrepresentation, and giving you a deadline to respond before a decision is made. A careful written response with evidence can change the outcome, so get advice promptly.
Do you meet clients outside Toronto?
Consultations are by phone, so you can speak with the lawyer from anywhere in Toronto or the GTA, in English, Armenian or Arabic, or meet at our office on Sheppard Ave E in Toronto.
Related
Other immigration services
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Serving clients across Toronto and the GTA
From our Toronto office we act for clients across the Greater Toronto Area, including Durham, York and Peel regions: Markham, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Mississauga and Brampton.
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Immigration lawyer for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
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