Sponsor your spouse, partner or child

Conditions you must meet

• The sponsor must be at least 18 years old

  are at least 18 years old

• The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or registered under the Canadian Indian Act

  are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act

• The sponsor must live in CanadaIRCC states two qualifications: a Canadian citizen living outside Canada must show they plan to live in Canada when the people they are sponsoring become permanent residents, and a permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor at all.

  live in Canada If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when the people you’re sponsoring become permanent residents. If you’re a permanent resident living outside Canada, you can’t sponsor.

• Commit to supporting the people you are sponsoring by signing an undertaking and sponsorship agreementThe undertaking and the sponsorship agreement are parts of form IMM 1344.

  commit to supporting the people you’re sponsoring by signing an undertaking and sponsorship agreement

• Meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations

  meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

• Income requirement (applies only in two specific cases) (IMM 1283)IRCC states there is no income requirement in most cases. It applies only where you are sponsoring a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own, or a spouse or partner whose dependent child has one or more dependent children of their own. The financial evaluation form IMM 1283 explains how much money is needed; the amount is not published on this page. VisaAI has no fact for a sponsored person's grandchildren, so this is stated rather than gated.

  In most cases, there isn’t an income requirement to sponsor your spouse, partner or dependent child. You only need to show that you have enough money to meet the income requirement if you’re sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own you’re sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more dependent children of their own The Financial Evaluation Form (IMM 1283) explains how much money you’ll need and how to fill out the form.

• The sponsor must not be barred by a previous spousal sponsorshipIRCC states these two bars apply specifically to sponsoring a spouse or partner.

  You may not be eligible to sponsor your spouse or partner if you were sponsored by a spouse or partner and you became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner that you sponsored and it hasn’t been 3 years since they became a permanent resident

• The sponsor must not be otherwise barred from sponsoringIRCC lists further bars: a pending application to sponsor the same person, being in jail, prison or a penitentiary, being behind on payments for an immigration loan, a performance bond or court-ordered family support, having failed to give support agreed under a previous sponsorship agreement, an undischarged bankruptcy, receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability, a conviction for a violent criminal offence, an offence against a relative causing bodily harm or a sexual offence within or outside Canada, and being under a removal order. IRCC notes some of these do not apply when sponsoring a spouse, partner or child in Quebec, and that other reasons may exist.

  You may not be eligible to sponsor your spouse, partner or child if you have already applied to sponsor the same spouse, partner or child and a decision on that application hasn’t been made yet are in jail, prison or a penitentiary are behind on payments for an immigration loan a performance bond court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support

• You cannot have a co-signer when sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partnerStated in the IMM 1344 instructions for the spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child branch. A co-signer is permitted only where the form allows one.

  You can’t have a co-signer if you are sponsoring your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.

Official forms

• Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking (IMM 1344)IRCC states the form must be filled out and digitally signed by the sponsor, the co-signer if applicable, and the principal applicant (the person being sponsored). Typing your name counts as a digital signature. The application is returned if any signature is missing.

  Sponsoring your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking (IMM 1344) Who must fill out this application form? This form must be filled out and digitally signed by: the sponsor, the co-signer, if applicable, the principal applicant (person being sponsored).

  Official form
• Use of a Representative (IMM 5476)IRCC requires this form for both paid and unpaid representatives. It must be completed, signed by you, signed by your representative, and uploaded with the application. Paid immigration representatives must also be authorized. IRCC states a representative can never electronically sign the application for you.

  If you want to use a paid representative, you must: download the Use of a Representative (IMM 5476) form complete and sign it get your representative to sign it upload it with your application

• Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)A digital form the principal applicant completes inside the Permanent Residence Portal, for themselves and their dependants. Do not fill out the PDF version.

  The principal applicant must fill out these digital forms online: Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)

  Official form
• Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)A digital form in the Permanent Residence Portal. The principal applicant and each family member 18 or older complete their own.

  The principal applicant must fill out these digital forms online: ... Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)

  Official form
• Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)A digital form in the Permanent Residence Portal. The principal applicant and each family member 18 or older complete their own.

  The principal applicant must fill out these digital forms online: ... Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)

  Official form
• Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5532)A PDF form completed by both people: per IRCC's checklist the sponsor answers Part A, the principal applicant Part B, and both Part C, and each signs their own declarations. Complete it, then 'print to PDF' to create a version that can be digitally signed. Not used when sponsoring only a dependent child (IMM 5481 instead).

  If you’re sponsoring a spouse or partner (with or without dependent children), you must fill out Sponsorship Evaluation and Relationship Questionnaire [IMM 5532]

  Official form

Documents you must provide

• One photo for the principal applicant and each accompanying family memberIRCC instructs you to scan and upload both sides of the photo, following the instructions in the online application.

  Photo specifications The principal applicant and their accompanying family members each need to give 1 photo. Follow the instructions in the online application to scan and upload both sides of the photo.

• Proof of payment (fee receipt) included with the applicationIRCC requires fees to be paid online and the receipt included with the application.

  You have to pay your fees online (opens in a new tab) and include the receipt with your application. The instruction guide can help you understand which fees apply to you.

• Passport or travel document (principal applicant and each accompanying family member)IRCC's spouse checklist (IMM 5533) asks for copies of the most recently issued passport or travel document for you and each family member who will come with you: the pages showing the document number, issue and expiry dates, photo, name, and date and place of birth; any page with a Canadian entry stamp; and, if you live outside your country of nationality, your visa or residence permit there. Diplomatic, official and public-affairs passports are not accepted.

  Proof of identity is an important part of an application to become a permanent resident: Carefully review the checklist sections on identity documents, travel documents, and passports.

• Birth certificate (principal applicant and each dependant)For you and every dependant included in the application. IMM 5533 also accepts a baptismal certificate, and asks for one for each dependant whether or not they come to Canada. Check the country-specific requirements for the country that issued it.

  Make sure you submit a copy of your birth certificate, and (if you have included dependants in your application) the birth certificates of your family members.

• Marriage certificate, or proof the marriage was registeredFor a married couple. It must show the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place. A record of solemnization (obtained in Canada) or a marriage licence is not accepted.

  For spousal sponsorships, make sure you include a valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage with your application (see checklist details). The document(s) you submit must show that the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place. A record of solemnization (obtained in Canada) or marriage license will not be accepted as proof that the sponsor and applicant are married.

• Proof of a common-law relationshipFor a common-law partner. Proof that you share the same home, support each other financially and emotionally, have children together (if you do) and present yourselves in public as a couple. IRCC's common-law checklist (IMM 5589) lists the documents.

  To show that you are in a common-law relationship, submit proof that you: share the same home, support each other financially and emotionally, have children together, if applicable, present yourselves in public as a couple.

• Police certificates (principal applicant and family members 18 or older)From every country other than Canada where the person spent 6 or more months in a row since age 18, for the principal applicant and each family member 18 or older who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. A certificate not in English or French must be submitted with its translation. IMM 5533 adds that some countries need IRCC's consent form instead, and that a Canadian police certificate is not needed now.

  If you and your family members are 18 years of age and older and aren’t permanent residents or Canadian citizens, you must provide a valid police certificate for any country other than Canada in which you spent 6 or more months in a row since the age of 18.

• Sponsor's proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or Indian statusProves the sponsor meets this eligibility condition. IRCC's spouse checklist (IMM 5533) asks for a copy of one of: a permanent resident card (both sides; an expired card is accepted) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR or eCoPR); a Canadian citizenship certificate or card (both sides); a Canadian birth certificate (from Quebec, only one issued by the Directeur de l'état civil); the Canadian passport page with the passport number, dates, photo, name and date and place of birth; or an Indian status card.

  are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act

Steps in the process

• Submit both the sponsorship and the permanent residence application together through the PR PortalIRCC states the principal applicant — the person being sponsored — submits both applications together online.

  To sponsor your spouse, partner or child, there are 2 applications: Sponsorship application: You apply to become a sponsor. Permanent residence application: Your spouse, partner or child applies for permanent residence. The principal applicant (the person you’re sponsoring) will submit both applications together online using the Permanent Residence (PR) Portal.

• Get your application packageIRCC states the package holds the document checklist, all the forms both parties must fill out, and country-specific forms and instructions that depend on where the sponsored people live. Those contents were not extracted.

  See your application package for the document checklist for you and the people you’re sponsoring all the forms you and the people you’re sponsoring need to fill out country-specific forms and instructions based on where the people you’re sponsoring live

• Answer every question, sign electronically and submit a complete applicationIRCC rejects incomplete applications. The principal applicant types their full name exactly as shown on their passport as the electronic signature.

  Before the principal applicant submits the application, they should make sure they answer all questions on the forms electronically sign the application (they will type their full name exactly as shown on their passport) include the processing fee receipt upload all the supporting documents If the application is incomplete, we’ll reject it.

• A parent or legal guardian must sign for a dependent child under 18IRCC states the application is returned if any signature is missing.

  Note: A parent or legal guardian must sign on behalf of a dependent child under the age of 18, where they are the principal applicant being sponsored on an application. The application will be returned if any signatures are missing (see section 10 of the IRPR for more information).

• Complete an undertaking with the Government of QuebecApplies only if the sponsor lives in Quebec. IRCC warns you must wait for its confirmation before submitting the Quebec undertaking, or Quebec will not process the application. VisaAI has no fact for the sponsor's province, so this is not gated by a rule.

  If you live in Quebec Once the principal applicant submits the sponsorship and permanent residence application, you must complete an undertaking with the Government of Quebec.

• Medical exam and police certificate, if your situation requires themIRCC names both under 'other fees' as things you may need to pay third parties for, depending on your situation. It publishes no trigger and no amount on this page.

  Other fees Depending on your situation, you may need to pay third parties for a medical exam a police certificate

Government fees

• Sponsor your spouse or partner — combined sponsorship, processing and right of permanent residence feeCAD 1,260 · CAD 660 amount without rprfCAD 1,260.00, which IRCC states includes the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. CAD 660.00 is the same application without the right of permanent residence fee. IRCC lists the identical amounts for a spouse or partner abroad and in Canada.

  Spouse, partner or children (abroad) Fees $CAN Sponsor your spouse or partner This amount includes the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. 1,260.00 Sponsor your spouse or partner without right of permanent residence fee This amount includes the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. 660.00

• Fee for a dependent childCAD 180CAD 180.00 per child, both to include a dependent child on the application and to sponsor a dependent child independently.

  Include any dependent child This amount includes the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. 180.00 (per child) Independently sponsor a dependent child This amount includes the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. 180.00 (per child)

• Right of permanent residence feeCAD 600CAD 600.00. It is already inside the CAD 1,260.00 combined amount above — the CAD 660.00 variant is that amount with this fee removed. IRCC states it is payable before the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident, that it can be paid up front to avoid delays, and that it is the only fee refundable after processing starts. It does not apply to the dependent children of a principal applicant or sponsor.

  Right of permanent residence fee Fees $CAN Right of permanent residence fee 600.00 For most permanent residence applications, you need to pay the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) when your application is approved. You will have to pay it before you can become a permanent resident.

• Biometrics feeCAD 85 · CAD 170 family maximumCAD 85.00 per individual, with a maximum of CAD 170.00 for a family of 2 or more eligible people applying at the same time. IRCC's apply page states that in most cases you pay it when you submit the application, and that not paying may delay the application.

  Biometrics – per individual 85.00 Biometrics – per family of 2 or more eligible people Maximum fee for a family of 2 or more people applying at the same time Family members eligible for this fee are your spouse or common-law partner your dependent children and their dependent children Check if your child is a dependant. 170.00

Also stated by the authority

Not requirements in themselves. These are alternatives, exemptions, rights and warnings the authority publishes alongside the requirements — quoted here because they can change what applies to you.

• Proof of a conjugal relationship (conjugal partners only)Only for a conjugal partner: a relationship of at least one year where marrying or living together has not been possible. Proof of your attachment and interdependence, and of what prevents you from living together or marrying. IRCC's conjugal checklist (IMM 5629) lists the documents.

  A significant degree of attachment and mutual interdependence between both partners must be shown. The couple must submit proof of the obstacles or restrictions that are preventing them from living together or getting married.

• Evidence the relationship is genuine (proof of contact, living together, photos)What applies depends on your answers on IRCC's spouse checklist (IMM 5533, section 7). Not living together: proof of contact (letters, printed messages, emails or social media; at most 10 pages, translated if needed) and proof of the sponsor's visits. Living together: documents from at least two of IRCC's sets (joint property, a lease naming both, joint utility, credit card or bank accounts, vehicle insurance at the same address, government ID or other documents showing the same address). Unless all four are true (you live together, have children together, it is a first marriage for both, and you have been married at least two years), also up to 20 photos and documents from at least two of: recognition as spouses, financial support or shared expenses, recognition by family and friends, past cohabitation.

  Proof of communication documents that are not already in English or French, such as letters, printed text messages, emails or social media conversations, must also be translated. A maximum of 10 pages of proof of communication documents may be submitted with your application.

• Sponsor's proof they will live in Canada (Canadian citizen living abroad only)Only if the sponsor is a Canadian citizen living outside Canada: proof they will live in Canada when the person they sponsor becomes a permanent resident.

  if you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident.

• Sponsor's divorce certificate, if previously marriedOnly if the sponsor was married before. IMM 5533 accepts, for each previous marriage, the final divorce certificate, the final annulment certificate or the former spouse's death certificate, and asks a sponsor still married to someone else but legally separated for proof of the separation.

  You must tell us if you were previously married or in a common-law relationship. If you were previously married, a divorce certificate must be provided in order to proceed with your spousal sponsorship.

• Proof of Canadian citizenship for a child you have together (if any)Only if the sponsor is a Canadian citizen and you have a child together who may be a Canadian citizen: a citizenship certificate or a copy of the Canadian passport, or for a child born in Canada the long-form birth certificate. IMM 5533 states the application is not returned if this is missing.

  If you already have proof of Canadian citizenship for your child, provide a copy of this proof (citizenship certificate or copy of Canadian passport), to help us confirm that your child does not require immigrant processing.