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Review Requirements
One of the objectives of Canada’s immigration program is family reunification. Canadian citizens or permanent residents, residing in Canada, and of age 18 years or over, may be able to sponsor a spouse/partner or immediate family member from abroad for permanent residence, including:

Income / Financial Support Requirements
Sponsors must first be approved from within Canada and demonstrate that they have the financial resources and the willingness to provide for the essential needs of the person(s) they wish to sponsor for a prescribed period of time. These financial requirements may vary depending on the age and your relationship with the person being sponsored.

A sponsor must be able to demonstrate the ability to provide financial support for:
     • a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner for three (3) years from the
         date that person became a permanent resident;
      • your, or your spouse’s, common-law or conjugal partner’s dependent child who
         is less than 22 years of age for ten (10) years from the date that person
         became a permanent resident or until the child turns 25 years of age, whichever
         comes first;
      • your, or your spouse’s, common-law or conjugal partner’s dependent child who is
         22 years of age or older for three (3) years from the date that person
         became a permanent resident; or
      • any other person not mentioned above for ten (10) years from the date that
         person became a permanent resident.

For more information on sponsoring a family member for permanent residence,
please see the  Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)   webpage.
Sponsoring a Spouse or Partner
The Canadian immigration program allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents to serve as sponsors to their spouses / partners for permanent residence. The eligibility requirements for each type of relationship are outlined below. Note that spouses and common-law partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents whom are living within Canada no longer need to have valid temporary immigration status in order to be eligible for sponsorship.

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a person
  as a spouse if the person is:
     • Sixteen (16) years of age or older, and
     • Recognized as legally married to the sponsor in the country where the marriage
         took place AND in Canada.  CLICK HERE for information on sponsoring a
         same-sex partner as a spouse.

  as a common-law partner if the person:
     • Has combined their affairs with the sponsor, and has co-habited with the sponsor
         in a conjugal relationship for a continuous period of at least one (1) year, and
      • Is still co-habiting with the sponsor

  as a conjugal partner partner if the person:
     • Is currently residing outside Canada, but
      • Has maintained a conjugal relationship with the sponsor for at least one (1)
         year but has not co-habited with the sponsor for at least twelve (12) continuous
         months
      • Is able to demonstrate why the couple is unable to be legally married and/or
         reside together for at least twelve continuous months
Sponsoring a Same-Sex Partner as a Spouse (Interim Policy)
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a same-sex partner as a spouse if:
     • You were issued a marriage certificate by a Canadian province or territory on or
         after the following dates:
               o   Quebec (on or after March 19, 2004)
               o   Ontario (on or after June 10, 2003)
               o   British Columbia (on or after July 8, 2003)
               o   Yukon (on or after July 14, 2004)
               o   Manitoba (on or after September 16, 2004)
               o   Nova Scotia (on or after September 24, 2004)
               o   Saskatchewan (on or after November 5, 2004)
               o   Newfoundland (on or after December 21, 2004)
               o   New Brunswick (on or after July 4, 2005)
               o   All other provinces or territories (on or after July 20, 2005)

Canadian immigration authorities do not currently recognize any same sex marriages which took place outside Canada as valid, and therefore you cannot apply to sponsor these partners as a spouse. However, you may qualify to sponsor your partner as a common-law or a conjugal partner.
Restrictions on Spouse / Partner Sponsorship
 You cannot sponsor a person as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner if:
     • The person is under sixteen (16) years of age

You cannot sponsor a person as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner if:
     • The sponsor is a permanent resident, and at the time of the sponsor’s
         application, that person was a non-accompanying family member, former
         spouse or common-law partner and was not examined
      • The sponsor previously sponsored another spouse, common-law or conjugal
         partner and three (3) years have not passed since that person became a
         permanent resident
      • If the sponsor or the person were the spouse of another person at the time
         of the marriage
      • If the sponsor has lived separate and apart from the person for at least
         one (1) year and are in a common-law relationship with another person

Sponsoring Dependent Children
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident, residing in Canada, and 18 years of age or over, can sponsor their, or their spouse/partner’s, dependent child for permanent residence if the person is:
     • Under age twenty-two (22) and does not have a spouse or common-law
         partner; or
      • Enrolled full-time in an education program and has been financially
         dependent on the sponsor parent since before the age of twenty-two
      • (22), or since becoming a spouse or common-law partner (if this happened
         before age 22); or
      • Has been financially dependent on the sponsor parent since before the
         age of twenty-two (22) due to a disability

The sponsor must be able to demonstrate that they have the ability to financially support the dependent child for:
     • A period of 10 years from the date that person becomes a permanent
         resident or until the child turns 25 years of age, whichever comes first;
      • A period of 3 years from the date that person becomes a permanent
         resident, if the person is 22 years of age or older
Sponsoring a Parent or Grandparent
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident, residing in Canada, and 18 years of age or over, can sponsor a person as a parent or grandparent who is living abroad if:
     • The sponsor can provide financial support for a period of 10 years from the
         date the parent/grandparent becomes a permanent resident
      • If the person being sponsored, unless they are elderly, agrees to make
         every effort to become self-supporting

Sponsoring Children Under 18 Who You Intend To Adopt
TBA
Sponsoring Other Family Members
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident, residing in Canada, and 18 years of age or over, can sponsor other members of their family for permanent residence, including brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren, if:
     • The sponsor can provide financial support for a period of 10 years from the
         date the person becomes a permanent resident
      • If the person being sponsored, unless they are elderly or a dependent child,
         agrees to make every effort to become self-supporting
      • If they are orphans, under the age of 18 and not married or in a
         common-law relationship

Sponsorship Appeals

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