Canada · Family

Sponsor your spouse, partner or child

Sponsor your spouse, partner or child is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. VisaAI tracks 23 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.

Last verified against the official source on .

VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.

Requirements change. Confirm every item on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s own page before you apply.

Conditions you must meet

  • The sponsor must be at least 18 years old
  • The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or registered 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.
  • 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.
  • Meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and 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.
  • The sponsor must not be barred by a previous spousal sponsorshipIRCC states these two bars apply specifically to sponsoring a spouse or partner.
  • 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 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.

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.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.

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

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

Government fees

  • Sponsor your spouse or partner — combined sponsorship, processing and right of permanent residence feeCAD 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.
  • Fee for a dependent childCAD 180.00 per child, both to include a dependent child on the application and to sponsor a dependent child independently.
  • Right of permanent residence feeCAD 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.
  • Biometrics feeCAD 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.

Official sources

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