Canadian family visas

A family reunification is one of the major objectives of Canada’s immigration system. The Canadian government has sought to welcome immigrants from different parts of the world, which is evident in the Canadian family visa category.

A Canadian family visa allows the holder to live and work in Canada with their family members. The Canadian family visa category is divided into three subcategories:

• Spouse or Common-Law Partner Sponsorship
• Dependent Child Sponsorship
• Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship

Each of these subcategories has different requirements that must be met for the application to succeed. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Canadian family visas, from eligibility requirements to the application process. So whether you’re looking to bring your spouse to Canada or reunite with your extended family, we can help you with our professional legal services.

Page Contents

• What are Canadian Family Visas?
• Sponsor your Spouses, Common-law partners, and Conjugal partners
• Sponsor your Dependent Children
• Sponsor your Parents or Grandparents
• Who cannot sponsor spouses or partners?
• What are the Income Requirements to Sponsor Family Members?
• How to Apply for Canadian Family Visas
• What is a Sponsorship Undertaking?
• Documents Needed to Apply for Family Sponsorship
• How Long Does it Take to Sponsor a Family in Canada?
• How Can IAS Help?

You may not be eligible to sponsor your spouse or partner, child or parent if you:

• Received social assistance (other than disability payments) in the last 12 months.
• Have declared bankruptcy and are still bankrupt.
• Are in prison, on parole, or on probation.
• Have defaulted on a previous sponsorship agreement.
• Have been convicted of a violent crime or an offense against a relative.

Your spouse or common-law partner must also:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Not be inadmissible to Canada

Your spouse or common-law partner will need to undergo a medical examination and provide police certificates as part of the Canada immigration visa application process.

The income requirements to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child differ from those to sponsor parents and grandparents. You will be required to sign a Sponsorship Agreement and an Undertaking with IRCC, promising to support your sponsored person(s).

The Canadian government uses the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) to determine whether you meet the minimum necessary income requirements to sponsor. The LICO changes every year and is based on the size of your family and where you live in Canada.

The table below shows the minimum necessary income requirements:

Note: Your spouse or partner can help you meet the income threshold by signing an undertaking with you as a co-signer. As co-signer, they must also meet the same sponsorship eligibility requirements. In addition, they must have lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.

The process of applying for Canadian family visas is different depending on whether you are applying from inside or outside of Canada.

• If you are applying from inside Canada, you must submit your application to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta.
• If you are sponsoring your spouse or partner, you must also submit an additional application for permanent residence.
• If you are applying from outside Canada, you must submit your application to the visa office responsible for your country or region.
• If you are sponsoring your spouse or partner, you will also need to submit an additional application for permanent residence.
• The processing time for Canadian family visas varies depending on the visa office.

A Sponsorship Undertaking is a legally binding agreement between you and the Canadian government. It outlines your responsibilities as a sponsor and the obligations you agree to meet.

You must sign a Sponsorship Agreement and an Undertaking with IRCC promising to support your sponsored person(s) for the entire sponsorship period.

The sponsorship period starts when your loved one becomes a permanent resident and ends either after they become a Canadian citizen or if they no longer meet the conditions of their permanent resident status.

The sponsorship undertaking is a contract between you and IRCC. It outlines your responsibilities as a sponsor, including:

• To provide for the basic needs of your sponsored person(s), such as food, clothing, shelter, and health care.
• To make sure your sponsored person(s) does not need to ask for financial help from Canadian government programs during the sponsorship period.
• To reimburse any Canadian social assistance program that gives financial help to your sponsored person(s) during the sponsorship period.

What are the conditions of a sponsored person?

As a sponsored person, you must:

• Respect Canadian traditions and values.
• Obey Canadian laws.
• Have enough money to support yourself and your family members after you arrive in Canada (unless your sponsor has agreed to support you financially).
• Not plan to sponsor someone else to come to Canada while you are being sponsored (unless your sponsorship undertaking says otherwise).

What happens if I don’t meet the conditions of my sponsorship?

If you, as a sponsor, do not meet the conditions of your sponsorship undertaking, you may:

• Have to pay back any social assistance payments made to your sponsored person(s).
• Be banned from sponsoring anyone else for five years or more.
• Be asked to leave Canada if you are a permanent resident.

What are the consequences for sponsored persons?

If you, as a sponsored person, do not meet the conditions of your sponsorship undertaking, you may:

• Lose your permanent resident status
• Be asked to leave Canada
• Be banned from returning to Canada for 5 years

The documents you’ll need to include with your sponsorship and permanent residence applications depend on your relationship with the person you’re sponsoring. Make sure you get help from a professional if you’re not sure which forms to complete.

As a sponsor, you will need to provide:

• A copy of your Canadian birth certificate, Canadian passport, or Canadian permanent resident card.
• If you’re sponsoring your spouse, partner, or dependent child, you’ll need to provide proof of your relationship with them. This could be a marriage certificate, common-law partner declaration, or birth certificate.
• Proof of income. This could be copies of your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency for the last three years or your most recent T-slip.
• Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement, and Undertaking.
• Application fees receipt.
• Form (IMM 0008), which is the Generic Application Form for Canada.
• Marriage certificate, if applicable.
• Your children’s birth certificates, if applicable.

As a sponsored person, you will need to provide:

• A copy of your passport or travel document
• Two recent passport-sized photos of yourself (unless you’re a dependent child under 18 years old).
• A police certificate from each country or territory where you’ve lived for six months or more since the age of 18, even if you have a criminal record.
• Proof of your relationship with your sponsor (if applicable).
• An immigration medical exam.
• A copy of your birth certificate.

The length of time it takes to sponsor a family can vary depending on a number of factors, including the sponsor’s relationship to the family, the family’s country of origin, and the number of family members. However, in general, it takes between six and twelve months to complete the sponsorship process.

Some sponsorships may take longer if the Canadian government needs more information or if there are delays in processing. So, it is important to be patient and to keep in touch with your local Canadian embassy or consulate during the process.