Check if you’re eligible

Who can sponsor

You can sponsor certain relatives if you

• are at least 18 years old
• are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act
• live in Canada
  • Your primary residential address must be in Canada when you submit your application and until we make a decision on your application.
• meet set income guidelines

If you live in Quebec

You must meet Quebec’s eligibility requirements for sponsoring another relative.

You must also complete an undertaking with the Government of Quebec.

Don’t submit your undertaking application to Quebec until we tell you to do so. If you don’t wait for our confirmation, Quebec won’t process your application.

Your responsibilities

When you sponsor a relative to become a permanent resident of Canada, you must commit to

• financially supporting them and their accompanying family members
  • beginning on the date they become a permanent resident
  • for up to 20 years (depending on their age and how you’re related)
• making sure they won’t need to ask the government for social assistance
  • If they receive social assistance during the time you’re responsible for them, you’ll have to re-pay the amount. You won’t be able to sponsor anyone else until you’ve re-paid it.

The person you sponsor must sign an agreement saying they will make the effort to support themselves and their accompanying family members. This includes sponsored dependent children 22 years or older. Dependent children under 22 don’t have to sign this agreement.

Who can’t sponsor

You may not be able to sponsor a relative if you

• are in prison
• have declared bankruptcy and haven’t been discharged from it yet
• got social assistance for reasons other than being disabled
• are behind on payments for
  • an immigration loan
  • a performance bond
  • court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support (this doesn’t apply if you live in Quebec)
• sponsored another relative in the past and didn’t meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement
• were convicted of a violent crime, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence, depending on details of the case, such as:
  • the type of offence
  • how long ago it was
  • whether a record suspension was issued (formerly called “pardons” in Canada)
• can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order

There may be other reasons that make you ineligible to sponsor. If we determine you’re not eligible , we’ll tell you why.