Family Sponsorship
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor close family members for permanent residence. The most common categories are spouses/partners, dependent children, and parents and grandparents. Specific income thresholds and undertaking lengths apply.
Reminder: IRCC.com is an independent news and information site — we do not handle applications or give advice. Verify all program details on canada.ca. For personal advice, contact a CICC-licensed consultant or a Canadian immigration lawyer.
What this section covers
- Spousal sponsorship — inland vs outland
- Common-law and conjugal partner sponsorship
- Dependent child sponsorship
- Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) — current status
- Super Visa — 10-year multi-entry alternative to PGP
- Super Visa medical insurance requirements
- LICO and MNI income thresholds
- Undertaking length
- Genuine relationship evidence
- Procedural fairness letters
- 5-year sponsorship bar after self-sponsorship
- Sponsorship refusal and IAD appeals
Frequently asked questions
How long does spousal sponsorship take in Canada?
IRCC publishes a service standard of approximately 12 months for spousal sponsorship applications, but actual processing times vary by visa office and case complexity. Inland and outland applications can have different timelines. Check IRCC's processing times tool for the current figure for your visa office.
Is the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) open?
PGP intake is announced periodically and has been paused or run via lottery in recent years. The Super Visa — a multiple-entry visa valid up to 10 years for parents and grandparents — has remained available regardless of PGP status.
Latest in Family Sponsorship
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