Family Sponsorship in Canada: Who You Can Sponsor in 2026

Sponsorship has two parts that are filed together with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC):

1. The sponsorship application. You show you are eligible to sponsor: at least 18, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, living in Canada (citizens abroad can sponsor a spouse or child if they will return), and not barred for reasons such as receiving social assistance for non-disability reasons or defaulting on a past sponsorship.
2. The permanent residence application for your family member, including medical exams, police certificates, and biometrics.

You sign an undertaking, a promise to repay any social assistance your relative receives for a set period, even if your relationship ends. Sponsors who live in Quebec also sign an undertaking with the Quebec government.

No family route needs a job offer. See permanent residence options for economic routes your relatives could use instead.

You can sponsor a husband or wife, a common-law partner (you have lived together for at least 12 months in a row), or a conjugal partner (a committed relationship of at least 1 year where you could not live together or marry because of serious barriers). IRCC checks that the relationship is genuine and was not entered mainly for immigration.

There are two streams:

• Outland, when your partner lives outside Canada or wants to travel while the case is processed.
• Inland, when your partner already lives with you in Canada. Inland applicants can often get an open work permit while they wait.

IRCC aims to process most spousal cases within about 12 months. Your undertaking lasts 3 years from the day your partner becomes a permanent resident. If you were sponsored as a spouse yourself, you cannot sponsor a new spouse until you have been a permanent resident for 5 years. See spousal sponsorship.

Evidence that helps: a marriage certificate or proof of living together (joint lease, shared bills), photos over time, travel records, messages, and proof that family and friends know about the relationship. Explain any gaps, such as long periods apart, in a short letter.

On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused new intake under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) until further notice. It is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms or sending invitations, but it continues to process applications already received. Follow the PGP pause status page.

The Super Visa remains open. It is a multiple-entry visitor visa that lets parents and grandparents stay for up to 5 years per entry (and extend while in Canada). To qualify, the child or grandchild in Canada must meet a minimum income, and the visitor needs private medical insurance that meets IRCC's rules. The Super Visa does not lead to permanent residence, and visitors cannot work.

Dependent children can be sponsored if they are under 22 and not married or in a common-law relationship, or if they are 22 or older and have depended on you financially since before 22 because of a physical or mental condition. If you are immigrating yourself, list your children on your own application instead. See dependent children.

Other relatives can be sponsored only in narrow cases: an orphaned brother, sister, niece, nephew, or grandchild under 18, or one relative of any age if you have no living spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or other close relative you could sponsor. See other relatives.

Brothers, sisters, and adult children usually need their own economic route, such as Express Entry. A sibling in Canada adds 15 CRS points. Adult children who have their own Canadian study or work experience may also qualify through the Canadian Experience Class.

• PGP paused on July 15, 2026.
• PR fees rose on April 30, 2026. The right of permanent residence fee is now CAD $600 for the principal applicant and accompanying spouse. Check the IRCC fee list for current sponsorship fees.
• Citizenship by descent expanded. Bill C-3, in force since December 15, 2025, ended the first-generation limit for many people born abroad to Canadian parents. See citizenship by descent.
• Fewer open work permits for spouses of temporary residents. If your partner is a student or worker rather than a citizen or PR, see spousal open work permits.

See all updates on the Canada Status Now page.

Many couples prepare spousal applications themselves. Talk to a Canadian lawyer or licensed consultant (RCIC) first if you or your relative has a past refusal, a criminal record, a previous sponsorship that broke down, a removal order, or doubts about the relationship evidence. See how to verify a consultant.