Can I be a sponsor for a member of my family?

You may be able to sponsor a relative or a member of your family to apply for permanent resident status if you're:

• a Canadian citizen, or
• a permanent resident.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a policy that allows people who are defined as Status Indians under the Indian Act to sponsor relatives and family members. This policy was created because it was left out of the law.

Relatives and family members include your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child, parents, and grandparents.

You must also be:

• at least 18 years old, and
• living in Canada.

If you're a Canadian citizen, who's not living in Canada, you can sponsor your spouse, partner, or child. But you'll have to show that you'll be living in Canada when the person you're sponsoring becomes a permanent resident. To do this, you need to show you have a plan for moving to Canada after the application is approved. A permanent resident cannot do this from outside Canada.

If you did not tell IRCC about a family member

You cannot sponsor a family member if you did not tell IRCC about them when you applied for or became a permanent resident.

IRCC created a policy that says they may not enforce this rule if:

• you came to Canada as a resettled refugee,
• you got protected person status in Canada, or
• you were sponsored as a spouse, a common-law or conjugal partner, or a dependent child.

IRCC has extended this policy until September 2026.

Read more in Step 5.

Other rules

There are other requirements that you must meet to be a sponsor. And there are other situations where members of your family cannot be sponsored.

Some rules are specific to sponsoring certain family members. For example, there are rules that apply to sponsoring a spouse or partner. Read more in the Next Steps and:

• Can I sponsor my spouse or partner who’s living outside Canada?
• Can I sponsor my spouse or partner who’s living with me in Canada?

Parents and grandparents

IRCC is not accepting applications to sponsor parents or grandparents at this time.

Your parents or grandparents may be able to apply for a Super Visa to come to Canada as visitors. The Super Visa lasts for 10 years and lets them come and go from Canada during that time.

Parents and grandparents who enter Canada on a Super Visa on or after June 22, 2023, can stay for up to 5 years each time they visit. This lets them stay longer than a visitor visa, which is usually for 6 months. And while they're in Canada, they can apply to stay longer.

Parents and grandparents who entered Canada with a Super Visa before June 22, 2023, might be allowed to stay for less time. They can stay for as long as the border officer gave them when they entered. They may also be able to apply to stay longer.

The Super Visa does not make your parents or grandparents permanent residents.

Read more in Which relatives can I sponsor to become permanent residents?

Get help if you need it

The rules and the process for sponsoring someone are complicated.

If you make a mistake in an application, it can be difficult to correct. Your application might be refused or you or your relative or family member could have problems with immigration status in the future.

If you're not sure about something, ask for information from a community agency or get legal help.