How do I sponsor my child or my spouse or partner’s child?
Updated September 17You make your sponsorship application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Read more about the rules that apply to sponsoring a child in Can I sponsor my child or my spouse or partner’s child to become a permanent resident?
IRCC decides if:
- you qualify to be a sponsor
- you can prove that there's a parent-child relationship
- the child meets the definition of a
- the child meets the requirements to become a
If you're sponsoring your or , you may be able to include in the same application:
- your dependent child, or
- the dependent child of your spouse or partner.
This question does not cover the topic of international adoption.
If you’re a protected person
If you're a , you might not need to make a sponsorship application to bring your dependent child to Canada. There's a different process that you can use if it's been less than a year since you became a permanent resident.
When applying for permanent resident status
If you're applying for permanent resident status, you must list all family members. Do this even if they're missing or not coming to Canada.
You must give true and complete information. And you will not have the right to sponsor someone who was your family member when you applied for or became a permanent resident, if you did not tell IRCC about them before becoming a permanent resident.
And if you're applying for permanent resident status after you became a protected person in Canada, you can include your spouse and dependent children in your application. You must always list them in the application.
If a child is already a Canadian citizen
If a parent was a Canadian citizen when their child was born, the child might be a Canadian citizen. This could be true even if the child was born outside Canada.
And if a child is a Canadian citizen, you do not need to sponsor them. You can apply for proof of citizenship for them.
Get help if you need it
The rules and the process for sponsoring someone are complicated. It's a good idea to ask for information from a community agency or get legal help.
If you do not qualify to sponsor, or your child does not qualify to be sponsored, you might be able to ask IRCC to approve the sponsorship application based on or reasons. You should get legal advice about your options and legal help with making any H&C requests.