Canada’s immigration system recognizes the importance of keeping families together. If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you may be able to sponsor your dependent child for permanent residence so that you can build your life together in Canada.

Who Can Be a Sponsor

To sponsor, you must be at least 18 years old and either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian. Canadian citizens may apply from abroad as long as they plan to return to Canada with their child, but permanent residents must be living in Canada at the time of the application. In most cases, there is no income requirement unless the child being sponsored has dependent children of their own.

Certain circumstances can prevent you from sponsoring, such as being in default of support payments, receiving social assistance (other than for disability), having an undischarged bankruptcy, or serving a jail sentence. Past immigration or criminal issues can also make you ineligible.

Who Can Be Sponsored

Your child must meet Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s definition of a dependent. This includes biological or adopted children under 22 who are NOT married or living with a partner. Children over 22 may still qualify if they have relied on their parents due to a physical or mental condition. The dependency criteria must be met until the application is fully processed.

Your Responsibilities as a Sponsor

When sponsoring, you commit to financially supporting your child for a set period. This includes providing for their food, shelter, clothing, and health needs not covered by public health insurance, such as dental and vision care. The length of this commitment depends on the child’s age when they become a permanent resident, up to 10 years (or until age 25) for those under 22, and three years for those 22 and older.

How the Application Works

Sponsorship involves submitting two applications at the same time: one from you as the sponsor, and one from your child as the applicant for permanent residence. Both are filed online through the Permanent Residence Portal.

You will need to complete the application package, gather the required documents, pay the applicable fees, and submit everything together. Documents may include police certificates for children over 18 who have lived outside Canada for more than six months. Fees typically cover the sponsorship application, processing, and biometrics (if the child is 14 or older).

Note: If you live in Quebec, there is an additional step. In addition to applying through the federal system, you will also need to apply through Quebec’s Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), which carries its own rules, fees, and sponsorship undertaking requirements.