Family Sponsorship

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for PR. Two options: inland (apply while living in Canada, eligible for a spousal open work permit during processing — the January 2025 open-work-permit restrictions on spouses of workers and students do NOT affect inland sponsorship applicants) or outland (apply from abroad, may be faster in some cases). IRCC's service-standard target is about 12 months, but actual processing in 2026 runs longer — roughly 16 months for outland and up to ~25 months for inland applications (Quebec cases are significantly longer). The sponsored person becomes a permanent resident upon approval. There are no language, education, or work experience requirements for the sponsored person. Sponsors sign a 3-year undertaking to financially support the sponsored spouse or partner — during this period the sponsor is responsible for repaying any social assistance the sponsored person receives.

IRCC recognizes common-law relationships after 12 months of continuous cohabitation. Evidence includes joint lease or mortgage, shared bank accounts, utility bills in both names, and statutory declarations from witnesses. This recognition applies to sponsorship, PR applications, Express Entry profiles, and benefit claims. Particularly relevant for couples who lived together but did not formally marry.

Conjugal partner sponsorship applies when a couple is in a genuine committed relationship but cannot live together or marry due to an immigration barrier or legal reason (e.g., same-sex couples from countries where this is not recognized). This category is narrow — IRCC requires proof that the barrier to cohabitation or marriage is beyond the couple's control. Legal guidance is strongly recommended.

Canada fully recognizes same-sex marriages and common-law partnerships for immigration purposes. Same-sex spouses and common-law partners have identical sponsorship rights as opposite-sex couples. If you married in a country that does not recognize same-sex marriage, Canada still recognizes your marriage if it was legally performed. The conjugal partner category is available for couples from countries where same-sex cohabitation or marriage is legally impossible. IRCC officers are trained on LGBTQ+ cases and applications are assessed without discrimination.

IRCC scrutinizes relationships to prevent fraud. Strong evidence includes: ongoing communication records (messages, calls), photos together over time, joint financial commitments, travel together, knowledge of each other's families, and witness statements. Red flags include large age gaps with no explanation, short relationships before marriage, inability to communicate in a shared language, and inconsistencies in interviews. If an officer suspects a marriage of convenience, the application will be refused.

The PGP allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for PR. IMPORTANT: as of 2026 the PGP is PAUSED — IRCC is not accepting new interest-to-sponsor forms and has not opened a new intake. The most recent (2025) intake drew invitations only from the 2020 interest-to-sponsor pool; that application window closed on October 9, 2025, and IRCC is no longer accepting those applications. IRCC plans to admit up to ~15,000 parents and grandparents as PRs in 2026 under the 2026–2028 Levels Plan. Sponsors must meet a minimum income threshold (LICO + 30%) for the 3 tax years preceding the application, and sign a 20-year undertaking (10 years in Quebec). While the PGP is paused, the Super Visa is the main alternative for reuniting with parents and grandparents.

The Super Visa is a temporary resident visa allowing parents and grandparents to visit Canada for stays of up to 5 years per entry (with a 2-year extension available from within Canada). It requires medical insurance of at least CAD $100,000 valid for at least 1 year — from a Canadian insurer or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI (permitted since January 28, 2025) — proof the host child or grandchild meets a minimum income threshold (which, as of 2026, may be met in either of the two tax years before applying), and a medical exam. The Super Visa does not grant PR, but it enables family reunification, especially while PGP sponsorship is paused or unavailable.

Dependent children under 22 years of age can be included in a parent's PR application. The child's age is "locked in" on the date IRCC receives the complete application — processing delays after that date do not affect eligibility. Children 22 or older qualify only if they have substantially depended on their parent's financial support since before age 22 due to a medical condition.

Sponsors can be barred from sponsoring if they: are on social assistance (other than disability), have an existing sponsorship undertaking in default, were previously sponsored and the undertaking period has not ended, have been convicted of certain offences (especially domestic violence or sexual offences), or are subject to a removal order. The undertaking period is 3 years for spouses/partners and 20 years for parents/grandparents (10 years in Quebec). Quebec applicants also sign a separate undertaking with the province (MIFI), which has its own terms.

H&C applications allow individuals to apply for PR from within Canada based on exceptional circumstances. For families, the best interests of a child in Canada is a primary consideration. Other factors: establishment in Canada, health conditions, country conditions upon return. H&C is discretionary — approval rates vary widely by case (often estimated around 30–40%, not an official IRCC figure). Legal representation is strongly recommended. Consider H&C as a complement to other pathways, not a primary strategy.