Family Immigration Class: Spouses, partners and dependent children

Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Canada, 19 years of age or older, may sponsor close family members who wish to immigrate to Canada. Sponsors must agree to support the family member and accompanying dependents for 10 years, to help them settle in Canada. If you wish to be reunited with a close family member in Canada, your relative in Canada must first apply to sponsor you. Both you and your sponsor will sign an agreement saying that your sponsor will support you financially for 10 years so that you will not apply for welfare and that you will make an effort to become self-supporting (unless you are elderly).

Family members eligible for sponsorship are:

• spouses, finance, parents and grandparents
• dependent children, including adopted children
• children under 19 whom the sponsor intends to adopt
• brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren who are orphans unmarried and under 19
• any other relative if the sponsor has none of the above family either in Canada or aboard

A dependent son or daughter is either:

• under the age of 19 and unmarried
• a full-time student since the age of 19 and financially supported by the patents, or
• financially supported by the parents because of disability

Routine cases involving spouses and dependent children can be processed within six months, if your family member meets all requirements quickly.

Tourist Visa          Independent Immigration          Student Visa           Business Immigration Class