Sponsoring your family: Spouses and dependent children—How to apply

How does a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children get permanent resident status?

The application process involves two parts:

  1. If you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, you must apply to sponsor them.
  2. Your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children must also apply for permanent residence.

If you sponsor your spouse or partner, and your dependent children as a group, all of their applications for permanent residence must be filled out at the same time to be mailed together.

The applications for both sponsorship and permanent residence should be filled out and sent at the same time. There are two steps to process the application forms:

  1. The sponsorship application is processed by the Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Mississauga, Ontario (for family members living outside Canada), or the CPC in Vegreville, Alberta (for family members living inside Canada).
  2. If you are approved as a sponsor, the permanent residence application is sent to the appropriate Canadian visa office.

If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec immigration sponsorship requirements.

How to apply

  1. Obtain an application package.
  2. Read the guide.
  3. Complete the application form and attach the necessary documents.
  4. Pay the fee and get the necessary receipt.
  5. Mail the application form and documents.

1. Obtain an application package.

You will need an application package for sponsorship and an application package for permanent residence for your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent child.

Depending on whether your relatives live inside or outside Canada, the application packages for sponsorship and permanent residence are different. Be sure to choose the correct application package. For instance:

2. Read the guide.

Read the guides for both the sponsorship and the permanent residence applications carefully before you complete the application forms. The fee for processing your forms is not refundable, so make sure you are eligible before you apply.

3. Complete the application forms and attach the necessary documents.

Use the instructions in the guide to help you fill out the application form. Be sure to provide all the documents listed in the Document Checklist. If information or documents are missing, your application may be delayed.

  • As the sponsor, you will sign an agreement that commits you to supporting your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for three years. If you sponsor a dependent child, you will commit to supporting the child for 10 years or until the child is 25 years old, whichever comes first.
  • Your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner must promise to make every effort to become self-supporting.
  • If you sponsor your dependent children who are not accompanying your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, you will have to complete a separate application and pay the applicable fees for each of these children.
  • Have the person(s) you are sponsoring complete the application for permanent residence.

There are some extra steps to follow if the person(s) you want to sponsor lives outside Canada:

  • Have the person(s) you want to sponsor complete the medical examination requirements. Instructions are in the application package. There is also information about medical examinations in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.
  • Assemble the final application for permanent residence, including applications, supporting documents, and proof that the medical examination has been done.

Note: Misrepresenting your situation in any way can make you inadmissible to Canada. You cannot misrepresent any relevant facts in your application. You cannot misrepresent your family members and marital status, and you must inform Citizenship and Immigration Canada of any change in circumstances. You must identify all your family members in the application. If you fail to disclose and/or have examined any of your close family members at any time between the date of the original application and the date your family member is granted permanent residence, you will be barred from sponsoring those members in the future.

4. Pay the fee and get the necessary receipt.

The application processing fee is payable in Canadian funds only.

Payment of fees on the Internet is the preferred method of payment.

To pay your fees on the internet, you must:

  • Have a PDF Reader.
  • Have a printer.
  • Have a valid email address.
  • Have a Visa®, MasterCard® or American Express® credit card.
  • Print the “receipt of payment” page and include it with your application.
  • Pay your fees on the Internet when you are ready.

To pay your fees at a financial institution in Canada, you must:

  • Obtain an original payment receipt form (IMM 5401). Order it online or contact the Call Centre.
  • Fill the receipt form and bring it with you when you go to pay your fees.
  • Include the completed payment receipt form (IMM 5401) with your application.

If you live outside Canada, you must:

  • Pay your fees on the Internet, or
  • Obtain an international money order or bank draft, in Canadian funds, made payable to the Receiver General for Canada.
  • On the front of the money order or draft, write the financial institutions’ name, complete address (not a post office box number) and account number(s).
  • Submit the money order or draft with your application.

For more detailed instructions, read the “Pay the fees” section of the application guide.

5. Mail the application and documents.

The application package has the address you need for mailing your application to the Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Mississauga, Ontario (for family members living outside Canada) or CPC in Vegreville, Alberta (for family members living inside Canada).

You can find information on how long it will take to process your application.

You can also read the service standard for sponsoring your family from overseas. This details the specific level of service you can expect to receive under normal circumstances.

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