Who is an eligible family relative under the Family Class?

• Parents.

• Grandparents.

Relatives you cannot sponsor

• Brothers and sisters over 18.

• Adult independent children cannot be sponsored.

Criteria for sponsoring your family relative

Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are 18 years of age or older (other conditions apply to permanent residents) may sponsor particular relatives other than those described as family members.
Any person wishing to come to Canada as a sponsored person must have a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident in Canada as their sponsor who will undertake to support them financially without resorting to obtaining financial assistance from the government of Canada.
Persons wishing to obtain permanent residence in Canada must have his or her criminal background screened and their health state examined. Applicants who have criminal backgrounds and who form a risk to the stability and security of Canada may not be permitted to enter Canada.

Sponsoring an eligible relative

Reasons for not qualifying as a sponsor for a person

• You have previously signed an agreement to financially support a relative that you have sponsored in the past, but you failed to provide that support.
• You have defaulted on a court-ordered support order, such as alimony or child support.
• You have received government financial assistance for reasons other than a disability.
• You were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence—depending on circumstances, such as the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred, and whether a pardon was issued.
• You defaulted on an immigration loan—late or missed payments.
• You are currently in prison.
• You have declared bankruptcy and have not been released from it yet.
• Other conditions may be applicable.

If you decide to sponsor a relative for permanent residency, you must prove that you have sufficient income to support yourself and your family members; thereafter, enough finances to cater for the relative’s financial needs once they are in Canada. If a relative you previously sponsored turned to Canada for financial support, you may not be able to sponsor another relative ever again. You must not sponsor any relative unless you are willing to accept this very serious obligation.
Sponsoring a relative requires that

• You and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits you to provide financial support for your relative if necessary. This agreement also states that the person becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support themselves. Dependent children under age 22 do not have to sign this agreement. Quebec residents must sign an “undertaking” with the province of Quebec—a contract binding the sponsorship.
• You must promise to provide financial support for the relative and any other eligible relatives accompanying them for a period of three to ten years, depending on their age and relationship to you. This time period begins on the date they become a permanent resident.

If you are a resident of Quebec you must meet the specific conditions of Quebec sponsorship after the government of Canada approves you as a sponsor.

If you are a Canadian citizen who lives abroad and plans to return to Canada when your relatives immigrate, you may sponsor your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or your dependent children who have no dependent children.

To sponsor any other eligible relatives (for example, parents and grandparents), you must be living in Canada.