Family Visa Process in Canada: How to Sponsor Your Spouse, Partner, or Dependent Child If you are a citizen of Canada or a permanent resident with family members who want to immigrate to the country, the Canadian immigration system allows you to sponsor them to become a permanent resident. Canada’s Family Class Sponsorship Program is designed for families to reunite, wherein any adult citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a relative to immigrate to the country.
To be eligible for immigration to Canada, the candidate seeking sponsorship should be a: Spouse: Legally married in the country of origin or under Canadian law. Conjugal Partner: The person should have a conjugal relationship with the sponsor for a minimum of 12 months, where the couple is not living together due to religious factors, immigration barriers, marital status or other reasons. Common-law Partner: Minimum 1 year of living together uninterrupted in a conjugal relationship. Dependent Child: He/she must be under 22 years of age, a child of the sponsor, or a child of his/her spouse or common-law partner. The