Sponsor your parent and grandparent

You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents if:

• you’re at least 18 years old
• you live in Canada
• you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• you have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor
  • To show that you have enough, you’ll have to provide your proof of income.

If you live outside Quebec

To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially take care of the persons you are sponsoring for a period of time. We call this promise an undertaking.

The undertaking commits you to:

• providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
• repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time

Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. We call this the sponsorship agreement.

The sponsorship agreement means that:

• you’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members
• the person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members

When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.

If you live in Quebec

You must meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements after we approve you as a sponsor. The Quebec ministry in charge of immigration will assess your income.

You must also sign an undertaking with the province of Quebec.

Who can’t sponsor a parent or grandparent

You can’t sponsor your parents and grandparents if:

• you’re less than 18 years old
• you won’t live in Canada when you apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents and/or when your parents and grandparents become permanent residents
  • Your primary residential address must be in Canada when you submit your application and until we make a decision on your application.
• you’re not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• you’re a temporary resident, that is you’re visiting, studying or working in Canada on a visa or permit
• your permanent residence application is still in process
  • You must have permanent resident status at the time you submit your sponsorship application.
• your proof of income shows you don’t have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor

You may not be eligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if you:

• are in jail, prison, or penitentiary
• didn’t pay back:
  • an immigration loan
  • a performance bond
  • court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support ^Footnote*
• didn’t give the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past^Footnote*
• declared bankruptcy and are not discharged ^Footnote*
• receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
• were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada
• can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order

There may be other reasons that make you ineligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents. If we determine you’re not eligible to sponsor, we’ll tell you why.