Canadian citizens or permanent residents who meet certain conditions can sponsor their dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada.
Sponsors must:
To sponsor a dependent child, the sponsor must be financially responsible for the sponsored person(s).
| Person you sponsor | Length of undertaking |
| Dependent child (biological or adopted) or child to be adopted in Canada under 22 years of age. | 10 years, or until age 25, whichever comes first |
| Dependent child 22 years of age or older | 3 years |
This includes providing financial support and repaying any social assistance received by the sponsored person(s) in that time.
The sponsor and the sponsored person(s) must also undertake a sponsorship agreement meaning:
In most cases, there is no income requirement to sponsor a dependent child.
Sponsors only need to show they meet income requirements if sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own.
To qualify as dependents, children must:
To qualify as dependents, children 22 years old or older must:
If they qualify as a dependent, candidates can sponsor their:
To sponsor a dependent child, candidates must submit an application under the Family Class. These applications are processed outside Canada.
