Key facts
- Family sponsorship includes different categories with separate rules and availability.
- The sponsor and the person being sponsored must each meet the applicable requirements.
- Spouse, partner and dependent-child sponsorship is not the same process as parent or grandparent sponsorship.
- A sponsor signs an undertaking with continuing responsibilities after permanent residence is granted.
- Relationship, identity, civil-status and admissibility evidence must be complete and consistent.
Canada Family Sponsorship Applications
Family sponsorship can connect a sponsor in Canada with a qualifying relative in Iraq or another country, but eligibility depends on the exact relationship and category.
Choose the correct sponsorship category
Spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners, dependent children, adopted children, parents, grandparents and certain other relatives do not all use the same process. Program status, invitations, forms and financial rules differ. Begin with the official category that matches the relationship.
Evidence and sponsor responsibilities
The application may require civil-status documents, relationship evidence, identity records, police certificates, medical examinations and other documents. The sponsor must understand the undertaking and any financial obligations. Translations must follow the current instructions.
How Sifton can help
Sifton can review the category, sponsor and applicant information, relationship documentation and application consistency, and assist within the agreed scope. A genuine relationship alone does not remove the other statutory requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can a permanent resident living outside Canada sponsor a spouse?
Permanent residents generally must live in Canada to sponsor. Canadian citizens outside Canada may have a different rule if they show plans to return; verify the current requirements.
Does a spouse sponsorship require proof of the relationship?
Yes. The type and amount of evidence depend on the relationship and circumstances.
Can sponsorship be guaranteed?
No. IRCC assesses sponsor eligibility, the applicant, the relationship, admissibility and the complete evidence.
Official sources
- Sponsor family members to immigrate to Canada — Government of Canada / IRCC