Family Sponsorship Canada 2026 - Reunite With the People You Love

Spousal sponsorship - also called family class sponsorship - allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner to become a permanent resident of Canada. It is one of the three pillars of Canada's immigration system alongside economic immigration and refugee protection. The process has two stages: Stage 1 assesses whether the sponsor is eligible to sponsor. Stage 2 assesses whether the sponsored person is admissible and the relationship is genuine. Both stages are processed simultaneously in most cases. IRCC's estimate (updated September 2026) is about 18 months for Outland (outside Canada) applications and about 26 months for Inland (in-Canada) applications; IRCC's service standard is 12 months. Times change - check IRCC's processing-times tool before you apply. We manage the complete process for both sponsors and sponsored partners.

As a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you can sponsor: your spouse (legally married), your common-law partner (cohabiting in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months), your conjugal partner (in a committed relationship for at least 1 year but unable to cohabit due to exceptional circumstances such as immigration barriers or legal restrictions), and your dependent children (under 22, unmarried, and not in a common-law relationship - or over 22 but financially dependent due to a physical or mental condition). You can also include the sponsored person's dependent children in the same application. Beyond spouses and children, you can sponsor parents and grandparents - but the Parents and Grandparents Program is not accepting new applications in 2026. Orphaned siblings, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren may be sponsored in exceptional circumstances. VMC advises on which family members qualify under current rules.

A spouse is someone you are legally married to - the marriage must be legally valid in both the country where it took place and in Canada. A common-law partner is someone you have lived with in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months - you must have lived together continuously, not just visited each other. A conjugal partner is someone you have been in a committed relationship with for at least 1 year but cannot live together or marry due to exceptional circumstances - such as immigration barriers (a refused visa), religious or cultural restrictions, or legal reasons. Conjugal partner applications face the highest scrutiny as IRCC wants to see genuine exceptional circumstances preventing cohabitation or marriage. VMC advises on which category applies to your specific relationship and how to document it correctly.

The government fees for spousal sponsorship are: $150 sponsorship application fee (paid by the sponsor), $570 principal applicant processing fee, $230 Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF - payable on approval, can be paid upfront), and $85 biometrics fee per person. If dependent children are included, additional fees apply per child. Total government fees for a couple with no children are approximately $1,035 upfront plus $230 RPRF on approval. Medical exam costs approximately $200 to $400 per person depending on the clinic and country. Police certificate fees vary by country. Professional representation fees are separate. We provide a complete itemized fee breakdown before you commit to anything.