Family Sponsorship

If you have a spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, or grandparent who’s a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, family sponsorship may be the most direct path to come to (or stay in) Canada. IRCC prioritizes spousal and dependent sponsorships — typical timelines run 12 months for spouses inside Canada and 12-15 months for spouses applying from abroad.

This section walks through the main streams: spousal sponsorship and its timeline, parent and grandparent sponsorship (which uses a lottery system), how to apply for a visitor visa for parents during the sponsorship wait, and the broader family reunification programs. Each pathway has strict relationship documentation requirements — getting them right the first time saves months of avoidable delays.