Canada Dependent Visa
Settle with Your Family in Canada
Canada offers several family immigration and dependent pathways that can help eligible Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and certain temporary residents bring eligible family members to Canada.
Depending on the applicant's status and relationship, family members may be able to live, work, study, or apply for permanent residence in Canada under the appropriate immigration program.
WorldVisaHelp can help you understand the applicable pathway, prepare documentation, and navigate the application process.
Canada Dependent Visa
Depending on the sponsor's immigration status and the relationship, eligible family members may include:
- Spouse or common-law partner
- Dependent children
- Parents or grandparents, where the applicable sponsorship program is available
- Adopted children
- Certain other relatives in specific circumstances
A spouse or partner may also be eligible for a work permit depending on their circumstances and the rules applicable at the time of application.
Eligibility Requirements to Sponsor a Dependent
The sponsor's eligibility depends on the specific family sponsorship or dependent pathway. Requirements can include:
- Being at least 18 years old
- Being a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, where family sponsorship is applicable
- Meeting the applicable financial undertaking or income requirements
- Demonstrating the required family relationship
- Meeting sponsorship and admissibility requirements
- Providing the required financial and supporting documentation
The exact requirements vary depending on whether you are sponsoring a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, or another eligible relative.
Eligibility Requirements to Sponsor a Spouse
For spouse or partner sponsorship, the sponsor generally needs to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Meet the applicable residency requirements
- Demonstrate that the relationship is genuine and not entered into primarily for immigration purposes
- Provide the required sponsorship undertaking
- Demonstrate the ability to meet applicable financial obligations
The sponsored spouse or partner must also meet Canada's applicable medical, criminal and security admissibility requirements.
Dependent Children in Canada
A dependent child can generally qualify if they are:
- Under 22 years old and without a spouse or common-law partner, or
- 22 or older and financially dependent on their parents because of a physical or mental condition
The child may be the sponsor's biological or adopted child.
Applicants may need to provide:
- Proof of the parent-child relationship
- Birth or adoption documents
- Identity documents
- Medical examination results
- Police certificates or other admissibility documents where applicable
- Additional supporting documents requested by IRCC
Financial Requirements for Family Sponsorship
Some family sponsorship programs require the sponsor to demonstrate that they can financially support the sponsored family members.
The applicable minimum necessary income, undertaking period and financial requirements depend on the sponsorship category and family circumstances.
Sponsors should therefore use the requirements applicable to their specific program rather than relying on a single income threshold.
How WorldVisaHelp Can Help You
WorldVisaHelp can assist with:
- Family sponsorship eligibility assessment
- Visa and immigration document checklist
- Forms and application preparation
- Documentation and application filing
- Application updates and follow-up
- Relocation and post-landing support in Canada
Whether you are bringing your spouse, children, parents or another eligible family member to Canada, WorldVisaHelp can help you identify the appropriate immigration pathway and prepare your application.
Canada Dependent Visa FAQs
A Canada Dependent Visa refers to immigration options that allow eligible family members to accompany or join a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible temporary resident. The appropriate pathway depends on the sponsor's status and the relationship with the family member.
Depending on the applicable immigration program, eligible family members can include a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, parents or grandparents, and certain other relatives in specific circumstances.
Eligibility depends on the sponsorship category. For family-class sponsorship, the sponsor is generally required to be at least 18 and be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, along with meeting the other applicable sponsorship requirements.
Yes. A Canadian citizen who meets the applicable requirements can generally sponsor an eligible spouse or common-law partner for permanent residence. The relationship must be genuine and meet Canada's family sponsorship requirements.
Yes. A Canadian permanent resident may be able to sponsor an eligible spouse or common-law partner, provided the sponsor and applicant meet the applicable sponsorship and admissibility requirements.
Eligible dependent children can generally be included in or sponsored through the appropriate family immigration application. Their eligibility depends on their age, marital or partnership status and other applicable requirements.
A dependent child is generally under 22 years of age and does not have a spouse or common-law partner. A child aged 22 or older may qualify in certain circumstances if they have depended substantially on their parents for financial support because of a physical or mental condition.
Parents and grandparents can be eligible under specific Canadian immigration programs. These programs have their own eligibility, income, invitation and application requirements, which must be checked before applying.
Sibling sponsorship is not generally available as a standard family sponsorship category. However, Canada has limited circumstances in which certain other relatives may be sponsored if specific requirements are met.
A spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for a work permit depending on the sponsor's immigration status and the rules in effect when the application is made. Eligibility should be assessed under the applicable work-permit category.
Dependent children may be able to study in Canada. The immigration authorization required depends on factors such as the child's age, level of study, immigration status and the circumstances of the family.
Financial requirements depend on the sponsorship category. Some sponsorship programs require the sponsor to meet a minimum income threshold and provide a financial undertaking, while requirements can differ for spouse and child sponsorship.
Residency requirements depend on the sponsorship category. Canadian permanent residents generally need to reside in Canada to sponsor, while Canadian citizens living outside Canada may be able to sponsor an eligible spouse, partner or dependent child if they demonstrate their intention to live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.
Yes. For spouse and partner sponsorship, the relationship must be genuine and not entered into primarily for the purpose of obtaining immigration status in Canada. Applicants may need to provide evidence supporting the relationship.
Documents can include passports, proof of the family relationship, marriage or birth certificates, photographs, financial documents, immigration documents, police certificates and medical examination results where required. The exact checklist depends on the application category.
A medical examination may be required depending on the applicant's circumstances and immigration category. When required, the examination must generally be completed by a physician approved by the Canadian government.
Police certificates may be required for applicants depending on their age, residence history and the specific immigration program. IRCC will provide the applicable document requirements for the application.
An adopted child may be eligible for sponsorship if the adoption and sponsorship meet Canada's applicable legal and immigration requirements. Additional documentation may be required to establish the adoption and parent-child relationship.
Processing times vary depending on the type of application, country of residence, application completeness and IRCC processing conditions. There is no single processing time that applies to every dependent or family sponsorship application.
WorldVisaHelp can assist with dependent and family sponsorship eligibility assessment, document checklists, application preparation, forms and filing, application follow-up, and relocation support for families moving to Canada.