Citizens and permanent residents of Canada who are 18 years of age or older can apply to be sponsors for family members who wish to immigrate to Canada. The would-be sponsor is required to apply to Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and to demonstrate that he or she meets the eligibility criteria to be a sponsor.

The eligibility criteria include the following:

• The sponsor must show that they can financially support sponsored person and any accompanying dependents. This includes the provision of food and shelter, health care not covered by the provincial health care system, and other essentials of daily living.
• The sponsor must commit to providing for the sponsored person’s essential survival needs for a specified period of time. Additionally, the sponsored person who is of normal working age must commit to become self-sufficient within a reasonable period of time.
• The sponsor must be physically present in Canada, or demonstrate his or her intention to be residing in Canada by the time the sponsored person and any accompanying dependents arrive.
• The sponsor cannot be serving a prison sentence or be charged with a serious offense, be under a removal order, or have an undischarged bankruptcy.