Step-by-step procedure · 4 min read
Family sponsorship in Canada: sponsoring a spouse or children
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In Canada, family reunification goes by the name of sponsorship: a citizen or permanent resident commits to supporting a spouse, common-law partner or dependent children. Here is who can sponsor, who can be sponsored and how the application is made, from IRCC.
By Talla Naoussi Arnold, translator — Master II in translation, ASTI, Buea · Updated 25 September 2026
Who can sponsor
Be at least 18
And be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or registered in Canada under the Indian Act.Live in Canada
A citizen living abroad must show they will live in Canada when the people they sponsor become permanent residents. A permanent resident living abroad cannot sponsor.Sign an undertaking
The sponsor commits to supporting the people sponsored, through an undertaking and a sponsorship agreement.In Quebec, meet Quebec’s conditions too
Including an undertaking signed with the Government of Quebec. IRCC says not to submit it until you are told to.
Who can be sponsored
| Person | Main conditions |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Legally married to the sponsor, at least 18 |
| Common-law partner | Not married, at least 18, living together for at least 12 consecutive months |
| Conjugal partner | Neither married nor common-law, at least 18, in an exclusive relationship for at least a year |
| Dependent child | Biological or adopted; under 22 with no spouse or partner, or dependent since before 22 |
This summary does not replace IRCC’s page, which details each case and its exceptions.
The application, in four steps
Everything goes through the Permanent Residence Portal: sponsor and sponsored person submit the sponsorship and the permanent residence application together. You prepare the forms and documents from the application package checklist, pay the fees online — processing, right of permanent residence, biometrics — and include the receipt, then sign electronically and upload the documents.
The sponsorship and the permanent residence application travel together.
Your Cameroonian certificates
Only a document in a third language gets translated — IRCC then asks for the translation, a sworn declaration from the person who made it and a certified copy of the original.
A customary marriage never registered with the civil status office raises a different question, not a translation one: how IRCC treats it. Ask IRCC before you build the file. Our marriage certificate page says how a certificate is translated when one has to be.
Frequently asked questions
Our marriage certificate is in English. Does IRCC need a translation?
No. IRCC accepts documents written in English or French. A Cameroonian marriage or birth certificate in either language is uploaded as it is.
I am a Canadian permanent resident living in Cameroon. Can I sponsor my wife?
No, according to IRCC: a permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor. A Canadian citizen living abroad can, by showing they plan to live in Canada when the people they sponsor become permanent residents.
Up to what age can a child be sponsored as a dependent child?
According to IRCC, a child under 22 without a spouse or common-law partner; or, at 22 or older, a child who has depended on their parents financially since before 22 and cannot support themselves because of a physical or mental condition.
Official sources
Consulted on 11 September 2026. Official instructions change: when they differ from this page, they prevail.
- IRCC — Sponsor your spouse, partner or child: check if you’re eligible — sponsor conditions, permanent residents abroad, Quebec
- IRCC — Who you can sponsor — spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child
- IRCC — How to apply — portal, application package, online fees, e-signature
- IRCC — What language should my supporting documents be in? — documents in English or French, translation otherwise