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Family Sponsorship — Complete Document Checklist 2026
Detailed documents for spousal / partner sponsorship, parent & grandparent sponsorship, and dependent child sponsorship to Canada.
Sponsor (Canadian Citizen / PR) DocumentsSponsored Person — Identity & Civil StatusRelationship Evidence (Spousal / Partner Sponsorship)Parent & Grandparent Sponsorship — Additional DocumentsDependent Children — Additional DocumentsPolice & Medical (for Sponsored Person + Dependents)Forms & Administrative
Sponsor (Canadian Citizen / PR) Documents
- Canadian citizenship certificate OR PR card (both sides, not expired)
- Valid passport (bio page)
- Birth certificate
- Notice of Assessment (NOA) from CRA — last 3 tax years (required for parents/grandparents)
- T4 slips — last 3 years
- T1 General tax returns (if self-employed or complex income)
- Employment letter — current, with salary, position, and start date
- Pay stubs — last 3 months
- Bank statements — last 6 months
- Proof of address — utility bills, lease agreement, property tax
- Previous sponsorship undertakings (if you've sponsored before)
- Proof of previous sponsorship obligations fulfilled (if applicable)
- Divorce decree / annulment of previous marriages (if applicable)
- Death certificate of previous spouse (if applicable)
- Signed sponsorship agreement (IMM 1344)
- Undertaking / sponsorship evaluation form
Sponsored Person — Identity & Civil Status
- Valid passport — all pages
- Previous passports
- National ID (Aadhaar, CNIC, etc.)
- Birth certificate — long-form, government-issued
- Marriage certificate — government-registered
- Religious marriage certificate (Nikah Nama, church certificate, etc.)
- Divorce decree / annulment order (if previously married)
- Death certificate of former spouse (if applicable)
- Name change documents (if applicable)
- 2 passport-size photographs (IRCC specs)
- Educational certificates and transcripts
- Work experience documents / resume
Relationship Evidence (Spousal / Partner Sponsorship)
- Wedding ceremony photos — multiple events / dates (ceremony, reception, ring exchange)
- Wedding invitation cards / guest lists
- Wedding video clips / USB (optional but strengthens case)
- Engagement photos and ceremony documentation
- Relationship timeline — written narrative from meeting to marriage
- Communication records — call logs (phone bills showing frequency), WhatsApp / messaging chat history (screenshots with dates), email exchanges, video call logs
- Social media interactions — tagged photos, shared posts, relationship status updates
- Travel records — flight tickets, boarding passes, hotel receipts showing trips together
- Passport stamps showing visits to each other's country
- Joint bank account statements
- Joint lease or mortgage documents
- Utility bills with both names
- Joint insurance policies (health, car, home)
- Beneficiary designations naming the other partner
- Joint tax filing (if in same country)
- Shared address proof — mail received at same address
- Statutory declarations / affidavits from family members and friends (minimum 3–5) attesting to genuineness of relationship
- Family event photos showing both families together
- Birth certificates of children born to the relationship
- Remittance receipts showing financial support to each other
- Gift receipts / delivery confirmations
- Emergency contact designations at work or school
- Health care power of attorney naming partner
- Correspondence during periods of separation
- Letters / cards exchanged between partners
Parent & Grandparent Sponsorship — Additional Documents
- Proof of meeting Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for 3 consecutive tax years
- CRA Option C printouts for 3 years
- Employer letters for 3 years (showing consistent employment)
- If self-employed — business financial statements for 3 years
- Family composition — list of all persons included in family size calculation
- Birth certificates proving parent-child relationship
- Adoption documents (if applicable)
- Declaration that parent/grandparent will not access social assistance
- Super Visa history (if parents previously visited on Super Visa)
Dependent Children — Additional Documents
- Birth certificate naming both parents
- Full custody court order (if sole custody)
- Consent letter from non-accompanying parent (notarized) granting permission for child to immigrate
- Affidavit from non-accompanying parent
- Adoption order from court (if adopted child)
- Proof of full-time enrollment in school (age-appropriate)
- Medical records and immunization history
- Previous passports of child
- Age of dependency proof (if child is 22+ — enrolled in continuous full-time study since before 22, or dependent due to medical condition)
- Medical condition documentation (if child is dependent due to disability)
Police & Medical (for Sponsored Person + Dependents)
- Police Clearance Certificate from every country lived 6+ months since age 18
- Immigration Medical Examination from IRCC panel physician (for each person in application)
- TB test results
- Vaccination records for all applicants
- Specialist medical reports (if flagged during examination)
- Ongoing medical treatment documentation
Forms & Administrative
- Application to Sponsor and Undertaking (IMM 1344)
- Generic Application Form (IMM 0008) — for sponsored person
- Schedule A — Background Declaration (IMM 5669)
- Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)
- Supplementary Information — Your Travels (IMM 5562)
- Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5481)
- Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation (IMM 5532) — for spousal
- Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409) — if common-law
- Use of Representative (IMM 5476)
- Authority to Release Information (IMM 5475)
- Processing fees + RPRF (Right of PR fee) payment receipt
- Biometrics instruction letter and completion confirmation
- Digital photo specifications compliance
Pro Tips
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Quality AND quantity of relationship evidence matters — aim for 50+ pieces of evidence spanning the entire relationship
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Organize evidence chronologically — visa officers should see the relationship growing over time
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Statutory declarations from family and friends should be specific — generic 'they are a real couple' statements carry little weight
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If you were previously sponsored or sponsored someone else, disclose this fully — omission = misrepresentation
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Parent/grandparent sponsorship requires meeting MNI for 3 CONSECUTIVE years — one low year resets the count
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Common-law partners must prove 12 continuous months of cohabitation — short breaks for work/travel are okay if documented
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Spousal sponsorship currently takes 12–18 months — apply for an open work permit (OWP) in the meantime if spouse is in Canada
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Communication evidence should show REGULAR contact — daily or near-daily messages, not occasional sporadic chats