| Under the 'Family Class', citizens and permanent | | | | common-law partner, or conjugal partner within the |
| residents of Canada may sponsor their spouse, | | | | previous 3 years. |
| common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child, | | | | A dependent child must be under 22 years old (or in |
| or another approved relative, to enable that person to | | | | full-time study, or disabled) to qualify, and will not usually |
| become a Canadian permanent resident. Application | | | | be approved if they have a spouse or common-law |
| must be made to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, | | | | partner themselves. Each case will be carefully |
| and different processes apply depending on whether | | | | considered against the rules for the relevant category. |
| the sponsored person is in the first group of relatives | | | | The process starts with an application to Citizenship |
| (spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or | | | | and Immigration Canada by the sponsor, and the |
| dependent child), or is another type of eligible relative | | | | sponsored person must also file his or her own |
| such as a parent or grandparent. | | | | application to become a permanent resident. The two |
| A person is a common-law partner if he or she has | | | | applications are usually filed at the same time. |
| been living with the sponsor in a conjugal relationship | | | | Applicants for permanent residence are required have |
| for a year without interruption (other than short trips | | | | medical clearance, and any applicant with a criminal |
| away for business or family reasons). However, | | | | conviction (depending on how serious the offending |
| sometimes a sponsor and his or her partner may have | | | | was) may be declined, and denied entry to Canada. |
| lived apart, and will not qualify as 'common-law' | | | | If the application for residency is approved, a |
| partners, in which case Citizenship and Immigration | | | | permanent resident visa will be issued, along with a |
| Canada will consider whether there were exceptional | | | | Confirmation of Permanent Residence document. The |
| reasons, beyond the couple's control, which prevented | | | | permanent residence visa must be current at the time |
| them from living together, so they may qualify under | | | | when the applicant arrives in Canada. The applicant's |
| the 'conjugal' partners category. | | | | sponsor will then be responsible for supporting the |
| However, a sponsored spouse, common-law partner, | | | | relative financially upon arrival in Canada, at least until |
| or conjugal partner must be aged 16 or over, and the | | | | the new resident is able to support him or her self. |
| sponsor must not have sponsored another spouse, | | | | |