Give Your Child a Canadian Future
Your child deserves every opportunity. In Canada, that means world-class education, universal healthcare, and a safe environment to grow up in. When you sponsor your dependent child, you give them permanent residence and all the rights that come with it.
Sponsored children can attend Canadian schools at domestic tuition rates. They can access healthcare immediately. They can work when they are old enough. And when they reach adulthood, they can apply for Canadian citizenship.
Who Qualifies as a Dependent Child
Canada has specific rules about who counts as a dependent child for immigration purposes.
Age and status requirements:
- Be under 22 years old, AND
- Be unmarried and not in a common-law relationship
Children 22 and older may still qualify if they have depended on you financially since before age 22 due to a mental or physical condition that prevents them from supporting themselves.
Both biological children and adopted children qualify. The adoption must be legal and recognized in the country where it occurred.
All dependent children must not be inadmissible to Canada. This means they cannot have serious criminal backgrounds, certain medical conditions, or security concerns.
Sponsoring a Child Directly
You can sponsor your dependent child as the main applicant in a sponsorship application. This typically happens when the child is abroad and you want to bring them to Canada.
As a sponsor, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Indian Act
- Live in Canada during the application process
- Sign an undertaking to financially support your child
Income requirements generally do not apply when sponsoring dependent children. However, if your dependent child has their own dependent children, you will need to prove financial capacity using the Financial Evaluation Form (IMM 1283).
Including Children in Other Applications
More often, dependent children are included in a parent's sponsorship application rather than sponsored separately.
When sponsoring a spouse or partner, you include their dependent children on the same application. The children become permanent residents along with your spouse.
When being sponsored yourself, your dependent children can be included in your application. They arrive with you as permanent residents.
Including all family members in the original application is important. If you did not declare a family member in your permanent residence application, you will not be able to sponsor them later. The temporary public policy that allowed certain undeclared family members to be sponsored ended on September 10, 2026, and only covers applications received by that date.
When You Cannot Sponsor
Certain situations prevent sponsorship.
You cannot sponsor if you:
- Have already applied to sponsor the same child and no decision has been made yet
- Are incarcerated or have a removal order
- Are in default on immigration loans, performance bonds, or family support payments
- Receive social assistance for non-disability reasons
- Have undischarged bankruptcy
- Have convictions for violent crimes, offences against family, or sexual offences
Waiting periods work differently for children. The 5-year and 3-year waiting periods apply when you sponsor a spouse or partner, not when you sponsor a dependent child.
Quebec Sponsors Face Restrictions
If you live in Quebec, you must meet provincial requirements in addition to federal rules. Quebec sponsors need a provincial undertaking before permanent residence is approved.
Wait for IRCC. Do not submit your undertaking application to Quebec until IRCC tells you to. If you do not wait for IRCC's confirmation, Quebec will not process it.
Common Documentation Challenges
Sponsoring dependent children requires proving the relationship and the child's dependency status.
Officers look for:
- Birth certificates showing both parents
- Legal adoption documents if applicable
- Proof the child is unmarried and has no common-law partner
- Evidence of financial dependency for children over 22 with disabilities
- Medical examination results
- Police certificates for children 18 and older
Children from previous relationships create additional complexity. Officers want to understand custody arrangements and may require consent from the other parent. Missing documentation about previous relationships raises questions.
Protect Your Child's Immigration Future
Applications for dependent children require careful attention to detail. Getting the age cutoff wrong, missing documentation, or failing to declare a child at the right time can create barriers that last for years.
We help families navigate dependent child sponsorship, whether the child is the main applicant or included in a larger family application. We ensure documentation is complete, relationships are properly evidenced, and nothing is overlooked.
Schedule a consultation to discuss sponsoring your child.
