A Sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum necessary income or low-income cutoff (LICO) for a given family size, as established by Statistics Canada. The Sponsor is freed from this requirement if:
The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the Canadian Sponsor; or
The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of the Canadian Sponsor.
To determine if the Sponsor's total income is sufficient, deduct the following from the total family income:
Workmen's compensation board payments, except for permanent disabilities;
Payments from provincial or municipal sources for welfare assistance;
Payments from federal, provincial or municipal sources for employment training, or for any social or welfare benefits which are not of a fixed and continuing nature; and
All debts.
The resulting amount must exceed the minimum income levels shown in this chart:
Size of Family Unit Minimum necessary income
1 Person (the Sponsor) $22,229
2 Persons $27,674
3 Persons $34,022
4 Persons $41,307
5 Persons $46,850
6 Persons $52,838
7 Persons $58,827
Each additional person $5,989
If the Sponsor is unable to demonstrate a financial ability to provide for essential needs, his or her spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner may act as a co-signer, if:
Their combined income meets the minimum necessary income; and
The co-signer meets all the other sponsorship requirements of a valid Sponsor.
Financial requirements for Canada Family Class Sponsorship for those residing in Quebec:
A Canadian Sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum income for a given family size, as established by the Quebec government in the chart below. The Sponsor is free from this requirement if:
The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the Canadian Sponsor; or
The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of a Canadian Sponsor.
The Sponsor must be able to prove a steady income and one that has consistently exceeded the low income cutoff over the last 12 months.
Basic needs of Sponsor and Dependent Persons:
Number of dependent persons Gross annual income of Sponsor
0 $20,975
1 $28,315
2 $34,958
3 $40,205
4 $44,747
Each additional dependent $4,542
Basic needs of Sponsored Person(s):
Persons 18 and over Persons under 18 Annual gross amount required by sponsor
0 1 $7,261
0 2 $11,507
The annual gross amount required is increased by $3,837 for each additional person under 18.
1 0 $15,343
1 1 $20,614
1 2 $23,276
The annual gross amount required is increased by $2,660 for each additional person under 18.
2 0 $22,499
2 1 $25,204
2 2 $27,207
The annual gross amount required is increased by $1,997 for each additional person under 18 and by $7,153 for each additional person over 18.
