Parents and grandparents category: How to calculate family size
To sponsor a parent or grandparent, the income requirement needed is based on the sponsor’s family size for the 3 tax years immediately proceeding the date of receipt of the application.
The following people must be included in the family size:
- The sponsor for all 3 years
- your dependent children for the years they met the definition
- The sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner
- if not co-signing, the years you were together (and their dependent children for the years they met the definition and you were together)
- if co-signing, all 3 years (and their dependent children for the years they met the definition)
- The parent/grandparent being sponsored (principal applicant) for all 3 years
- their spouse or common-law partner (who may also be the sponsor’s parent/grandparent) for the years they were together
- their dependent children for the years they met the definition
- Persons the sponsor or co-signer previously sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect, for example:
- if they co-signed to sponsor their in-laws
- if they sponsored a refugee
People to include in family size

Text version: People to include in family size
- Sponsor + any dependent children
- Sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner + any dependent children
- Principal applicant (parent/grandparent being sponsored) + their spouse or common-law partner and any dependent children (even if not coming to Canada)
- Persons the sponsor or co-signer previously sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect + their spouse or common-law partner and any dependent children
Notes
- The sponsor’s separated spouse must be included (and not their common-law partner if applicable) unless the separated spouse is a foreign national and they are in a common-law relationship with another person.
- The principal applicant’s separated spouse must be included unless they or their separated spouse are in a common-law relationship with another person.
See Program Delivery Instructions "Assessing the sponsor“ for more details.
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