Sponsor your relatives: After you apply

The application assessment process

If we refuse you as a sponsor

Your relative can still apply for permanent residence. Their application may not be approved.

If we approve you as a sponsor

We’ll assess if the person you want to sponsor meets the permanent residence requirements. If their permanent residence application is refused, we’ll let you know why the application was refused and how to appeal the decision.

Your relative can link their application to their online account

When we start processing your family member’s application, we’ll send them a letter with their application number.

After they get this letter, the principal applicant can link their application to their online account. This way, they can communicate with us quickly and securely and get updates and messages about their application online.

Find out how to create an online account and link an application.

You (the sponsor) can link their application for them if you’re handling your family member’s application and you’re designated as their representative.

See the top questions about linking your application.

Check the status of your application

For sponsors

Sponsors can check the status of their application by using our online tool.

As the sponsor, if you want to check on your family member’s application status, you must first request to get access to their information.

For the persons being sponsored

The persons you’re sponsoring can check their application in 2 ways. They can:

• create an online account and link their paper application to it
  • They can do this only when we’ve started processing their application and we’ve sent them their application number.
• use the online tool, which is updated daily

If your processing time has passed

If the normal processing time for your application has passed, you can contact us using our Web form.

Change in contact information or in personal circumstances

To avoid delays in processing, make sure your contact information and your application details are up-to-date.

Use this Web form to notify us of changes in your application, such as:

• Changes in your personal circumstances such as a birth or adoption of a child, a marriage or a divorce.
• Change in contact information (email, mailing address and phone number).

Continue to monitor your old contact information until your application is updated.

Withdraw your sponsorship application

You can withdraw your sponsorship application at any time before the relative you are sponsoring becomes a permanent resident of Canada.

You may be able to get a refund if we did not start processing your application.

Use this Web form to request the withdrawal of your sponsorship application. In your request, include your:

• full name,
• date of birth,
• country of birth,
• application number (if known), and
• relative’s Client ID Number (UCI) (if known).

Add or change a representative or get access to your family member’s information

Even as the sponsor, you don’t automatically get access to your family member’s information. You have to request it.

If you want to handle your family member’s application for them

You’ll be acting as what we call a representative if you want to:

• fill out and submit your relative’s application for them
• communicate with us on their behalf

To become your family member’s representative, complete, sign and save the form to appoint or change a representative (IMM 5476). The persons you’re sponsoring must also sign the form.

Include it with your application. If you’ve already submitted your application, send it to us through our Web form.

In your request, include your:

• full name
• date of birth
• country of birth,
• application number (if you know it)
• relative’s Client ID Number (UCI) (if you know it)

You can upload the form after you’ve completed all the required fields.

If you want to check on your family member’s application status

As the sponsor, you may want to have access to your relative’s information without being in charge of their application. For example, you may want to check their application status on their behalf, but not act as their representative.

To protect their privacy, they need to give us their written consent before we’ll share any of their personal information with you or give anyone access to their application information.

Find out how the persons you’re sponsoring can give you access to their information.

Submit your right of permanent residence fee or request a refund

Use this Web form if:

• the visa office has instructed your relative to pay the right of permanent residence fee, or
• you want a refund for the right of permanent residence fee.

Refunds can only be issued once you have declined your right of appeal.

In your request, include the:

• full name,
• date of birth,
• country of birth,
• application number (if known),
• relative’s Client ID Number (UCI) (if known), and
• copy of the official receipt.

You can upload the official receipt after you have completed all the required fields.

Need help?

If you need help, you can find answers to your questions in the Help Centre.