To sponsor a family member in Canada, the sponsor must be at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen or a person registered in Canada. Permanent residents of Canada are also eligible to sponsor family members. The sponsor cannot have been sponsored to Canada as a spouse within the last 5 years. The sponsored person must be admissible to Canada as a visitor and prove that they have Canadian medical insurance. The sponsor must meet minimum eligibility requirements, including being a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, being at least 18 years old, and living in Canada. The sponsor must also sign an undertaking in which they promise to provide financial support for the basic needs of the sponsored person.

The low-income cutoff (LICO) for family sponsorship in Canada varies depending on the size of the family unit. For example, as of 2021, the minimum necessary income for a family unit of two (the sponsor and one other person) is $33,140 CAD, while the minimum necessary income for a family unit of four is $51,007 CAD. The LICO is adjusted every year and is used to determine the eligibility of the sponsor to financially support the sponsored person. The minimum necessary income requirement also depends on the number of family members being sponsored and whether the sponsor lives in Canada or Quebec3. The financial requirements for family sponsorship were put in place by the IRCC to help protect sponsored persons from facing financial hardships when they enter Canada.