What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?
Outside Quebec, this other-relative undertaking lasts ten years after the person becomes a permanent resident. It covers basic living needs, housing and health costs outside public coverage, and if a sponsored family member receives social assistance during the undertaking, the sponsor is in default, may have to repay those benefits, and cannot sponsor another family-class member until the amount owed is reimbursed. Citizenship, separation, a move or financial deterioration do not cancel it. Income must meet the annually applicable LICO for the calculated family size, supported by the previous 12 months of finances and potentially reassessed during processing. Quebec sets its own financial assessment and undertaking duration. The inspected federal guide still labels its figures 2025; a current 2026 household amount is not established here.
See recorded sources
Limits of the record- CA-D-2026-09-13-13: current 2026 LICO figure and route-specific Quebec undertaking conditions remain unconfirmed.
- other-relative-guide: ### What does it mean to sponsor?
### What does it mean to sponsor?
When you sponsor persons who are members of the family class, you must sign an undertaking with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (or with the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration [MIFI] if you live in Quebec).
The undertaking is a promise to provide financial support and basic requirements for the family members you are sponsoring.
Basic requirements are:
* food
* clothing
* utilities
* personal requirements
* shelter
* fuel
* household supplies
This also includes health care not provided by public health, such as eye and dental care.
The undertaking ensures that these persons and their family members do not have to apply for social assistance. The length of the undertaking and duration of time you are to provide support varies according to their age and relationship to you.
Your obligations as a sponsor begin as soon as the person you are sponsoring and, if applicable, their family members arrive in Canada.
Image Important information: The undertaking is an unconditional promise of support. For example, the granting of Canadian citizenship, divorce, separation or relationship breakdown or moving to another province does not cancel the undertaking. The undertaking also remains in effect even if your financial situation deteriorates.
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### May I have a co-signer?
- other-relative-guide: ### Sponsorship eligibility
### Sponsorship eligibility
#### In order to sponsor, you must…
* be 18 years of age or older;
* be a Canadian citizen, Registered Indian or permanent resident;
* be sponsoring a member of the family Class;
* live in Canada;
* sign an undertaking promising to provide for the basic requirements of the person being sponsored;
* sign an agreement with the person you are sponsoring that confirms that each of you understands your mutual obligations and responsibilities;
* have an income that meets or exceeds the minimum necessary income, which is published yearly by the Canadian government in the Low-Income Cut-offs (LICO) . You will have to provide documents that show your financial resources for the past 12 months and prove you are financially able to sponsor members of the family class. You may also have a co-signer . If you live in Quebec, see also Sponsors living in Quebec .
Note: The minimum necessary income requirement does not apply if the person you are sponsoring is a child you adopted or intend to adopt in Canada and that child has no children of their own.
#### You may NOT sponsor
- other-relative-guide: #### Any other person
#### Any other person
Any other person (e.g. brother, sister, uncle, aunt).
Length of undertaking is 10 years after that person becomes a permanent resident.
Note: If provincial/territorial social assistance payments are made to your relative while the undertaking is in effect, you will be considered in default .
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### How to calculate the family size?
- other-relative-guide: ### Sponsors living in Quebec
### Sponsors living in Quebec
The province of Quebec is responsible for determining whether sponsors living in the province have the financial ability to sponsor family members and the length of the undertaking.
The province of Quebec has its own immigration rules. Find out how to sponsor someone if you live in Quebec.
If you live in Quebec:
* you must first send us your application.
* if you meet the federal requirements to apply for sponsorship, we will send you an email or letter with instructions to download Quebec’s sponsorship kit.
* fill out and submit Quebec’s undertaking kit. You must attach a copy of the email or letter we sent you to the undertaking application that you submit to the Quebec government.
The Quebec government will review your sponsorship application and tell you if you’re eligible. The Quebec government may deem that you’re not eligible if:
* you didn’t meet the terms of a sponsorship agreement in the past because the person you sponsored received social assistance and you haven’t repaid the Quebec government;
* during the five years before you submitted your sponsorship application, you didn’t pay alimony or child support even though a court ordered it;
* you didn’t follow other conditions imposed by the Quebec authorities or with any federal regulatory requirements, particularly if you received social assistance and aren’t exempt from that condition.
We can’t make a decision on your application until we receive Quebec’s decision about your undertaking application.
The Quebec government will inform IRCC if you are approved as a sponsor.
If the federal eligibility requirements are met, we will send the sponsor a letter with instructions to download the MIFI undertaking kit, then to complete and submit it to the MIFI with a copy of the letter we sent you.
For more information on Quebec’s requirements, or if you need help, you may call MIFI’s general information line at 514-864-9191 or 1-877-864-9191 or consult the MIFI website†www.quebec.ca .
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### Length of undertaking
- other-relative-guide: ### Do I have to maintain a minimum income
### Do I have to maintain a minimum income during the processing of the application?
Your income must meet or exceed the minimum necessary income requirement, as identified annually in the Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICO) , on the date which the sponsorship application is signed.
Income may be reassessed at any time during processing if new information is received or brought to our attention indicating that you may no longer meet the minimum income requirements.
Note: The minimum necessary income requirement does not apply if the person you are sponsoring is a child you adopted or intend to adopt in Canada and that child has no children of their own.
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### May I cancel my undertaking
- other-relative-guide: ### Federal Income Table, 2025
### Federal Income Table, 2025
The following table applies to all provinces except Quebec. Quebec residents should refer to MIFI’s Financial capacity evaluation†www.quebec.ca webpage.
#### Table 1
##### Low Income Cut-Off (LICO)
Size of Family Unit | Minimum necessary income
--- | ---
1 person (the sponsor) | $30,526
2 persons | $38,002
3 persons | $46,720
4 persons | $56,724
5 persons | $64,336
6 persons | $72,560
7 persons | $80,784
More than 7 persons, for each additional person, add | $8,224
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## Appendix A
- IRCC Guide5196: What happens if I fail to meet my obligations?
### What happens if I fail to meet my obligations?
If the person you sponsored (one of the sponsored family members) receives financial support from a federal, provincial or municipal assistance program while the undertaking is still valid, you:
* will be considered to be in default of your obligations,
* may have to repay to the government concerned any benefits they received, and
* will not be allowed to sponsor other members of the family class until you have reimbursed the amount of these payments to the government concerned.
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