Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor family-class members so long as the sponsor is at least 18 years of age and residing in Canada at the time of the sponsorship is lodged and until the sponsored immigrants are issued immigrant-visas. An exception to the residency requirement, however, is extended to Canadian citizens who are sponsoring a spouse or dependent child. They must, however, promise to resume residing in Canada once their sponsored dependant is poised to immigrate.

Except for those sponsoring a spouse or a childless dependent child, the sponsor must meet the income level Immigration Canada requires for the sponsor and his/her deemed dependants. Those sponsoring a spouse or childless dependent child may do so provided they are not receiving public assistance (except for disability payments). (Public assistance does not include unemployment benefits.)

In determining financial eligibility, the Immigration officer contrasts the sponsors taxable Canadian income with the number of persons deemed dependent upon the sponsor; i.e., (a) the sponsor, (b) the sponsor’s dependants(*), (c) those to be sponsored and (d) those who previous sponsorship is still in force . If sponsor’s taxable Canadian income for the preceding year, as confirmed by the Option C notice-of-assessment (or, if last year’s income is insufficient, the twelve months preceding the filing of the sponsorship) equals or exceeds the "low-income cut-off" for a family of that size, the undertaking is generally approved (unless the sponsor is ineligible to sponsor).

Sponsors who do not have sufficient income in their own right to meet this standard may include the income of their spouse so long as the spouse becomes a co-sponsor. If so, the family unit will be increased by the number of immigrants whom the co-sponsor previously sponsored and whose sponsorship remains in force.

Sponsorships initiated after 27 June 2002 for a spouse run for three years from landing; those initiated earlier, for then years. Sponsorships for parents last for ten years from landing. Sponsorship initiated before 27 June 2002 for children last for ten years but those filed after 27 June 2002 continue the earlier of ten years or until the child reaches age 25 (unless the child was over age 22 when sponsored, in which case it runs for three years.)

The required Canadian income, which is the “Low-Income Cut-Off” (LICO), is adjusted annually on January 1st. The 2010 income requirement is:

Low Income Cut-off (LICO)

Effective until December 31, 2010

Size of Family Unit	Minimum Income
1	$22,171
2	$27,601
3	$33,933
4	$41,198
5	$46,727
6	$52,699
7	$58,673
each additional	$5,974

The sponsor and spouse, if both incomes are used, are required to provide economic necessities for those whom they have sponsored during the duration of the sponsorship. A sponsorship for a spouse lasts for the period of three but for parents it continues for ten years, whereas for children, a sponsor remains financially responsible until the earlier of ten years or until the child becomes 25, unless the child had attained age 22 before the sponsorship was lodged, in which case, the sponsorship continues for three years.

Neither post-immigration estrangement nor divorce terminates a sponsor’s financial obligation. Sponsors may only avoid this liability by notifying the processing visa-post in writing before the visas are issued that they wish to abort the sponsorship.

Some provinces restrict the right of sponsored immigrants to obtain social assistance. If such benefits are received, the sponsor (and co-sponsoring spouse) are jointly and severally liable to repay the province. Immigration officials have taken action against sponsors who fail to honour their undertakings.

Where the sponsored immigrant has accompanying dependants whose eligibility for admission is derivative of the sponsored immigrant's; e.g., the sponsored immigrant's children who are not the sponsor's children; the sponsored immigrant must land with, or in advance of, the sponsored immigrant's dependants. If derivative dependants arrive in Canada prior to the sponsored immigrant, they are not "accompanying or following-to-join dependants" and, thus, may not be granted landed status in their own right.