What Happens If Your Sponsorship Breaks Down?
A breakup ends neither the sponsor’s undertaking nor the sponsored person’s PR. Under IRPR s.132 the undertaking runs from the day of permanent residence: 3 years for a spouse or partner and 20 years for a parent or grandparent. Before the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident, the sponsor can ask to withdraw, and once IRCC approves the withdrawal no decision is made on the PR application.
3 years
The undertaking for a sponsored spouse or partner, from the day of PR
20 years
The undertaking for a parent or grandparent (10 years for a sponsor residing in Quebec)
April 2017
When IRCC ended conditional permanent residence for sponsored spouses and partners
IRPR s.135
The rule on default when a sponsored person receives social assistance
What happens if the relationship ends before PR is granted?
Before permanent residence is confirmed, the application depends on a live, genuine relationship and a willing sponsor. If a relationship breaks down while a sponsorship application is still in processing, here is generally what happens.
- The sponsor should notify IRCC of the change
- A sponsorship is assessed on the basis of a genuine relationship (IRPR s.4). If the relationship ends or the sponsor no longer intends to support the application, the sponsor is generally expected to inform IRCC of the material change. Withholding or misstating relevant facts can be treated as misrepresentation under IRPA s.40, which carries its own serious consequences (including inadmissibility for five years).
- The sponsorship can be withdrawn
- The sponsor must write to IRCC before a final decision is made on the file, IRCC must approve the withdrawal, and the request can only be made before the people being sponsored become permanent residents. When a withdrawal is approved, no decision is made on the PR application (IRPR s.119, or s.126 for the in-Canada class).
- The sponsored person may have to leave or find another status
- A pending sponsorship does not, by itself, give the sponsored person any independent right to stay in Canada. If they are in Canada on a visitor record, study permit, work permit, or other temporary status, that status governs. If the PR application does not go ahead, they will generally need to maintain valid temporary status or leave.
- Family violence or abuse
- If the relationship ended because of abuse or neglect by the sponsor, the sponsored person may have separate options. These include IRCC measures for vulnerable people and, in some cases, a temporary resident permit for victims of family violence. These situations are highly fact-specific.
What happens if the relationship ends after PR is granted?
Once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident, the undertaking the sponsor signed is fully active and runs for a fixed number of years. Separation or divorce does not shorten or cancel the undertaking. The duration depends on who was sponsored (IRPR s.132).
| Sponsored Person | Undertaking Period |
|---|---|
| Spouse or common-law partner | 3 years from the day the person becomes a PR |
| Conjugal partner | 3 years from the day of PR |
| Dependent child under 22 at the time of PR | 10 years from PR, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first |
| Dependent child 22 or older at the time of PR | 3 years from the day of PR |
| Parent or grandparent | 20 years from the day of PR (10 years for a sponsor residing in Quebec) |
Quebec administers its own undertaking under provincial rules, so figures and enforcement there can differ. Confirm Quebec specifics with the Quebec government.
The rule
The undertaking period runs from the day the sponsored person became a PR, not from the date of separation, so an early breakup does not shorten it.
What protections does a sponsored person facing abuse have?
Protections and resources for sponsored persons in abusive situations:
- Leaving an abusive relationship does not, by itself, affect a sponsored person’s PR status.
- IRCC has measures to support people experiencing family violence, including a dedicated fee-exempt temporary resident permit for victims (whose holders can apply for a fee-exempt work permit or study permit), which can provide status while a person stabilizes their situation.
- A person whose own status is still temporary or pending may have options to seek status on humanitarian and compassionate grounds; an officer decides each case on its facts.
- IRCC’s abuse page lists provincial and territorial victim services and shelters, and offers its information in other languages.
- In Ontario, IRCC’s abuse page lists Legal Aid Ontario’s free consultation with a private lawyer for people experiencing domestic violence (1-800-668-8258).
If you are in danger, call 911 or your local police. IRCC’s page for spouses and partners who are victims of abuse also lists 2-1-1 for community and social services and sheltersafe.ca for women’s shelters.
What does the sponsor still owe after a breakdown?
If you signed an undertaking, the financial promise you made does not disappear when the relationship does. After a breakdown:
- If the sponsored person receives social assistance during the undertaking period, the government can seek reimbursement from the sponsor. A sponsor is considered to be in default from the moment such a payment is made until it is repaid in full or under an agreement with the government (IRPR s.135).
- This obligation continues regardless of separation, divorce, or the sponsor’s own financial hardship.
- While a sponsor is in default of an undertaking, they generally cannot be approved to sponsor any new family-class member until the default is resolved.
- A sponsorship debt is treated as a debt owed to the Crown and is generally enforceable, including by filing a certificate in the Federal Court and by set-off against amounts the government would otherwise pay you.
- The Supreme Court of Canada confirmed in Canada (Attorney General) v. Mavi, 2011 SCC 30, that sponsorship debts are valid, enforceable obligations the Crown is generally expected to collect, subject to a duty of procedural fairness.
- How an insolvency filing interacts with the debt is governed by insolvency law rather than IRPA. Sponsorship debt does not appear in the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act section 178(1) list of debts an order of discharge does not release, so do not assume an outcome either way.
- A family court order between the spouses does not override the undertaking the sponsor owes to the government.
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What do people ask?
If I divorce my sponsored spouse, do I still owe anything?
Yes. Divorce does not end the undertaking. For a sponsored spouse or partner it runs 3 years from the day they became a permanent resident (IRPR s.132). If your former spouse receives social assistance in that period, the government can ask you to repay it, and you are in default until you do (IRPR s.135). The Sponsorship Undertaking guide explains each period and how default works.
Does the sponsored person lose their PR if we separate?
No. Conditional permanent residence for sponsored spouses and partners ended in April 2017 and no longer applies to anyone. IRCC says their status no longer depends on living with the sponsor, so a person who separates keeps PR status. Permanent residence still has its own rules, such as the residency obligation. The PR vs Citizenship guide explains what permanent residence requires and how it can be lost.
What if the relationship breaks down because of abuse by the sponsor?
The sponsored person can leave: their PR does not depend on staying with the sponsor. For people in Canada without status whose permanent residence application depends on staying with an abusive spouse or partner, IRCC offers a fee-exempt temporary resident permit for victims of family violence. In an emergency, call 911. IRCC's abuse page also lists 2-1-1 and sheltersafe.ca. The Temporary Resident Permit page explains how the permit works.
Can I be barred from future sponsorships because of a breakdown?
A breakdown alone does not bar you. A default does: if the sponsored person receives social assistance during the undertaking and it is not repaid, you are in default, and you generally cannot sponsor anyone new until the default is resolved (IRPR s.135). The Sponsorship Undertaking guide explains default, repayment and how the bar ends.
If we break up before my spouse lands, can I still cancel the sponsorship?
Generally yes, before a final decision and before your spouse becomes a permanent resident: you write to IRCC, and IRCC must approve the withdrawal. IRPR s.119 (s.126 for the in-Canada class) says no decision is made on the application once the sponsor withdraws. Once the person is a permanent resident, the undertaking is in force and cannot be cancelled. Tell IRCC about a real breakdown, because hiding it can raise misrepresentation under IRPA s.40. The Spousal Sponsorship 2026 guide covers the process.
Does a family court order or divorce settlement cancel my sponsorship undertaking?
No. The sponsor made the undertaking to the government, so a divorce, separation agreement or family court order between the spouses does not release it. Those documents can settle property and support between the two of you. The government can still pursue the sponsor if the sponsored person receives social assistance during the undertaking. The Sponsorship Undertaking guide explains what the promise covers.
How long do I have to support a sponsored parent after a falling-out?
20 years from the day the parent or grandparent became a permanent resident, or 10 years for a sponsor living in Quebec. Estrangement, or the parent moving to another province or country, does not shorten that period. If the parent receives social assistance during the undertaking, the government can ask you to repay it. The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship guide explains the undertaking and the income rules.
I sponsored my spouse and they left soon after landing. Did they commit fraud?
A quick breakup alone does not prove fraud. A relationship can be genuine when IRCC assesses it and still end later. IRPR s.4 excludes a relationship that was not genuine or was entered into mainly to gain immigration status. If you believe it was never genuine, that is a serious allegation an officer would have to investigate, so get legal advice first. The Proof of Relationship guide explains how genuineness is assessed.
Part of:Sponsoring family
- Immigrating Adopted Children to Canada: Requirements & Process
- Canada Spousal Sponsorship 2026: Timeline, Cost & Process
- Canada Family Class Sponsorship: Who Can You Sponsor?
The textbook on this subject
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The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
Follow on Facebook to hear when the library opens (opens in a new tab)Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.
- IRCC: Sponsor your family members
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Justice Laws
- IRCC: Help for spouses or partners who are victims of abuse
- IRPR section 132 (length of the sponsor’s undertaking), Justice Laws
- IRPR section 119 (withdrawal of sponsorship application), Justice Laws
- IRPR section 135 (default of an undertaking), Justice Laws