An undertaking is the legally binding promise you sign when you sponsor a family member to come to Canada. In it you agree to repay any social assistance the person you sponsor (or their family members) receives from a government during a set period, and to provide for their basic needs. The length depends on who you sponsor: outside Quebec, the undertaking lasts 3 years for a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner; 10 years (or until age 25, whichever comes first) for a dependent child under 22; 20 years for a parent or grandparent; and 10 years for most other relatives. The clock starts the day the person becomes a permanent resident. The undertaking is binding even if your situation changes, so it does not end if you divorce, the relationship breaks down, the person becomes a Canadian citizen, or you run into financial trouble. If the person you sponsor receives social assistance during the undertaking, you are considered in default: you must repay that money, and you cannot sponsor anyone else until the debt is repaid. This page explains the rules in plain language; it is education, not legal advice, and an officer applies the law to your specific case.
What an undertaking is and what you are promising
When you apply to sponsor a relative under the family class, you sign an undertaking with the Government of Canada (and, if you live in Quebec, a separate undertaking with the province). By signing it you promise to support the person you sponsor and their accompanying family members financially, to make sure they do not need to apply for social assistance, and to repay any social assistance a government pays to them during the undertaking period. In most cases the sponsored person also signs a sponsorship agreement that sets out the mutual commitments.
The undertaking is set out in Canada's immigration regulations (the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, IRPR). It is a binding obligation to the government, not just a private arrangement between you and your relative. That is why it does not disappear if your relationship later changes. What this means for you: before you sign, treat the undertaking as a long-term financial commitment and make sure you understand how many years it will last for the specific relative you are sponsoring.
The undertaking is separate from the income requirement you may need to meet to qualify as a sponsor, and separate from the application fees. Meeting the income test lets you sponsor; the undertaking governs what you owe afterward and for how long.
How long the undertaking lasts (outside Quebec)
Outside Quebec, the length of the undertaking depends on the relationship and starts the day the person you sponsor becomes a permanent resident. For a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, it lasts 3 years. For a dependent child under 22, it lasts 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first. For a dependent child who is 22 or older (a child who can be sponsored as a dependant because they cannot support themselves due to a physical or mental condition), the undertaking lasts 3 years.
For a parent or grandparent, the undertaking is the longest: 20 years. For most other eligible relatives you can sponsor, such as an orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild in limited circumstances, the undertaking lasts 10 years. Here is what that looks like in practice: if you sponsor your spouse, you are financially responsible for 3 years, but if you sponsor your mother through the Parents and Grandparents Program, you are responsible for two decades.
These periods cannot be cancelled or shortened once the person becomes a permanent resident. The undertaking stays in force for the full length even if the person you sponsored becomes a Canadian citizen, moves to another province, or no longer lives with you. Always confirm the length for your relationship on the official IRCC undertaking page, because the rules can be updated.
How Quebec is different
If you live in Quebec, you sign an undertaking with the province (the Ministere de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Integration) as well as the federal undertaking, and the lengths can differ from the rest of Canada. For a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, the Quebec undertaking is also 3 years. For parents and grandparents, however, the Quebec undertaking is 10 years rather than the 20 years that applies elsewhere.
For dependent children, the length in Quebec varies according to the child's age at the time, and other relatives also have their own periods, so the Quebec table is not identical to the federal one. What this means for you: if you are sponsoring from Quebec, do not assume the federal lengths apply. Check the Quebec immigration ministry's own rules for the exact period that applies to your relationship.
Quebec also applies its own eligibility checks. For example, Quebec may find you ineligible to sponsor if you previously defaulted on an undertaking because someone you sponsored received last-resort financial assistance (social assistance) and you have not repaid the Quebec government.
What default means and what happens
You are considered in default of your undertaking if the person you sponsored, or one of their family members, receives social assistance from a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal program at any time while the undertaking is in effect. Being in default has two main consequences. First, you must repay the full amount of social assistance that was paid out, because that is exactly what you promised to cover when you signed the undertaking. Second, you cannot be approved to sponsor anyone else until the debt is repaid, or repaid to the satisfaction of the government that issued the benefit.
Default is one of the reasons a person can be found ineligible to sponsor. So if you are still repaying a sponsorship debt from a past undertaking, that unpaid debt can block a new sponsorship application. The undertaking debt does not simply expire when the relationship ends. Even if you and the person you sponsored separate or divorce, you remain responsible for repaying social assistance they received during the undertaking period.
Because the undertaking is binding through changes in circumstances, planning matters. Consider the full length of the commitment before you sponsor, and understand that financial hardship on your side does not release you from the undertaking. None of this is legal advice; for your specific situation, consider speaking with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer or a regulated CICC consultant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long am I financially responsible for someone I sponsor?
It depends on the relationship and, outside Quebec, the undertaking lasts 3 years for a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner; 10 years (or until age 25, whichever comes first) for a dependent child under 22; 3 years for a dependent child 22 or older; 20 years for a parent or grandparent; and 10 years for most other relatives. The period starts the day the person becomes a permanent resident.
When does the undertaking period start?
The undertaking period starts on the day the person you sponsor becomes a permanent resident, not on the day you applied or signed the forms. It then runs for the full length set for your relationship, such as 3 years for a spouse or 20 years for a parent or grandparent.
Does the undertaking end if I divorce or the relationship breaks down?
No. The undertaking is binding even if your circumstances change. It does not end if you separate or divorce, if the person you sponsored becomes a Canadian citizen, if they move away, or if you run into financial difficulty. You remain responsible for the full length of the undertaking.
What does it mean to be in default of an undertaking?
You are in default if the person you sponsored, or one of their family members, receives social assistance from a government while the undertaking is in effect. In default, you must repay that social assistance, and you generally cannot sponsor anyone else until the debt is repaid.
Can I sponsor someone else if I still owe a sponsorship debt?
Generally no. If you are in default because someone you sponsored received social assistance you have not repaid, you can be found ineligible to sponsor until you repay the amount in full, or repay it to the satisfaction of the government authority involved.
Are the undertaking lengths different in Quebec?
Yes. In Quebec you sign an undertaking with the province as well as the federal one, and some lengths differ. A spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner is still 3 years, but parents and grandparents are 10 years in Quebec rather than 20. Children and other relatives also have their own Quebec periods, so check the Quebec rules.
Can I cancel or shorten the undertaking after the person lands?
No. Once the person you sponsored becomes a permanent resident, the undertaking cannot be cancelled or shortened. It stays in force for the entire period set for your relationship, regardless of later changes in your situation.
Is the undertaking the same as meeting the income requirement?
No. The income requirement is a test you may need to meet to qualify as a sponsor in the first place. The undertaking is the binding promise that governs what you owe after the person lands and for how long. They are related but separate parts of sponsorship.
Guides
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.