Who is eligible for sponsorship in the family class?
Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or over may sponsor the following members of the family class living abroad:
a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner;
dependent children;
parents and grandparents;
children under the age of 18 whom the sponsor intends to adopt in Canada;
brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces and grandchildren who are orphans, under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship;
a blood relative, if the sponsor has no relative as described above, either abroad or in Canada.
In cases involving marriages, common-law partner or conjugal partner relationships, or adoptions, officers must be satisfied that a relationship is genuine and was not entered into or dissolved simply to obtain status or privileges in Canada.