Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who are 18 years of age or older can sponsor their spouses, common law or conjugal partners, dependent children, parents, grandparents and in some cases other relatives, to immigrate to Canada permanently. The requirements vary depending on each situation and the person who is being sponsored, but the main requirement is to prove the financial ability to take care of the sponsored relative for a certain period of time. 

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There are certain requirements that must be met to qualify as a sponsor. In order to make it easier to bring families together, there is typically no minimum income requirement for sponsoring spouses, partners and dependent children. It is important to note that the definition of spouses, common law partners and conjugal partners are very specific, so it is critical to review and understand the requirements to ensure the smooth processing of a sponsorship application. Also, spouses, partners and dependent children are exempt from medical inadmissibility, but must otherwise be admissible to Canada. 

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Canada recognizes the importance of keeping families together, and an important aspect of this is to allow parents and grandparents of Canadians to join them here in Canada. The parent and grandparent sponsorship programs make this possible. The key requirement to qualify for sponsoring a parent or grandparent is to prove the financial ability to meet their needs when they arrive in Canada, such that they won't require government assistance. As with all Canadian immigration programs, for anyone to be granted a permanent residence visa, they must not be inadmissible. A limited number of applications is accepted each year, so you must plan ahead to ensure that you apply at the right time.