If you’re sponsoring your spouse or partner and a child (either their own child or a child you’ve had together), you’ll name your spouse or partner as the principal applicant and the child as the dependant in the application. If the child you want to sponsor has a child of their own, you’ll include the grandchild as a dependant in the application.

A dependent child is either a biological child or an adopted child of a parent. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officers must review and assess information provided in the application package or accessible in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) to do all of the following: identify which lock-in procedure or regulation applies, determine the child’s locked-in age, determine if a child included in the application meets an applicable definition of a dependent child, determine which fees to apply.

You may be able to sponsor certain relatives to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class if you’re at least 18 years old and a: Canadian citizen or, person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or, permanent resident of Canada.