A Sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum necessary income or low-income cutoff (LICO) for a given family size, as established by Statistics Canada. The Sponsor is freed from this requirement if:

• The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the Canadian Sponsor; or
• The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of the Canadian Sponsor.

To determine if the Sponsor's total income is sufficient, deduct the following from the total family income:

• Workmen's compensation board payments, except for permanent disabilities;
• Payments from provincial or municipal sources for welfare assistance;
• Payments from federal, provincial or municipal sources for employment training, or for any social or welfare benefits which are not of a fixed and continuing nature; and
• All debts.

The resulting amount must exceed the minimum income levels shown in this chart:

If the Sponsor is unable to demonstrate a financial ability to provide for essential needs, his or her spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner may act as a co-signer, if:

• Their combined income meets the minimum necessary income; and
• The co-signer meets all the other sponsorship requirements of a valid Sponsor.

Financial requirements for Canada Family Class Sponsorship for those residing in Quebec:

A Canadian Sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum income for a given family size, as established by the Quebec government in the chart below. The Sponsor is free from this requirement if:

• The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the Canadian Sponsor; or
• The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of a Canadian Sponsor.
• The Sponsor must be able to prove a steady income and one that has consistently exceeded the low income cutoff over the last 12 months.

Basic needs of Sponsor and Dependent Persons:

Basic needs of Sponsored Person(s):

The annual gross amount required is increased by CND$ 1,850 for each additional person under 18 years age and by CND$ 6,623 for each additional person over 18 years of age.