08/25/2026
Under Canada’s Immigration Regulations, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident may be ineligible to sponsor a family member if they are receiving social assistance from a province for a reason other than a disability.
For sponsorship purposes, social assistance generally means benefits provided by a provincial government, in the form of money, goods or services, to help a person meet their basic needs.
This can include assistance for:
*Food.
*Shelter.
*Clothing.
*Fuel.
*Utilities.
*Household supplies.
*Personal needs.
*Certain health-care expenses that are not covered by the public health-care system, including dental and vision care.
However, not every government benefit or financial support is considered social assistance for immigration purposes.
Social assistance generally does not include:
*Employment Insurance.
*Provincial student loans.
*Immigration loans.
*Subsidized housing.
*Tax credits.
*Child-care subsidies.
*Public health care provided by a province or territory to people who live there.
*Other benefits that are broadly available to residents, including people who are working.
Therefore, simply receiving a government benefit does not automatically make a person ineligible to sponsor a family member.
Note: A sponsor who is receiving social assistance because of a disability is generally not considered ineligible to sponsor solely for that reason.
If you receive a provincial benefit specifically intended to help you meet basic living needs, it may be considered social assistance. However, benefits that are broadly available to residents, such as Employment Insurance, tax credits, public health care, or child-care subsidies, are generally not considered social assistance for sponsorship purposes.
