Family sponsorship is an essential part of Canada's immigration arrangement, allowing Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their close family members. Here's an overview of family sponsorship in Canada:

**Who Can Be a Sponsor:**
- To be a sponsor, you must be at least 18 years old.
- You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- You and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits you to provide financial support if necessary.
- Additional obligations may apply depending on the person you're sponsoring.

**Who You Can Sponsor:**
You can sponsor the following family members:
1. Spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner.
2. Dependent children (under 22 years old or over 22 if they have depended on parental financial support due to a physical or mental condition).
3. Parents and grandparents.
4. Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, granddaughters, or grandsons who are orphaned, under 18 years old, and not married or in a common-law relationship.
5. Other relatives under specific conditions.
6. Certain accompanying relatives of the above.

**Spousal Work Permit:**
Spouses and common-law partners who are in Canada can apply for a Spousal Work Permit while their immigration applications are being processed. This allows them to work in Canada.

**Sponsorship Obligations:**
Sponsors are required to sign an undertaking to provide basic requirements and financial support for the sponsored person(s) from the day they enter Canada until the undertaking's term ends. Sponsors remain obligated to the agreement even if there are changes in circumstances, such as marital breakdown or financial changes. The length of the undertaking varies depending on the sponsored person's category, but it can range from 3 to 20 years.

**Sponsors Living Outside Canada:**
Canadian citizens living outside of Canada may sponsor family members as long as they can demonstrate their intention to reside in Canada after the sponsored persons become permanent residents. Permanent residents residing abroad cannot sponsor family members from outside Canada. They must be living in Canada during the sponsorship process.

**Sponsors and Sponsored Persons in Quebec:**
Quebec has its own specific rules for family sponsorship. Sponsors (guarantors) in Quebec must meet certain prerequisites. The close relatives that can be sponsored in Quebec include spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners, dependent children, parents, grandparents (with additional conditions), orphaned siblings, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren under 18 who are not married or in a common-law relationship. Special conditions apply to international adoptions.

It's important to note that the sponsorship process can be complex and involves meeting various requirements and obligations. Applicants should carefully review the specific criteria for the family class sponsorship they are interested in and consider seeking legal advice or assistance if needed.