Regulation 111 — Family class — membership
Text of provision
[Repealed, SOR/2017-78, s. 6]
Plain English
Regulation 111 defines the members of the family class: a sponsor's spouse or common-law partner; a sponsor's conjugal partner; a sponsor's dependent child; a sponsor's parent or grandparent; a sponsor's brother, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild who is an orphan under 18; and one relative of any relationship if the sponsor has no other eligible relatives.
The family class requires both that the foreign national is a member of the class and that the sponsor meets the eligibility requirements under r 130-133.
Practical effect
Family class sponsorship is the primary mechanism for family reunification in Canada. The definition of membership is restrictive — extended family members such as aunts, uncles, or adult siblings are generally not in the family class. The "one relative of any relationship" rule (colloquially known as the "lonely Canadian" provision) allows one person to sponsor a relative of any type if they have no other eligible relatives in Canada or abroad. Understanding which family members are in the class, and which are not, is the first step in assessing sponsorship eligibility.