Certain family sponsorship programs require the sponsor to demonstrate a minimum income level to ensure that they can support themselves and their family members in Canada. This minimum income level is set by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI).
Sponsors must meet this threshold based on the number of members in their family, the type of sponsorship program, and where they are living in Canada. There are 2 types of MNI:
- Federal Minimum Necessary Income for Sponsorship
- Quebec Minimum Necessary Income for Sponsorship
The number of family members will include those they are currently living within Canada and those they intend to sponsor.
For example, to sponsor parents or grandparents, the sponsor is required to demonstrate that their minimum income exceeds the low-income cut-off for 3 consecutive years. The sponsor must also sign a financial undertaking that states that they will repay all social assistance received by their family members within a certain period.
What Is the Federal Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for Sponsorship?
The Federal Minimum Necessary Income for Sponsorship applies to sponsors living anywhere in Canada except Quebec. The Federal MNI is updated annually and depends on the size of the family supported by the sponsor. Sponsors are required to receive a Notice of Assessment (NOA) from the Canada Revenue Agency to demonstrate that they meet the required MNI.
The Federal MNI is required for the last 3 consecutive years right before the date of application. Therefore, you must get an NOA for 2020, 2019, and 2018 to apply for the 2021 sponsorship application.
|
Number of Family Members |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
|
2 |
$32,899 |
$41,007 |
$40,379 |
|
3 |
$40,445 |
$50,414 |
$49,641 |
|
4 |
$49,106 |
$69,423 |
$68,358 |
|
5 |
$55,695 |
$69,423 |
$68,358 |
|
6 |
$62,814 |
$78,296 |
$77,095 |
|
7 |
$69,935 |
$87,172 |
$85,835 |
|
More than 7, each additional person will add |
$7,121 |
$8,8764 |
$8,740 |
Since thousands of residents were financially hurt by the ongoing global pandemic, the income requirement for the 2020 tax year has been reduced to the MNI, instead of 30% plus the MNI. In addition to this, sponsors will be allowed to add certain social benefits to their income calculations, including:
- Regular Employment Insurance Benefits
- Any Emergency Response Benefits issued under the Employment Insurance Act or the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit Act
- Other temporary Covid-19 related reliefs as long as they are not issued by the provincial governments
What Is the Quebec Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for Sponsorship?
The Quebec Immigration MNI is for all the sponsors living in Quebec. The Quebec MNI differs from its federal counterpart in the way that the applicant is required to calculate their minimum income requirement. Under the Quebec MNI, the applicant must account for their own family’s basic needs and the sponsored individual’s basic needs and all their family members, even if they are not accompanying the sponsored individual.
|
Number of family members |
Basic Annual Income |
|
1 |
$24,602 |
|
2 |
$33,209 |
|
3 |
$41,001 |
|
4 |
$47,156 |
|
5 |
$52,482` |
|
For more than 5, every additional member will add |
$5,326 |
As mentioned above, the sponsor is also required to demonstrate minimum income to meet the basic needs of the sponsored person and their family members, even if they are not accompanying them.
The MNI will be based on the number of persons and their age.
|
Number of Individuals over 18 |
Number of Individuals under 18 |
Minimum Necessary Income |
|
0 |
1 |
$8,515 |
|
0 |
2 |
$13,496 |
|
0 |
For more than 2, every additional person will add |
$3,121 |
|
1 |
$17,994 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
$24,177 |
|
1 |
2 |
$27,300 |
|
Every additional person over the age of 18 will add |
$3,121 |
|
|
2 |
$26,388 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
$29,560 |
|
2 |
2 |
$31,912 |
Every additional person over the age of 18 will add $8,389 to the MNI and every additional person under the age of 18 will increase the MNI by $2,342.
