How long does the undertaking last for a dependent child I sponsor?
Short answer
In Quebec, for a dependent child accompanying a sponsored spouse or partner, the Gouvernement du Québec indicates that the undertaking for a child under 16 lasts at least 10 years or until the child turns 18 — whichever period is longer — and, for a child aged 16 or over, at least 3 years or until the child turns 25.
In detail
Unlike the three-year undertaking that applies to a spouse or partner, the length of the undertaking for a dependent child depends on the child's age.
For a child under 16, two benchmarks are compared — ten years, or until age 18 — and the longer of the two periods applies. For a child aged 16 or over, the benchmarks are three years or until age 25.
The age used and the moment at which it is assessed are therefore decisive. Official civil status documents are what establish them.
What to document
The child's birth certificate, the date the undertaking was signed, the date status was obtained, and your calculation of when the undertaking ends based on age. Write that calculation down: it is easy to get wrong, and the gap between the two rules is significant.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- Gouvernement du Québec — Responsibilities and obligations related to the undertaking (sponsoring a spouse or partner)
- Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration — Guide des procédures d'immigration, ch. 3, s. 6: Family reunification (March 2026)
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.