Life does not pause for IRCC processing times. People get married, find out they are expecting, or have a baby while a permanent residence application sits in the queue. It feels like paperwork that can wait until after landing. It cannot — and getting this wrong can permanently block you from sponsoring your own spouse or child later.
Quick Answer
If you marry, enter a common-law relationship or have a child after you apply for PR but before you become a permanent resident, you must tell IRCC and add them to your application through the IRCC web form. IRCC will ask for forms, fees, documents and usually a medical exam. If you land without declaring them and having them examined, Canada’s rules generally exclude them from being sponsored by you later (paragraph 117(9)(d) of the regulations). Once you have become a PR, IRCC says it is too late to add a child to your application.
This guide explains general rules. It is not legal advice. Excluded-family-member problems are very hard to undo. If a relationship or birth happened during processing and was not declared, speak to a licensed RCIC or lawyer before you land.
The Rule That Makes This Urgent
Official rule: under paragraph 117(9)(d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, a person is not a member of the family class — and so cannot be sponsored by you — if you applied for permanent residence, became a PR, and at the time of that application they were your family member but were not examined.
What it means: “at the time of that application” includes changes up to when you become a PR. A spouse you married or a child born during processing is a family member who must be declared and examined — even if they will not come to Canada with you (“non-accompanying”).
The 2023–2026 exception does not help most applicants. A temporary public policy exempted some people from this exclusion, but it applied only to sponsors who became PRs as refugees, protected persons or sponsored family members — not economic immigrants — and it ended on September 10, 2026.
What to Do, by Stage
| When the change happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| Express Entry: before an invitation | Update your profile. A spouse can change your CRS score (up or down), so recalculate in the CRS calculator. |
| After the invitation, before you submit | Include the new family member in the application. If your recalculated score falls below the round’s cut-off, IRCC’s guidance is to decline and re-enter the pool. |
| After you submit (AOR), before PR is granted | Send a request through the IRCC web form to add them. IRCC will send instructions for forms, fees and documents. |
| After your PR is confirmed | You can no longer add them. You would have to sponsor them — and if they were your family member before you landed and were not examined, they are likely excluded. |
What IRCC Will Ask For
IRCC says it will tell you which forms to fill out and may ask for:
- new application forms for the added person,
- payment of the fee for the added family member,
- a birth certificate or marriage certificate (or proof of a common-law relationship),
- a medical exam (how immigration medicals work) and, for adults, police certificates.
Adding someone usually slows the file down while their documents are processed, but IRCC advises sending the information as soon as possible.
Babies Born in Canada
A child born in Canada is a Canadian citizen and does not need permanent residence. You should still tell IRCC about the birth so your family information is accurate, and you will not need to add the child as a dependant for immigration. A child born outside Canada during processing must be added.
If You Also Have a Provincial Nomination
Tell the province too. Most PNPs require you to report changes in family composition (each province’s reporting rules).
Other Records to Update
Marriage or a new child also changes your CRA benefits, SIN record and health coverage. See the order to update your records and Canada Child Benefit on a work permit.
FAQ
My spouse won’t come to Canada. Do I still have to declare them?
Yes. Non-accompanying spouses and children must be declared and usually examined. Not doing so can prevent you from sponsoring them later.
Will adding a spouse after I apply get my application refused?
Adding a spouse is a normal change. After submission, IRCC’s instructions limit refusals for changes in circumstances, but check your program’s requirements and your score if the change happens before you submit.
Can I add my newborn after landing?
No. IRCC says you cannot add a child once you have become a permanent resident. A child born abroad would then need to be sponsored.
