The purpose of the family class category is to facilitate the reunion in Canada of Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their close relatives from abroad. A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor, as members of the family class the following persons:

• Spouse
• A common-law partner which includes a person who is cohabiting in a conjugal relationship with a person (whether of the same sex or not), having so cohabited for at least one year [ details ]
• A dependent son or daughter under the age of 22 or, if over 22, unmarried and a full-time student or mentally or physically disabled and dependent on parents
• Father or mother
• Grandfather or grandmother
• Brother, sister, nephew, niece, grandson or granddaughter who is an orphan and is under 22 years of age and unmarried
• One relative regardless of age or relationship, where the Canadian citizen or permanent resident does not have a spouse, son, daughter, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece.

A family class application is initiated by the Canadian citizen or permanent resident (the "sponsor") by filing an Undertaking of Assistance Application inside Canada. The Undertaking of Assistance must include proof of the sponsor's ability to assist the intending immigrant financially, proof of the sponsor's Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, proof of the sponsor's relationship with the intending immigrant and the required processing fee. Only in the case of a spousal sponsorship is a sponsor not required to meet the financial requirements. In every other case, the sponsor must prove his/her ability to provide for the needs of the intending immigrant once permanent residence is granted.