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IMM 5406, Additional Family Information: who must list whom, and why leaving someone out matters

IMM 5406 collects details about your parents, spouse or partner, children and siblings. IRCC says it is "very important" to list all your children, including married, adopted, stepchildren and those in an ex-partner's custody, and to answer every question, using N/A where one does not apply. The online version is certified when you click the complete button, and the paper version is signed in Section D.

IMM 5406, "Additional Family Information", is one of the forms that appears in most permanent residence packages, including family sponsorship. It is short, but it is the form where the family tree is recorded, and what is recorded here can affect later applications. This page describes the form as IRCC's instruction page presents it (the page is dated 3 June 2026 and states "Last updated: May 2026"). IRCC's guide IMM 5289 for sponsoring a spouse, partner or dependent child and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations are the other sources. The guide explains what the form asks. It does not tell you who counts as a family member in your own case or how to word an answer.

Two versions: digital and paper

IRCC's page says there are two versions of IMM 5406. One is a digital form in the Permanent Residence Portal and the other is a PDF for paper applications. IRCC's instruction is to "Check the instructions for your program to find out which version to use."

For a spouse, partner or dependent child sponsorship, IRCC's guide IMM 5289 says the principal applicant completes IMM 0008, IMM 5669, IMM 5406 and IMM 5562 (if it applies) online, and that family members over 18 complete their own IMM 5669, IMM 5406 and IMM 5562. The guide also says the sponsor completes those online forms for themselves and for family members who are 18 or older.

If you cannot apply online and need accommodations, including for a disability, IRCC says you may request an alternative format of the form and the application package. The instruction guide for your program explains how.

Who completes IMM 5406 (paper version)

For the paper version IRCC's page lists three groups who complete the form: - the principal applicant; - the spouse or common-law partner, whether or not they are accompanying the applicant to Canada; - dependent children aged 18 or over, whether or not they are accompanying the applicant to Canada.

IRCC's list does not include children under 18.

The point to take from the second and third bullets is that accompanying or not accompanying is irrelevant to who completes the form. A spouse who is staying behind still completes their own. This ties to a wider rule in IRCC's guide: every family member must be declared, whether or not they come to Canada.

Section A: personal details for family members

Section A asks for details about you and your close family. - Yourself: your marital status. If you indicate you are married, you answer whether you were physically present at the marriage ceremony (Yes or No). - Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, if applicable: if you are married, you answer whether your spouse was physically present at the marriage ceremony (Yes or No). - Parent 1 and Parent 2: the details of your mother and father.

The physical presence question reflects a rule in the Regulations. Section 117(9)(c.1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations says a foreign national "shall not be considered a member of the family class" as the sponsor's spouse if, at the time of the marriage ceremony, either or both spouses were not physically present, unless the foreign national was marrying a person who was not physically present because of their service as a member of the Canadian Forces and the marriage is valid both where it took place and under Canadian law. The form asks the question plainly. Whether a particular marriage falls on one side of that rule is a legal question, and for a proxy, telephone or online wedding it is one to put to a regulated adviser before submitting.

Section B: children, and who counts

IRCC's page says: "It is very important that you list all of your children," including those who are already permanent residents or citizens of Canada. The categories it names are: - married children; - adopted children; - stepchildren, meaning children of your spouse or common-law partner; - children who have been adopted by others; - children in the custody of an ex-spouse, former common-law partner or other guardian.

The page also says "You must answer all questions." Where a question does not apply, enter "N/A" on the paper form or "Not Applicable" online. Do not leave a field empty.

This is a list of who must be listed, not a list of who is a dependant for the purposes of the application. A child can be a person you must list and yet not be a dependent child for immigration purposes, depending on age and circumstances. IRCC's other pages explain who is a dependent child, and IRCC's fee list shows that the fee for including a dependent child is separate from the fee for the principal applicant. IMM 5406 asks for the full picture and the other forms and the Regulations sort out who is who.

IRCC's guide IMM 5289 adds an item that belongs here: "A Canadian citizen is not eligible to be sponsored," so a child who is a Canadian citizen is listed but cannot be treated as a dependant in the sponsorship.

Section C: siblings, and Section D: the declaration

Section C asks for your brothers and sisters, and IRCC's page says that includes half-brothers and half-sisters and stepbrothers and stepsisters.

Section D, for the paper version only, is the declaration. IRCC says to read the statements carefully, then sign and date. In the online version there is no Section D. Instead IRCC says that by clicking the "Complete and return to application" button you certify that you understand the questions and that your information is complete, truthful and correct. Clicking the button is the certification step.

In both versions IRCC's instruction is to read all statements in all sections carefully. The declaration is a statement under the law that your answers are complete, and the law treats an omission as seriously as a false statement.

Why the completeness rule exists

Three provisions show why IRCC stresses completeness.

First, section 10(2)(a) of the Regulations says an application must contain "the name, birth date, address, nationality and immigration status of the applicant and of all family members of the applicant, whether accompanying or not". The words "whether accompanying or not" are the reason the form asks about a spouse or child who is staying behind.

Second, section 117(9)(d) says that, subject to the exceptions in subsections (10) and (11), a foreign national is not a member of the family class if the sponsor previously applied for permanent residence, became a permanent resident, and at the time of that application the foreign national was a non-accompanying family member of the sponsor "and was not examined". IRCC's instruction page for the generic application form puts it in plain words: you cannot sponsor a family member after becoming a permanent resident if they were not declared. IRCC's guide IMM 5289 says of undeclared family members: "There are no exceptions to this requirement," and that failing to declare them could put permanent resident status at risk. The exceptions in subsections (10) and (11) are for a lawyer or adviser to assess against the facts, and this page does not summarise them.

Third, section 40(1)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act makes a person inadmissible for misrepresenting or withholding material facts, and section 40(2)(a) provides a five-year period following a final determination made outside Canada. A child or sibling left off a family information form is the kind of omission that provision is written to reach.

Together these explain why a form that looks like a family tree is treated as a legal declaration. It is also a reason to read the question carefully if your family situation is not simple, for example where a child was adopted by someone else, is in an ex-partner's custody, or where you have lost touch with a sibling or parent. IRCC's page does not give a way around any of these. Its instruction is to list them.

Worked examples of the N/A rule and the listing rule

These examples are illustrations of how IRCC's stated rules work, not advice on your facts.

Example one: a question that does not apply to the person completing the form. IRCC's instruction is to answer every question and use N/A (paper) or Not Applicable (online) where a question does not apply. Leaving the field empty is the thing to avoid.

Example two: a person with a child from an earlier relationship who lives with the other parent. Under IRCC's list, a child in the custody of an ex-spouse or former common-law partner is a child who must be listed. The question of whether that child is also included in the application as a dependant is separate and is answered by the other forms and by IRCC's rules on dependent children.

Example three: a married adult child already living in Canada as a permanent resident. IRCC's list names married children and children who are already permanent residents or citizens. They are listed.

Example four: a family with half-siblings. Section C names half-brothers, half-sisters, stepbrothers and stepsisters. They are listed alongside full siblings.

In each example the rule is the same: IRCC's page asks for the full picture, and the sorting into dependants or not happens elsewhere.

Mistakes to avoid

Drawing on IRCC's instructions: - Leaving out a child who is already a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. IRCC names them as people to list. - Leaving out stepchildren, adopted children, married children or children in an ex-partner's custody. - Leaving a question blank instead of writing N/A or Not Applicable. - Treating a family member who is not coming to Canada as someone who need not appear on the form. - Forgetting that a spouse or common-law partner and each dependent child aged 18 or over completes their own form on the paper version. - Using the wrong version. Check the program instructions to see whether the digital or the PDF version applies. - Not reading the physical-presence-at-the-ceremony question before answering it. - Sending the paper version unsigned. The Section D declaration must be signed and dated.

When it is worth paying a regulated adviser

Most people can complete IMM 5406 on their own because it asks for facts about people they know. A regulated adviser becomes relevant where the facts are unusual or contested: a marriage where one person was not present at the ceremony, a child whose custody or parentage is disputed, a relative you cannot locate, or a previous permanent residence application in which a family member was not examined. A licensed consultant or lawyer can assess how the rules apply to those facts. Check the licence on the public register before you pay, expect a written consultation agreement and a clear fee, and expect an IMM 5476 filed with your application if they act for you.

Questions people ask

Do I have to list children who are already Canadian citizens or permanent residents on IMM 5406?

Yes. IRCC's page says it is very important to list all your children, including those who are already permanent residents or citizens of Canada.

Do I list stepchildren and children in an ex-partner's custody?

IRCC's page names stepchildren, adopted children, married children, children adopted by others, and children in the custody of an ex-spouse, former common-law partner or other guardian among those to list.

What do I write if a question does not apply?

IRCC says you must answer all questions and to enter N/A on the paper form, or Not Applicable online, where a question does not apply.

Does my spouse fill in their own IMM 5406 if they are not coming to Canada?

On the paper version IRCC lists the principal applicant, the spouse or common-law partner whether accompanying or not, and dependent children aged 18 or over whether accompanying or not.

How do I sign IMM 5406 online?

IRCC says that by clicking the Complete and return to application button you certify that you understand the questions and that your information is complete, truthful and correct. The paper version is signed and dated in Section D.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • IMM 1344, Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking: what it asks and who signs — IMM 1344 is the sponsor's application, sponsorship agreement and undertaking. The sponsor, any co-signer and the person being sponsored must all sign it electronically, and the application is returned if any signature is missing. A co-signer is not allowed when sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
  • IMM 5532, Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation Form: who completes which part, and how to sign it — IMM 5532 is completed by the sponsor (Part A), the person being sponsored (Part B) and both together (Part C) in a spouse or partner sponsorship. It is signed digitally after you choose Print to PDF, and both people must sign. The consent questions about sharing fraud-investigation results are voluntary, according to IRCC.
  • IMM 5669 Schedule A, Background/Declaration: what each question asks and how gaps are treated — IMM 5669 (Schedule A) records your identity, parents, education, personal history since age 18 or the last 10 years, organizations, government and military service and addresses. IRCC says not to leave gaps in time, not to use abbreviations, and that an unsigned paper form is returned. Anyone 18 or over in the application completes their own.
  • IMM 0008, Generic Application Form for Canada: a section-by-section walkthrough — IMM 0008 is the core form for most permanent residence applications. It lists the principal applicant, their family members and their dependants. Every family member must be declared, including those who are not applying and those whose whereabouts are unknown. A paper form with missing or unreadable barcodes, or without a signature and date, is returned unprocessed.
  • Misrepresentation in Canada: The Five-Year Inadmissibility Rule — Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, misrepresenting or withholding a material fact that induces or could induce an error makes a person inadmissible for five years, and during that time a foreign national cannot apply for permanent residence. The five years run from the final determination if it was made outside Canada, or from the day a removal order is enforced if it was made in Canada.
  • Spousal Sponsorship in Canada: Inland vs Outland, Eligibility and the Process — A Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is 18 or older and lives in Canada can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child. Spouses and common-law partners can be sponsored in the 'in Canada' class (IRPR s.124) or the family class from outside; the choice depends on residence and status, and the appeal rights differ.