IMM 5406: How to Fill Out the Additional Family Information Form (2026)
- Ansari Immigration
- Jul 18
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
IMM 5406 is the Additional Family Information form, the IRCC form that lists your family: you, your spouse or partner, both parents, every one of your children, and all of your siblings. It is short, it looks harmless, and it is one of the easiest forms in a permanent residence application to get permanently wrong.
Who has to complete the IMM 5406 form
IRCC's official page for the Additional Family Information form states the form must be completed by:
You, the principal applicant.
Your spouse or common-law partner, whether they are accompanying you to Canada or not.
Your dependent children aged 18 or over, whether they are accompanying you or not.
There are two versions: a digital one inside the Permanent Residence Portal, and a PDF for paper applications. IRCC tells you to check the instructions for your own program to see which version applies, and the digital version is the one inside the Permanent Residence Portal. The PDF on IRCC's page is dated May 2026, so download it fresh instead of reusing an old copy.
What each section of IMM 5406 asks
Section A covers you, your spouse or common-law or conjugal partner if that applies, and both parents (IRCC labels them parent 1 and parent 2). If you select "married" as your marital status, you also answer a yes/no question about whether you were physically present at the marriage ceremony, and a second yes/no question about whether your spouse was physically present. On IMM 5645, the temporary residence version, the same point appears as the marital status "married, physically present," which is the phrasing many people search for. The question exists because IRCC does not recognize marriages conducted by proxy, telephone, internet or fax: if one or both parties were not physically present at the ceremony, the marriage is not recognized for immigration purposes. There are narrow exemptions, including applications received before June 10, 2015 and members of the Canadian Armed Forces who could not attend because of service-related travel restrictions.
Section B covers your children. IRCC's instruction is blunt: it is very important that you list all of your children, even if they are already permanent residents or citizens of Canada. That includes married children, adopted children, step-children (children of your spouse or common-law partner), any children of yours who have been adopted by others, and any children in the custody of an ex-spouse, a former common-law partner, or another guardian.
Section C covers your siblings: brothers, sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters, step-brothers and step-sisters.
Section D is the declaration. On paper you read the statements, then sign and date. In the portal, clicking "Complete and return to application" is how you certify that you understand the questions and that your information is complete, truthful, and correct.
IRCC also states that you must answer all questions, and that where a section does not apply, you answer "N/A" on the PDF (the Permanent Residence Portal version says to enter "Not Applicable").
Why this matters for your immigration application
Here is the part that turns a five-minute form into a permanent problem. When you apply for permanent residence you must declare all of your family members, even the ones not coming with you, and they must complete medical exams and pass background and security checks. IRCC's own guidance on undeclared family members then states the consequence plainly: typically, you cannot sponsor a family member you did not declare when you became a permanent resident.
There is a public policy that offers relief in narrow circumstances, and IRCC states it applies to applications received between May 31, 2019 and September 10, 2026. It does not cover everyone. It does not apply where the undeclared person would have made the sponsor ineligible in the first place, for example where the sponsor immigrated as a spouse while actually married to or in a common-law relationship with the undeclared person. Note the end date: as IRCC's page currently stands, the policy covers applications received up to September 10, 2026, so anyone relying on it is close to the deadline. Confirm the current status of the public policy on the IRCC page before assuming it will save a file.
On top of that, IRCC treats withholding information directly related to a decision under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as misrepresentation, which is a reason a person can be found inadmissible, and its fraud guidance states that false information can mean refusal and a ban from Canada of at least 5 years.
Was there a family member you were not sure belonged on your forms, an estranged sibling, a child from a previous relationship, a parent who has passed away? Say so in the comments, and keep it general. For advice on your own file, use a consultation.
From Amir's desk: the two ways IMM 5406 gets people in trouble
In practice at Ansari Immigration, IMM 5406 problems are almost never dramatic. They are quiet.
The first is leaving people off. Applicants decide, on their own, who "counts." A deceased parent or sibling gets omitted because they are gone. A child who is already a Canadian citizen gets omitted because they do not need anything from IRCC. An adult brother nobody has spoken to in fifteen years gets omitted because there is nothing to say. The form does not ask who matters to your application. It asks who exists. List everyone.
The second is an incomplete form. A date of birth guessed at rather than checked. A legal name recorded the short way instead of the way it appears on the passport. An address without a unit number. I have seen family class files where names and dates of birth did not match across the family's own forms, and once that happens the officer is no longer assessing eligibility, they are assessing credibility, and the applicant spends the rest of the file trying to win it back.
Both mistakes come from the same habit: filling the form from memory. Do not. Pull the documents, ask your relatives for exact dates, and make IMM 5406 agree with your IMM 0008 generic application form line for line, because officers read them side by side.
Clients regularly come to us after an omission on the family forms turned into a procedural fairness letter, or worse, surfaced years later when they tried to sponsor someone. Ansari Immigration's licensed RCIC builds the family picture properly the first time. If you are unsure who belongs on your forms, book a 30-minute consultation ($80) before you submit, not after.
Frequently asked questions about IMM 5406
How do I fill out IMM 5406?
Complete Section A (you, your partner, both parents), Section B (every child, including step-children, adopted children and children already in Canada), Section C (all siblings, including half and step siblings), and Section D (the declaration). Answer every question, write "N/A" where a section does not apply, and use exact legal names, dates of birth and addresses taken from documents.
What does "married, physically present" mean on IMM 5406?
If your marital status is married, IRCC asks whether you were physically present at the marriage ceremony, and asks the same about your spouse. You check "Yes" if the person was there in person and "No" if they were not. The literal phrase "married, physically present" is the marital status option on IMM 5645, while on IMM 5406 it is a separate yes/no question. Answer it honestly: IRCC does not recognize proxy, telephone, internet or fax marriages where one or both parties were not physically present, apart from narrow exemptions.
Does my spouse have to fill out a separate IMM 5406?
Yes. Your spouse or common-law partner completes their own form whether they are accompanying you or not, and so does each dependent child aged 18 or over, accompanying or not.
Do I have to list children who are already Canadian citizens?
Yes. IRCC's instruction is to list all of your children, even if they are already permanent residents or citizens of Canada.
Where do I download the IMM 5406 PDF?
Only from the official IRCC form page for Additional Family Information, which shows the PDF's own last-updated date. If your program requires the Permanent Residence Portal version, complete it there instead of filling out a PDF.
What is the difference between IMM 5406 and IMM 5645?
They are different family forms for different application types. IMM 5406, Additional Family Information, is the family form used in permanent residence applications, and its digital version lives in the Permanent Residence Portal. IMM 5645, Family Information Form for Visitors, Students and Workers, is a temporary residence form completed by each person aged 18 or over applying for a visitor visa, study permit or work permit from outside Canada, as is the closely related IMM 5707, which carries the same title. Use the form named in the instruction guide for the program you are applying under.
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Why work with Ansari Immigration Flat, transparent fees, quoted upfront before any work begins. Ansari Immigration is led by a licensed RCIC regulated by CICC who teaches immigration law at three colleges and trains practicing RCICs, so the forms most people skim are the ones he teaches other consultants to read properly. Every file is handled personally by the firm's licensed RCIC, from the first family tree to the final submission.
If your permanent residence or family sponsorship application involves a complicated family picture, a 30-minute consultation ($80) is the cheapest hour in the whole process. Book a consultation with Ansari Immigration. And if there is another IRCC form you want broken down this way, name it in the comments.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal advice. Program criteria, requirements, processing times, and selection approaches can change without notice. Always confirm details on official government websites or consult a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) for advice specific to your situation.
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