Although your income may not matter as much when you sponsor a spouse or common-law partner, it matters when you want to sponsor other members of the family class, or your spouse's dependants.

In either case, you will need to provide documentation of your income. These documents are produced at tax time. If you plan to sponsor a family member, you may want receive a consultation as to the documentation you should obtain from your local Canada Revenue Agency office, and inquire about the minimum necessary income to sponsor ahead of time.