FAQs: Spousal Sponsorship

Spousal Sponsorship FAQs

Often times we are divided from the people we care about most. A Spousal Sponsorship can get you reunited with your loved one abroad so that you can continue your life together in Canada. Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada enjoy the ability to sponsor their foreign partners, acquiring them permanent resident status in Canada.

How do I sponsor my spouse for permanent residence in Canada?

Sponsoring your husband or wife for permanent resident status in Canada is a very document-intensive application. Once you have obtained the proper and relevant documentation, depending on whether or not your husband or wife resides with you in Canada or abroad will be an indicator in where and how you submit your application.

What documents do I need to sponsor my spouse for permanent residence in Canada?

Besides the obvious documents like your marriage certificate, you will also need to prove the genuineness of your relationship. Often, couples have been together so long but lack the appropriate documentation to prove this. This can be a common hurdle with sponsorship applications. Documents to demonstrate genuineness can range from correspondence to gift receipts.

How do I sponsor my spouse for permanent residence in Canada?

There is definitely a difference between sponsoring a spouse abroad versus from within Canada. There are certain pros and cons to each of these applications. If your spouse currently resides in Canada, this is called an inland application. Should you wish to sponsor your spouse in Canada, your spouse will have the ability to remain in Canada on what is called “implied status” until a decision is made. On the other hand, your spouse is strongly recommended not to leave Canada until this decision is made. If they do leave prior to a decision, their application could be considered abandoned.

How do I sponsor my spouse for permanent residence who is not in Canada?

This is called an overseas application. In cases where your spouse resides abroad or outside of Canada, your application is still first submitted in Canada but will then be moved to a visa office abroad for further processing. In this way, your application will be assessed in two parts. First, the sponsor will be assessed; once the sponsor is approved, the application will then be moved to the visa office responsible for your spouse’s country of citizenship or residence for further processing.

How long does it take to sponsor my spouse for permanent residence?

Permanent resident applications have extensive processing times and can take up to two years to process, depending on the factors of your unique case. This is why preparing a strong application is crucial to avoiding undue processing delays.