How to Sponsor Your Spouse for Immigration to Canada

Reunification of families is a cornerstone of Canadian immigration policy, ranking just behind economic immigration in terms of newcomer entries. For the year 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to admit 114,000 new permanent residents through family sponsorship channels. These include programs for spouses, common-law or conjugal partners, as well as children, parents, and grandparents. Family sponsorship is pivotal for foreign nationals married or in a committed relationship with Canadian citizens or permanent residents, paving their path to Canadian permanent residency.

Two principal routes exist if you want to sponsor your spouse: Inland, for those within Canada, and Outland, for applicants outside the Canadian borders. If you want to sponsor your spouse, sponsors must be over 18, Canadian permanent residents or citizens currently residing in Canada, and must not be incarcerated, insolvent, under a removal order, or charged with any serious offense. They also should not have been previously sponsored to Canada as a spouse within the preceding five years.

If you want to sponsor your spouse, you are also obligated to execute a financial undertaking, committing to provide for their partner’s essentials, including food, clothing, housing and additional necessities, as well as health needs not covered by public healthcare. This responsibility is legally binding and remains in effect for three years post-arrival, even if the couple’s relationship ends.

Eligibility for these pathways further depends on the type of partnership. A spouse is someone who is legally married to the sponsor, a common-law partnership entails at least one year of cohabitation in a marriage-like relationship, and a conjugal partner denotes a significant and committed relationship of over one year facing barriers to cohabitation.

The goal of IRCC is to process spousal sponsorship applications within 12 months, irrespective of the chosen pathway. Inland applications require that the foreign partner have valid temporary resident status and reside with their sponsor in Canada. Those in conjugal relationships cannot apply via this pathway and traveling outside Canada during this process is not recommended due to re-entry risks.

Outland sponsorship is an alternative for couples who cannot reside together in Canada and permits the foreign national to travel during the application process. This might also suit those currently in Canada who anticipate the need to exit and re-enter the country while their application is pending.

Family sponsorship is a testament to Canada’s commitment to bringing loved ones together. Whether you choose Inland or Outland sponsorship, ensuring adherence to the eligibility criteria and understanding the application process is key to successfully reuniting families in Canada.

Conclusion: Spousal and partner sponsorship is an important aspect of Canadian immigration aimed at family reunification. With two distinct pathways, relevant for both residents and non-residents of Canada, it’s crucial to comprehend the requirements and obligations to facilitate a smooth transition towards permanent residency for sponsored spouses or partners.

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