Canada’s spousal sponsorship process
Ensure that both you and your partner fulfill the requirements for qualifying as the first step. To obtain permanent residency in Canada, you must prove that you are not in a relationship for convenience. You must also prove that you were and are in a real relationship.
Spouses or common-law partners who are not in Canada may still be sponsored by Canadian citizens. If a Canadian citizen can establish to the IRCC that they will reside in Canada after their application is accepted, they may apply to sponsor someone from overseas. Even in cases where their spouse resides overseas, permanent residents are only permitted to sponsor their spouses while they are still in Canada.
Eligibility criteria for your Canadian partner
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to sponsor if they:
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are at least 18 years old;
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are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or they are an Indigenous person registered under the Canadian Indian Act;
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demonstrate they are not receiving social assistance unless they have a disability; and
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can provide for the financial needs of the sponsored person.
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If married, the marriage should be legal in the country where it occurred as well as in Canada.
Eligibility criteria for you as the person being sponsored
One of these three relationship categories must describe your relationship with your Canadian partner:
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Spouses: You and your Canadian citizen or permanent resident partner were legally married at an in-person ceremony.
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Common-law partners: If you are not legally married to your Canadian partner, you must have been living together for at least 12 consecutive months.
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Conjugal partner: If you are not legally married to your Canadian partner, but have been in a marriage like relationship for at least one year, reside outside of Canada, and are unable to marry them due to circumstances beyond your control , IRCC may consider the relationship as a conjugal partnership. Some of the reasons preventing marriage may include cultural, religious, or legal reasons.
You must be at least 18 years old to be sponsored under any of these categories.
Inadmissibility- You must also pass health, security, and criminality screening to ensure that you are not inadmissible to Canada.
How to apply for spousal sponsorship
You can obtain the application package on the official website after confirming that you and your partner are qualified for sponsorship. Next, you must pay the processing, right of permanent residence, and biometrics fees that are listed on the IRCC website. If you completed biometrics within the previous ten years, you might not need to do it again. Both the application for permanent residency and the application for sponsorship must be submitted simultaneously.