Family Spousal Sponsorships

Sponsoring your spouse, common-law partner, or dependent children to become permanent residents of Canada is an option if you meet the eligibility criteria. Here’s an overview of what’s required:

Eligibility Criteria:

Age and Citizenship/Permanent Residency Status:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You should be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or an Indian registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act.
• If you’re a Canadian citizen living abroad, you must demonstrate your intention to reside in Canada once the person you sponsor becomes a permanent resident. However, permanent residents living outside of Canada cannot sponsor someone.

Financial Support and Income Requirements:

• You must be able to provide financial support to the sponsored individuals and ensure they don’t require government assistance.
• Generally, there’s no strict income requirement to sponsor your spouse, partner, or dependent child. However, you may need to prove sufficient income if specific conditions apply, such as sponsoring a dependent child who has dependent children.

Who Can You Sponsor:

• You can sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent children.

Eligibility of the Sponsored Individuals:

Spouse:

• No gender restriction, but must be legally married to you.
• A minimum age of 18 is required.

Common-law Partner:

• Not legally married to you but has lived with you for at least 12 consecutive months.
• Must be at least 18 years old.

Conjugal Partner:

• Not legally married or in a common-law relationship with you.
• Must be at least 18 years old and have been in a relationship with you for at least 1 year.
• Lives outside Canada due to significant legal or immigration reasons.

Dependent Children:

• Under 22 years old and don’t have a spouse or common-law partner.
• Biological children 22 years or older may qualify if they are unable to support themselves due to a mental or physical condition and have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22.

Documentation Requirements:

• All required forms and documents must be provided with the application.
• Additional information may be requested during processing, including medical exams and biometrics.

By meeting these criteria and providing the necessary documentation, you can proceed with sponsoring your spouse, partner, or dependent children for permanent residency in Canada. It’s essential to ensure compliance with all requirements and seek assistance if needed during the application process.

Spousal sponsorship plays a significant role in Canada’s immigration landscape, offering Canadian citizens and permanent residents the opportunity to sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, or conjugal partners for Canadian permanent resident status.

When applying for spousal sponsorship in Canada, couples have two primary options:

• Outland Sponsorship and
• Inland Sponsorship.

Outland Sponsorship typically involves applications where the sponsored person resides abroad while the Canadian sponsor resides in Canada. Throughout the application process, the sponsored individual may enter and exit Canada as needed, provided they are from a visa-exempt country or obtain the necessary Canadian visa. Meanwhile, the Canadian sponsor must remain in Canada during the application processing period. Applications from outside Canada are processed by the visa office serving the applicant’s country of origin or the country where they have legally resided for at least one year.

Inland Sponsorship, on the other hand, requires both spouses to reside together in Canada, with the sponsored partner holding temporary status in Canada as a worker, student, or visitor. The sponsor and applicant must cohabit in Canada throughout the application processing period, and this type of sponsorship application is filed within Canada. Foreign spouses with legal temporary status in Canada may apply for an Open Work Permit while their Inland sponsorship application is processed, allowing them to work for any Canadian employer, thus easing potential financial strain during the processing period.