Spousal Sponsorship

Reunite with your spouse or partner in Canada through family sponsorship

• Sponsor your spouse or common-law partner

• Permanent residence for your partner

• No points or language requirement

• Work permit while application processes

• Include dependent children

About Spousal Sponsorship

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner to become permanent residents of Canada. This program allows families to reunite and build their lives together in Canada. The sponsored person can live, work, and study in Canada once they become a permanent resident.

Who Can You Sponsor?

You can sponsor one of the following relationship types:

• Spouse: A person you are legally married to, and the marriage is legally recognized in Canada

• Common-law partner: A person you have lived with in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months

• Conjugal partner: A person in Canada or abroad with whom you have had a conjugal relationship for at least 1 year but could not live together or marry due to significant barriers

• Dependent children: Can be included in the application

Eligibility Criteria - Sponsor Requirements

To sponsor your spouse or partner, you must meet these requirements:

• Status in Canada: Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or older

• Residence: If you're a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident

• Financial ability: Prove you can provide for basic needs (no minimum income required for spousal sponsorship, but you must not be receiving social assistance for reasons other than disability)

• No bankruptcy: Not be in bankruptcy proceedings

• No criminal record: Not convicted of violent criminal offense, offense against a relative, or sexual offense

• No default on previous sponsorship: Have not defaulted on previous sponsorship undertakings, immigration loans, or court-ordered support payments

• No sponsorship ban: Not currently under a sponsorship bar (3 or 5 years)

• Genuine relationship: Prove your relationship is genuine and not entered into primarily for immigration purposes

Eligibility Criteria - Sponsored Person Requirements

The person being sponsored must:

• Relationship proof: Prove they are in one of the eligible relationship categories

• Admissibility: Be admissible to Canada (pass medical, criminal, and security checks)

• Medical examination: Pass a medical exam by an IRCC-approved panel physician

• Police certificates: Provide police certificates from countries where they lived for 6+ months since age 18

• Not sponsored before: If previously sponsored, must not be in the 5-year undertaking period

Required Documents

Sponsor's Documents

• Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence (citizenship certificate, birth certificate, or PR card)

• Government-issued photo identification

• Proof of income and employment (not required to meet minimum income but recommended)

• Option C printout or Notice of Assessment from CRA for the most recent tax year

• If living outside Canada: proof of intent to return (job offer, property lease, etc.)

Relationship Proof Documents

• For married couples: Marriage certificate or proof of marriage registration

• Photos together from throughout the relationship (dating, engagement, wedding, trips, family events)

• Proof of communication (emails, text messages, call logs, letters)

• Proof of cohabitation if living together (joint lease, utility bills, joint bank accounts)

• Statutory declarations from friends and family attesting to your relationship

• Travel documents showing visits if living apart

• Evidence of financial support between partners

• Documents showing shared responsibilities (children, property, joint finances)

• For common-law: proof of cohabitation for at least 12 consecutive months

Sponsored Person's Documents

• Valid passport (all pages)

• Birth certificate

• Police certificates from all countries lived in for 6+ months since age 18

• Medical examination results from IRCC-approved panel physician

• Passport-sized photographs (following IRCC specifications)

• Proof of previous marriages ending (if applicable) - divorce certificate or death certificate

• Documents for dependent children (if applicable) - birth certificates, custody documents, consent forms

Processing Times (2025)

• Outland applications: Approximately 12 months

• Inland applications: Approximately 12-14 months

• Open work permit (inland): Approximately 4-6 months

Application Fees (2025)

• Sponsorship fee: CAD $75

• Principal applicant processing fee: CAD $490

• Right of permanent residence fee: CAD $515

• Biometrics fee: CAD $85 per person

• Dependent children: CAD $155 per child under 22

• Total for spouse/partner (no children): CAD $1,080

Important Notes

• The sponsor is financially responsible for the sponsored person for 3 years from the date they become a permanent resident

• Marriages of convenience or relationships entered into primarily for immigration purposes are fraud and can result in criminal charges

• Conditional permanent residence applies if the relationship is less than 2 years old and there are no children - the sponsored person must live with the sponsor for 2 years

• You can sponsor your spouse even if you were sponsored yourself, as long as you're now a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

• Same-sex marriages and common-law relationships are recognized for sponsorship purposes