Thousands of individuals every year immigrate to Canada as spousal sponsors. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are authorized to sponsor their spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for permanent residence in Canada. Both the sponsor and the applicant are required to meet certain eligibility requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Canadian Spousal Sponsorship
What are the different ways to apply for Spousal Sponsorship?
There are 3 ways to apply for Spousal Sponsorship: as a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- Spouse: A spouse is a married partner, one’s husband or wife
- Common-law partner: A common-law partner is a person who is living in an exclusive relationship with another person for at least one year
- Conjugal partner: A conjugal partner is a person who has a marriage-like relationship with another person without having lived together due to extenuating circumstances such as marital status, immigration barrier, sexual orientation
What kind of documentation do conjugal partners require to apply for Spousal Sponsorship?
Conjugal partners much have proof of the following to apply for Spousal Sponsorship:
- Joint bank accounts or credit card statements
- Joint ownership of a house
- Joint residential leases
- Joint rental receipts
- Joint registration or payment of utilities such as electricity, gas, telephone, etc
- Joint purchase and management for household expenses
- Same mailing address
How long does the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) take to process Spousal Sponsorship applications?
The IRCC usually takes up to 6 to 12 months to process applications for Spousal Sponsorship. However, given the ongoing pandemic, certain delays can be expected in the processing of these applications.
What is a financial undertaking?
To sponsor your spouse or other family members for permanent residence, you are required to sign a financial undertaking. This undertaking will state that you take responsibility for providing financial support to your sponsor and repay any social assistance received by them during a certain period. For spousal sponsors, the length of a financial undertaking is up to 3 years. Therefore, from the day your sponsor becomes a permanent resident, you will be responsible for providing financial support to them to ensure that their basic needs are met.
