France to Canada Spousal Sponsorship
Last updated: January, 2026
Canada continues to welcome many families from France, and spousal or partner sponsorship remains one of the most reliable ways for couples to build a life together. While the immigration rules are the same for everyone, applicants from France should be aware of a few France-specific details that can influence how smoothly the process goes. Our team has deep experience navigating these waters. Between 2016 and 2025, we assisted 290 clients from France, and we know exactly what officers look for. Here is the essential checklist you need to prepare.
Need More Information? If you are looking for a broader overview of the process, including income requirements and general forms, you can read our detailed guide on the Spousal Sponsorship Program.
Let us handle the details with accurate documentation and organized evidence, Lebanese applicants can move through the sponsorship process smoothly and confidently. However, you don’t have to do it alone. You can book an appointment with our Canadian immigration consultants and start preparing. Also you can review our fees to find the package that fits your needs.
Country-Specific Documents
- Language Advantage: Fortunately, because French is one of Canada’s two official languages, documents issued in French by the État civil do not require translation into English or French for the IRCC application. This makes the process faster and more cost-efficient for French applicants.
- Police Certificate (Casier Judiciaire): For a police certificate, IRCC requires the Bulletin n°3 (Casier Judiciaire). This document is typically quick to obtain online from the Casier Judiciaire National and is delivered directly to the applicant’s email or mailing address.
- International Travel: If the applicant has lived outside France for six months or more since the age of 18, additional police certificates from those countries are mandatory.
- Supplementary Information – Your Travels (IMM 5562): The principal applicant and all family members included in the application who are 18 years old or older must complete this form.
Required Civil Documents
Relationship Recognition & Civil Status
- The PACS (Pacte Civil de Solidarité): The PACS is a French civil union/registered partnership. For Canadian immigration purposes, a PACS does not automatically qualify a couple as legally married (Spousal Class). Instead, a PACS can be used as strong supporting evidence toward meeting the requirements for a Common-Law Partnership (demonstrating 12 consecutive months of cohabitation) or a Conjugal Partnership (if cohabitation was impossible).
- Marriage Documents (État Civil):
- French civil records (État civil) must usually be provided as a copie intégrale (full copy/reproduction of the original act), not a short version (extrait).
- This applies to the Birth Certificate (Acte de naissance) and the Marriage Record (Acte de mariage). The copie intégrale is required because it contains full details about the parents and all marginal notes (mentions marginales) related to the person’s civil status (like divorce or marriage registration), which IRCC needs for background checks.
- Freshness of Documents: Be aware that some French civil documents, particularly the Acte de Naissance, must be recently issued (typically less than three months old) when requested from the Mairie (Town Hall).
Top Mistakes to Avoid
Surnames and Consistency: French applicants should ensure names are consistent across all forms and documents.
This is especially important if the applicant uses hyphenated surnames (noms composés) or has officially changed their name after marriage, divorce, or by opting to use their ‘nom d’usage’ (usage name), which must be clearly reconciled against the official name on the Acte de Naissance and passport.
