Proof of Relationship for Spousal Sponsorship in Canada

IRCC asks applicants to provide documents that help prove your relationship is genuine and continuing. The exact documents required depend on the type of application and the checklist generated in the online portal. Applicants should always follow the personalized IRCC document checklist for their case. Applicants should also plan separately for the spousal sponsorship government processing fees and related application costs. 

Core documents

These are the first documents applicants should focus on:

• Marriage certificate or other proof that the marriage is legally registered, if applying as spouses. IRCC says a record of solemnization or a marriage licence is not accepted as proof of marriage.
• Proof of at least 12 consecutive months of cohabitation, if applying for common-law partner sponsorship. IRCC says common-law partners must have lived together continuously in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 months, with only short and temporary absences.
• Civil status documents from previous relationships, where applicable, such as divorce certificates, proof of legal separation, annulment records, or a former spouse’s or former partner’s death certificate.

If spouses are not currently living together

The spouse checklist says applicants should provide both of the following:

• Proof of contact, such as letters, printed text messages, emails, social media conversations, or other documented communication. The checklist says to provide a maximum of 10 pages.
• Proof of the sponsor’s visits, such as airline ticket coupons, used boarding passes, or passport pages showing entry and exit stamps. If the sponsor did not visit, the checklist says the explanation should be given in IMM 5532 Part C, Question 4.

If spouses are currently living together

The spouse checklist says applicants should pick documents from at least two of the following sets:

• proof of joint ownership of residential property
• a rental agreement showing both spouses as occupants
• proof of joint utility accounts, joint bank accounts, or joint credit card accounts
• vehicle insurance showing both spouses as residents of the same address
• government-issued documents for both people showing the same address
• other documents showing the same address, such as cell phone bills, pay stubs, tax forms, bank statements, credit card statements, or insurance policies.

If applicants cannot provide documents from at least two of these sets, the checklist says they should provide a detailed written explanation and any other evidence of cohabitation they have.

Children, length of marriage, and additional proof

The spouse checklist also asks whether the couple is currently living together, whether they have children together (supported, where applicable, by birth certificates), whether this is the first marriage for both, and whether they have been married for at least two years as of the date of application. If the couple answers yes to all four of those checklist questions, IRCC says they do not need to provide additional proof of relationship at that stage, although more proof can still be requested later.

If the couple does not answer yes to all four questions, the checklist says they should also provide:

• up to 20 photographs of the wedding, customary celebrations, engagement, and/or outings, taken at different times and places, with a separate document briefly describing the context of each photo
• documents from at least two of these four categories:
  • proof that the spouses are recognized as each other’s spouse, such as employment or insurance benefits
  • proof of financial support and/or shared expenses
  • proof the relationship is recognized by friends or family, such as letters or public social-media evidence
  • proof of past cohabitation, if the spouses are not currently living together but lived together before.

If applicants cannot provide documents from at least two of those categories, the checklist says they should include a written explanation and any other evidence available to show the relationship is genuine.

Common-law partner applications

For common-law partner cases, IRCC says the key requirement is proof that the couple has lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months. IRCC’s Help Centre gives examples such as shared ownership of residential property, joint leases or rental agreements, shared utility bills, and important documents for both partners showing the same address, such as driver’s licences, insurance policies, or identification documents. IRCC also says applicants do not need to submit every example it lists, and that officers may consider other proof as well.

Important IRCC notes

IRCC says applicants should follow the document checklist and any country-specific instructions for their case. The guide also says IRCC now generally accepts copies of supporting documents rather than originals, but applicants should keep their originals in case they are requested later during processing. The spouse checklist also says a departmental official may still ask for additional proof of relationship later if more information is needed to assess the application.

If your documents are not in English or French

IRCC says documents that are not in English or French must be submitted with the required translation materials set out in the guide and checklist. The spouse checklist says this includes a translation together with the required certification materials, which may include a certified copy of the original document and, where applicable, an affidavit from the translator if the translation was not done by a member in good standing of a provincial or territorial organization of translators and interpreters in Canada. The checklist also specifically says proof-of-contact documents that are not already in English or French must be translated.

What “proof of relationship” usually includes and common mistakes

A strong package is curated and organized: a clear timeline, a few high-value third-party documents for each key period, and concise supporting materials that reinforce the narrative.

Common mistakes include:

• Submitting large volumes of chat screenshots without context, dates, or a clear timeline
• Inconsistencies between forms and documents (addresses, relationship dates, travel history not lining up)
• Over-relying on selfies and messages while lacking third-party evidence
• Not explaining gaps (long separation, no visits, informal living arrangements with limited documentation)
• Providing vague support letters that read like templates rather than specific observations