Vietnam to Canada Spousal Sponsorship
Last updated: January, 2026
Are you planning to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner from Vietnam to Canada? While Vietnam requires no extra country-specific IRCC forms and has no special document instructions listed, applications can still be delayed for a few predictable Vietnam-linked reasons.
The real challenge is usually getting the Vietnam police certificate right, ensuring translations are complete and accurate, and keeping names consistent across documents.
With accurate police certificates, clean translations, and consistent identity details, Vietnam-based sponsorship applications can move forward smoothly with fewer clarification requests.
From 2016 to 2025, our Toronto immigration consultants supported 131 clients from Vietnam, so we’ve seen the most common issues—and how to prevent them. If you’d like a full overview, you can visit our Spousal Sponsorship page, review our spousal sponsorship fees, and book a consultation for more personalized guidance based on your situation.
Country-Specific Documents
Additional forms for residents
- There are no extra forms for Vietnam.
Translations
Most Vietnamese civil documents are not in English or French. If a document is not in English or French, submit:
- the original document, plus
- a certified translation
Critical detail: Translations must mirror the original exactly—names, dates, places, and document numbers—with consistent handling of Vietnamese diacritics.
Romanization/spelling differences
Vietnamese names may appear differently due to romanization choices, dropped diacritics, or name order differences. Use the passport spelling as the standard across forms and supporting documents. If a variation appears, include a brief Letter of Explanation to connect the documents to the same person.
Marriage registration
If you had a ceremony, ensure you also have the legally registered marriage record from the appropriate authority. Ceremony proof alone may not be sufficient.
The Hidden Hurdle
Vietnam’s police certificate is a criminal record certificate, and the process requires close attention to the accepted type and coverage.
The accepted document
Vietnam’s police certificate is the Criminal Record Certificate #2 (Phiếu Lý Lịch Tư Pháp Số 2)
The practical strategy
The process can differ depending on whether the applicant is in Vietnam or applying from abroad. To avoid delays:
- Follow IRCC’s Vietnam instructions to request the accepted certificate type
Ensure it covers the required time period - Keep request receipts/confirmations in case issuance takes longer than expected
If the applicant lived in other countries, be prepared to obtain additional police certificates as required
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting the wrong police certificate type or one with incomplete time coverage
- Name inconsistencies caused by romanization or missing diacritics, without explanation
- Translation packages that are incomplete or inconsistent with the originals
- Missing the legally registered marriage record (relying on ceremony evidence only)
