Moving abroad and leaving your loved ones on opposite coast is not easy. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) strongly supports family reunification, thus spousal sponsorship application processing is given the highest priority at Canadian Visa Offices.
One of the objectives of Canadian government is to see that families are reunited in Canada. Spousal sponsorship program is the most demanded stream under family class immigration. Processing time was recently reduced from 26 to 12 months for 80% of applications for both in-Canada and outside of Canada cases.
The spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner looking to immigrate to Canada under spousal sponsorship category must be sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. If you applied to sponsor spouse outside Canada, once decision is made and sponsorship application is approved, Canadian immigration authorities will issue the applicant Canada Spouse Visa (a confirmation of permanent residence).
Applicant (person being sponsored) will become permanent resident upon landing in Canada, and must enter Canada before the expiry date, which appears on temporary visa.
If you are looking to apply for spousal sponsorship inside Canada, application is being processed first and once approved, applicant’s status will change from temporary to permanent. Spousal sponsorship within Canada gives an opportunity to person being sponsored and living in Canada to apply for an Open-Work Permit.
Our Canadian immigration services include different options where you can choose between Full Representation, Final Review and Do-It-Yourself packages. If you have any questions, you can book initial consultation to speak with immigration consultant in Toronto.
While spousal sponsorship might not be an option for you at this time, you may also consider temporary residence program such visitor visa.
Complete all forms and prepare all supporting documents required for your situation. Application package may differ based on applicant’s country of residence, as well as documents issued by other countries. If you’re applying under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class, your spouse or partner may be also eligible to apply for an Open Work Permit.
At this point processing starts. IRCC will not send an acknowledgement of receipt until they have opened your application and checked that it is complete. As you go through the process, you may receive requests for additional documents. Make sure to check your online account and email for updates.
IRCC will provide deadline and instructions on how to get medical exam done. You must go for your medical exam within 30 days of receiving these instructions. If you do not follow these instructions, IRCC may refuse your application. If there is a problem with your medical exam, IRCC will contact you to advise.
IRCC will finish processing your application after they have received all the necessary information. Once approved, applicant will receive confirmation of permanent residence. If officer is satisfied that you meet the requirements to enter Canada, you will be allowed to enter Canada as a permanent resident.
YOU CAN BECOME A SPONSOR IF YOU ARE:
You must also be able to show that you can provide basic needs for:
MINIMUM INCOME REQUIREMENTS
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SPONSOR IF YOU:
Family reunification is a key immigration commitment for the Government of Canada. Processing time for 80% of the cases both overseas and in-Canada is currently 12 months.
You can become a sponsor if you are:
You may include dependent children in your application, if they meet the following requirements:
As of October 24, 2017, to meet definition of “dependent child”, a child must be in one of the following situations:
Dependent children who do not have a physical or mental condition must remain unmarried and not in a common-law relationship for the duration of processing, up until the point of becoming a permanent resident.
If you applied or planning to apply, under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in-Canada class, you can also apply for an open work permit. This will allow him or her to accept any job from any employer and work, while application is being processed.
If you are a Canadian citizen living abroad, you may sponsor your spouse and dependent children. You must present a reasonable plan to return to Canada immediately once the sponsorship application is approved. However, you can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside of Canada.
Insufficient or contradictory documentation may lead to delays and/or all refusal of your application. Your application processing may be delayed due to a number of reasons.
Things that can cause delays:
Eligibility for refund depends on application processing stage:
You can certainly try. However, if you are applying from a country that is not visa-exempt, it is important to provide additional evidence to satisfy officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident.
Temporary residents of Canada are not eligible to become a sponsor. Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for an open work permit, if you:
A conjugal partner relationship is a relationship that does not fit the requirements of a common-law relationship, due to the circumstances beyond your and your partner’s control. Relationship wouldn’t be considered conjugal, if you and your partner could have lived together in a common-law relationship but chose not to do so.
By signing undertaking, you are promising to give financial support for the basic needs of your spouse or partner and their dependent children.
Basic needs are:
If people you sponsor apply for and receive social assistance, you’ll have to pay back what they received during the time you were legally responsible for them.
Some people are not allowed to enter Canada. The definition used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is “inadmissibility “. There are many reasons, why you may be refused entry to Canada:
