Family Sponsorship

Spousal Sponsorship Canada: how to sponsor your spouse or partner

Spousal sponsorship is how a Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsors a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner to become a permanent resident of Canada. This guide covers the 2026 requirements, the steps to sponsor your spouse, inland versus outland, the forms, fees and processing times.

Nicola Wightman, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC #R706497)
Written and reviewed by Nicola Wightman, RCIC #R706497A UK immigrant who made the move herself, now a CICC-licensed immigration consultant in Canmore, Alberta.Last updated
Quick answer
Spousal sponsorship Canada, often searched as a Canada spouse visa, is the family-class immigration route that lets a Canadian citizen or permanent resident bring their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner to Canada as a permanent resident, usually with no minimum income test. You can apply inland (partner already in Canada, with a possible Spousal Open Work Permit) or outland (partner abroad and more travel-friendly). A sponsored spouse receives unconditional permanent residence, and the heart of any application is genuine relationship evidence.

Free check, about 2 minutes

Can you sponsor your partner?

Answer a few questions about you, your relationship and your partner, and see which route fits. It is not an IRCC tool: only IRCC decides your application.

Question 1 of 11

About you, the sponsor

Are you a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered under the Canadian Indian Act?

Key takeaways

Spousal sponsorship Canada lets a Canadian citizen or permanent resident bring their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner to Canada as a permanent resident, usually with no minimum income test. You can apply inland (partner already in Canada, with a possible open work permit) or outland (partner abroad and more travel-friendly). The heart of any application is genuine relationship evidence. A sponsored spouse receives unconditional permanent residence.

  • You can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, and there is usually no minimum income test.
  • Inland suits a partner already in Canada (with a possible open work permit); outland suits a partner abroad and is more travel-friendly.
  • The heart of any application is relationship evidence, proof the relationship is genuine and not for immigration.
  • There is no separate Canada spouse visa: spousal sponsorship is a permanent residence application that you, the sponsor, file for your partner.
  • A sponsored spouse receives unconditional permanent residence; conditional PR was repealed in 2017.
Spousal sponsorship in Canada, explained.

How do I sponsor my spouse to Canada?

To sponsor your spouse to Canada, you must be an eligible sponsor (a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, 18 or older), and your partner submits your sponsorship application and their permanent residence application together online, followed by biometrics, a medical exam and IRCC's decision.

  1. 01

    Check you can sponsor

    You must be 18 or older, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act, and clear of the sponsor bars listed below. Our free spousal sponsorship eligibility checker runs through them in a few minutes.

  2. 02

    Choose inland or outland

    Apply inland if your spouse or common-law partner lives with you in Canada and will stay during processing. Apply outland if your partner lives abroad or needs to travel. Conjugal partners must apply outland.

  3. 03

    Gather the forms and documents

    The package includes your IMM 1344, your partner's IMM 0008 and the relationship evidence on our spousal sponsorship document checklist. Common-law couples add cohabitation proof; IRCC's common-law checklist does not list the IMM 5409 statutory declaration.

  4. 04

    Pay the IRCC fees online

    The IRCC fee to sponsor a spouse or partner is $1,260: $660 in sponsorship and processing fees plus the $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Biometrics add $85 per person. You include the receipt with the application.

  5. 05

    Submit the application online

    Your partner, as the principal applicant, submits both applications together through IRCC's Permanent Residence Portal. IRCC returns an incomplete application. After the acknowledgment of receipt (AOR), a partner living with you in Canada can apply for a spousal open work permit.

  6. 06

    Give biometrics

    After you pay the biometrics fee, IRCC sends your partner a letter, and they have 30 days from its date to give biometrics (fingerprints and a photo). IRCC starts processing once it has them.

  7. 07

    Complete the medical exam

    IRCC sends your partner, and each family member, a request to complete an immigration medical exam at a set point in processing. The exam must be done within 30 days of the instructions.

  8. 08

    Get the decision

    IRCC publishes 26 months for an inland file and 18 months for an outland file, outside Quebec (9 October 2026). An approved partner abroad receives a Confirmation of Permanent Residence; a partner in Canada confirms PR online. Our spousal sponsorship processing time guide explains what moves those figures.

Step one takes a few minutes

Our free spousal sponsorship eligibility checker covers the sponsor bars and the three relationship categories. If you would rather talk it through, send us your details and a licensed RCIC replies by email. Get your free assessment.

Spousal sponsorship Canada: what it is and who it's for

Spousal sponsorship Canada is the partner route within family sponsorship, the family-class immigration stream, and it lets a Canadian citizen or permanent resident bring their spouse or partner to Canada as a permanent resident. People often call it a Canada spouse visa or spousal visa, but there is no separate visa: it is a permanent residence application, sponsored by you. As the sponsor, you sign an undertaking, a promise to support your partner financially, and your partner becomes the principal applicant on the file. Once approved, they hold full permanent-resident status, with the right to live, work and study anywhere in Canada (outside Quebec, which runs its own process) and a path to citizenship.

Spouses, partners and children make up the large majority of family-class immigration to Canada: 69,000 of the 84,000 family-class places planned for 2026 (source: IRCC, 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan). Unlike economic programs such as Express Entry, spousal sponsorship Canada is built on a relationship rather than points: there is no Comprehensive Ranking System score to clear and, in most cases, no income test. What it does require is proof that your relationship is real, and building that proof is where most of our work goes.

Is there a Canada spouse visa? What spousal sponsorship actually gives you

There is no separate spouse visa for Canada: a spouse or partner immigrates through family sponsorship, IRCC's program to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner to become a permanent resident. A temporary stay needs its own document: a visitor visa or eTA, a work permit or a study permit.

So a Canada spouse visa, a Canadian spouse visa or a partnership visa is really spousal sponsorship: you, as the sponsor, file an application that, if approved, makes your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner a permanent resident. That is a stronger status than any visa. Your partner can live, work and study anywhere in Canada outside Quebec, leave and return, access provincial health coverage after any waiting period, and count their time toward citizenship.

Two practical consequences follow. First, while an outland application is in process, a partner who wants to visit Canada still needs whatever entry document their passport requires, a visitor visa or an eTA, and should be ready to show they will leave if asked; sponsorship in progress does not guarantee entry. Second, for a partner living in Canada with you, on either route, the spousal open work permit is the thing that most resembles a "spouse visa" in day-to-day life, because it lets your partner work while you both wait.

Permanent residence is the immigration side of the picture; it is not the only thing that changes once you marry a Canadian citizen. Our guide to the benefits of marrying a Canadian citizen looks at the practical side beyond status, from healthcare access to inheritance and tax.

Common myths about the Canada spouse visa

Marriage to a Canadian does not grant status, there is usually no minimum income to sponsor a partner, and same-sex couples, unmarried couples and recently married couples all qualify on the same terms. Those four misconceptions cause real mistakes, from couples who delay applying to couples who wrongly assume they do not qualify. Engaged couples often add a fifth: Canada has no fiancé visa, and our fiancé visa guide sets out the three routes that do work.

  • Myth: marrying a Canadian citizen gives automatic permanent residence or citizenship. It does not. Marriage changes nothing on its own; your partner still needs a sponsored permanent-residence application, assessed on its merits, before they hold any status in Canada. A marriage certificate is one piece of evidence, not a status.
  • Myth: you need a minimum income to sponsor a spouse. For most couples there is no income test at all, the stricter rule that applies to parent and grandparent sponsorship does not apply here (see Income, the undertaking and your obligations, below). The narrow exception is when the person you are sponsoring, or their dependent child, has a child of their own.
  • Myth: same-sex couples cannot sponsor a spouse or partner. They can. Canadian immigration law defines spouse, common-law partner and conjugal partner without reference to gender, and same-sex marriages and relationships are assessed under exactly the same rules as opposite-sex ones. What matters is the same genuineness test for every couple.
  • Myth: you need to be married, or married for a long time, to sponsor a partner. Neither is true. Common-law and conjugal partners qualify without marriage, and IRCC sets no minimum length of marriage for a spousal application, a marriage from last month can be sponsored if it is genuine.
  • Myth: once you sponsor your spouse, you are financially responsible for them forever. The undertaking is real and enforceable, but it is not indefinite: for a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner it runs three years from the day they become a permanent resident, not for life.

The thread running through all five myths is the same: sponsorship is a genuineness test, not a formality, and the rules apply evenly regardless of gender, income or how long you have been together.

Who can sponsor a spouse or partner?

You can sponsor a spouse or partner if you are at least 18, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act, living in Canada, and willing to sign a three-year undertaking, with no bar such as a default or a recent sponsorship of your own.

  • Age: A sponsor must be at least 18 years old.
  • Status: A sponsor must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a person registered in Canada under the Indian Act. A work or study permit holder cannot sponsor.
  • Residence: A sponsor must live in Canada. A Canadian citizen living abroad can sponsor by showing they plan to live in Canada when the partner becomes a permanent resident; a permanent resident living abroad cannot sponsor.
  • Undertaking: A sponsor signs an undertaking and sponsorship agreement to support a spouse or partner for 3 years from the day they become a permanent resident, and cannot cancel it once they do.
  • Income: A spousal sponsor needs no minimum income unless the partner's dependent child has a dependent child of their own.
  • Previous sponsorship: A sponsor may be ineligible if they were sponsored as a spouse or partner and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago, or if their undertaking for a previous partner has not yet run its 3 years.
  • Default: A sponsor may be ineligible while behind on an immigration loan, a performance bond or court-ordered support, after failing to meet a past undertaking, or while an undischarged bankrupt.
  • Other bars: A sponsor may be ineligible if they are in prison, receive social assistance for a reason other than disability, were convicted of a violent or sexual offence or one causing bodily harm to a relative, are under a removal order, or already have an undecided application for the same partner.

We confirm your eligibility, and your partner's, before you start, so a bar or excluded relationship does not surface after you have invested time in the application. You can also start with our free immigration eligibility check to see where you stand.

A note on Quebec

Quebec runs its own sponsorship undertaking and selection rules. We do not handle Quebec-destined sponsorships. If you and your partner intend to settle in Quebec, you will be directed to the provincial process. Everywhere else in Canada, the federal rules in this guide apply.

Want to check the sponsor rules against your own situation? Our free spousal sponsorship eligibility checker walks through the bars above in a few minutes, and it costs nothing. For the rules that apply across every family class, see our guide to the requirements for family sponsorship. If the person you want to bring over is a brother, sister or other relative rather than a partner, spousal sponsorship does not apply; the narrow route for that is set out in our guide to the Lonely Canadian Program requirements.

Who can you sponsor: spouse, common-law or conjugal partner?

You can sponsor a spouse, a common-law partner or a conjugal partner of any gender who is at least 18, in a genuine relationship with you that is not only for getting permanent residence, and not inadmissible to Canada.

  • Spouse: A spouse is legally married to you.
  • Common-law partner: A common-law partner is not married to you and has lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 consecutive months, with any time apart short and temporary.
  • Conjugal partner: A conjugal partner is neither married to you nor living common-law with you, has been in an exclusive, interdependent relationship with you for at least 1 year, lives outside Canada, and cannot live with you in their country or marry you for legal, immigration, social, cultural or religious reasons.

The category you fall into changes the evidence you need and, in the case of conjugal partners, whether you can apply at all.

The three spousal-sponsorship relationship types (2026). Conjugal is a narrow category for couples genuinely unable to cohabit or marry.
RelationshipWhat qualifiesKey evidence
SpouseLegally married, with a marriage recognised as valid where it took place and under Canadian law.Marriage certificate plus proof the relationship is genuine.
Common-law partner12 months of continuous cohabitation in a conjugal relationship, no marriage required.Proof of a shared address and intertwined lives over the full 12 months.
Conjugal partner1+ year in a marriage-like relationship while genuinely barred from living together or marrying. Outside Canada only.Proof of commitment plus the barrier that prevented cohabiting or marrying.

Most couples are spouses or common-law partners. Whether you want to sponsor your wife or husband as a married spouse, or pursue common-law sponsorship in Canada based on 12 months of cohabitation, the relationship test is the same: it must be genuine. Our common-law partner sponsorship guide covers the 12-month cohabitation rule and the proof IRCC expects for it.

The conjugal partner category is narrow and often misunderstood: it is for couples who are genuinely unable to live together or marry, for example because of immigration barriers, marital status, or laws in their country, not simply a couple who has chosen not to. Our conjugal partner sponsorship guide covers it in depth. If you are unsure which category fits, that is exactly what a free assessment is for.

Inland vs outland spousal sponsorship

Inland spousal sponsorship is for a partner already in Canada with valid status who intends to stay throughout processing, and outland sponsorship is for a partner who is abroad, or in Canada but needing the freedom to travel. Both routes lead to the same permanent residence; the difference is the experience during processing, and choosing correctly matters for work authorisation and travel.

Inland vs outland spousal sponsorship Canada, both lead to permanent residence.
InlandOutland
Where the partner isIn Canada with valid status, intending to stayAbroad, or assessed as if abroad
Spousal Open Work PermitMay qualify after the application is acknowledged (AOR)May qualify if living in Canada with you, after the AOR; not while waiting abroad
Travel during processingLeaving Canada can put the application at riskTravel-friendly, built for mobility
Best whenYour partner is here and wants to workYour partner is abroad, or needs to travel
ResultPermanent residencePermanent residence

Both routes can carry the Spousal Open Work Permit for a partner living in Canada with you, which can let them work while the PR application is processed. The big practical draw of inland is that it tolerates a lapse in status. The trade-off is mobility: leaving Canada during inland processing can jeopardise the application. Outland is more travel-friendly and historically the faster-moving route in many regions. We walk through this choice with every couple, because the right answer depends on your partner's location, work needs and travel plans. Each route has its own page: inland spousal sponsorship and outland spousal sponsorship. For the trade-offs side by side, with worked examples, read our inland vs outland spousal sponsorship comparison.

The Spousal Open Work Permit option

If your partner lives in Canada with you, they may be able to work while the permanent-residence application is in progress, whether you apply inland or outland, through a Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP). An open work permit lets your partner work for almost any employer rather than being tied to one job. That income makes a real difference across a wait IRCC currently publishes as about 26 months on the inland route and about 18 months outland. Our answer to can my spouse work while sponsored walks through when work becomes possible on each route.

The SOWP depends on where your partner lives

The Spousal Open Work Permit is open to a sponsored partner living in Canada with you, with valid (or maintained) status, and is generally available after IRCC acknowledges your application, on the inland or the outland route. A partner waiting outside Canada cannot get one. On an outland file your partner must keep valid status to hold it, so factor that into the inland-versus-outland decision. Read more on our Spousal Open Work Permit guide.

Can I leave Canada during spousal sponsorship?

You can leave and re-enter Canada freely during an outland spousal sponsorship, which is built for mobility, but leaving during an inland one puts the application at real risk, so your route decides the answer. Inland applicants can technically leave, but you need valid status and a valid visa or eTA to return, and if you are refused re-entry you cannot continue an inland application from outside Canada. IRCC's own guide warns there is no guarantee a partner who leaves will be allowed back in, especially one who needs a visitor visa. If travel during processing is essential, outland is usually the safer choice. Our guide to whether you can leave Canada while waiting for spousal sponsorship covers the entry documents, maintained status and when to postpone a trip. It is part of why the inland versus outland decision matters so much.

Sponsoring your partner while they are out of status in Canada

You can usually still sponsor a spouse or common-law partner who has fallen out of status in Canada, because a long-standing IRCC public policy lets the in-Canada class accept a partner whose only inadmissibility is a defined lack of status. An expired visitor record, a lapsed study or work permit or an entry without the right document does not automatically end your ability to sponsor them. That policy, in place since 2005, lets the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class accept an applicant who is inadmissible for a defined set of “lack of status” reasons: an overstayed visa, permit or visitor record; working or studying without authorization; or entering without the visa, passport or travel document normally required, provided they hold valid documents by the time permanent residence is granted.

The policy is facilitative, not automatic. It applies only to genuine spouses and common-law partners already living together in Canada, on the inland route, filed with an undertaking of support; it does not cover conjugal partners, and it does not waive every kind of inadmissibility: criminality, security and misrepresentation concerns are not covered by it. Your partner generally cannot work legally until their status is restored or a work permit is issued, which for most couples means applying for the Spousal Open Work Permit once IRCC acknowledges the sponsorship (see above). Because the policy sits in IRCC's operational instructions rather than the Regulations themselves, its exact terms can change, so we confirm the current wording on canada.ca before we rely on it in any filing. If your partner's situation falls outside it, for example because of a criminal inadmissibility or a prior removal order, outland sponsorship or restoring status first may still be the way forward.

Before we file an out-of-status case, we confirm three things line up: the exact way status was lost matches one of the policy's listed grounds, the relationship evidence is strong enough to withstand the extra scrutiny these files tend to get, and there is no other inadmissibility hiding in the background check that the policy does not waive. Missing any one of the three is what turns a routine case into a refusal, so do not try to sort this out alone; it is exactly the kind of file our spousal consultation exists for.

Proving a genuine relationship: the document checklist

Whichever route you take, the heart of a spousal application is relationship evidence: proof that your relationship is genuine and was not entered into primarily for an immigration benefit. Officers look for a consistent, well-documented story across several categories. Use the checklist below as a starting point. The strongest applications show the relationship developing over time, not a single snapshot. If you are common-law rather than married, you also prove 12 months of living together with documents; IRCC's common-law checklist (IMM 5589) does not list the IMM 5409 Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union.

Core spousal sponsorship document checklist (2026). Tailor the package to your relationship; confirm current forms on canada.ca.
Evidence categoryExamples to include
Proof of the relationship typeMarriage certificate (spouse); proof of 12 months' continuous cohabitation (common-law); proof of the barrier to cohabiting/marrying (conjugal).
Joint financesShared bank accounts, joint bills or utilities, a lease or mortgage in both names, beneficiary designations, shared insurance.
Cohabitation & shared lifeDocuments showing a shared address, mail, IDs, tenancy or property records over time.
Communication historyCall logs, message threads and emails spanning the relationship, especially during any time apart.
Time togetherPhotos together across dates and places, travel itineraries, passport stamps, proof you have met in person.
Recognition by othersStatutory declarations from family and friends; invitations, social-media recognition, evidence others see you as a couple.

Thin, inconsistent or poorly organised evidence is one of the most common reasons a genuine couple receives a procedural fairness letter or a refusal. The goal is not volume for its own sake but a clear, credible record. Working under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497), our team helps you assemble and present this evidence so the genuineness of your relationship is obvious on the file.

Income, the undertaking and your obligations

Every sponsorship rests on an undertaking, a binding promise to repay any social assistance your sponsored partner receives during a set period. For a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, the undertaking runs three years from the day they become a permanent resident. The relief that surprises many couples is that there is usually no minimum income requirement to sponsor a partner, unlike sponsoring parents or grandparents. Our guide to the minimum income to sponsor a spouse explains the exceptions and what IRCC checks instead.

You also sign a sponsorship agreement that sets out your responsibilities and your partner's. The undertaking is a serious, enforceable commitment: it survives a separation or divorce, so it is worth understanding before you sign. Where any income test does apply (narrow situations involving certain dependent children), IRCC relies on your Canada Revenue Agency Notices of Assessment, so your filed taxes matter.

Talk it through first

If we can help, a consultation gives you an honest read on your relationship evidence, the inland-versus-outland choice and your timeline before you commit to anything.

Processing times: how long does spousal sponsorship Canada take?

IRCC publishes a processing time of about 26 months for an inland (in-Canada) spouse or common-law sponsorship outside Quebec, and about 18 months for an outland one (IRCC processing-times tool, updated 9 October 2026). IRCC also keeps a 12-month service standard for overseas spousal files, but that is its target rather than the current wait. Either clock assumes a complete, accurate package; an application returned as incomplete effectively restarts your wait. Biometrics, your partner's country of residence, and the depth of your relationship evidence all influence the real timeline.

IRCC updates those figures monthly, so use our live IRCC processing times tracker for the current estimate before you plan around a date. The single biggest factor you control is the quality of the submission, and that is where most of the avoidable delay lives. For a fuller look at the variables, see our spousal sponsorship processing time guide, our round-up of the spouse visa Canada new rules for what has and has not changed since January 2025, and our transparent fees page for what professional preparation costs.

Timelines are the hardest part to plan around. If you want to talk yours through before you file, send us your details.

Spousal sponsorship fees and forms

Sponsoring a spouse or partner costs $1,260 in IRCC fees, made up of a $90 sponsorship fee, a $570 processing fee and the $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee, plus $85 for one set of biometrics, so a couple with no children pays $1,345 in total. The fees are the same on the inland and outland routes and are paid to IRCC online.

IRCC government fees for spousal and partner sponsorship (IRCC fee list, checked October 2026). Confirm current amounts on canada.ca before you pay.
IRCC feeAmount payable (CAD)When you pay it
Sponsorship fee$90At submission
Processing fee (your partner)$570At submission
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)$600At submission, or any time before permanent residence is granted
Biometrics$85 per person, to a family maximum of $170At submission in most cases; paying later can delay the application
Each accompanying dependent child$180At submission; the RPRF does not apply to children
Total for a couple with no children$1,345$90 + $570 + $600 + $85 biometrics, with the RPRF paid upfront
Total at submission if you defer the RPRF$745$90 + $570 + $85 biometrics; the $600 RPRF then falls due before PR is granted

Medical exams, police certificates and translations are paid to third parties on top of the government fees, and our professional fees are separate again and published on our transparent fees page. The application itself is a single package containing both your sponsorship and your partner's permanent residence application. The forms you will meet:

Core forms in a spouse or common-law partner sponsorship package. Always download the current versions from canada.ca; form versions change.
FormWhat it isWho completes it
IMM 1344Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and UndertakingSponsor (and co-signer, if any)
IMM 0008Generic Application Form for CanadaYour partner, the principal applicant
IMM 5669Schedule A: Background / DeclarationYour partner
IMM 5406Additional Family InformationYour partner
IMM 5532Relationship Information and Sponsorship EvaluationBoth of you, separately
IMM 5409Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union: not on IRCC's common-law partner checklist (IMM 5589)Only if your PR Portal checklist asks for it; see our IMM 5409 guide
IMM 5533 / IMM 5589Document Checklist for sponsoring a spouse (IMM 5533) or a common-law partner (IMM 5589)The package index; IRCC returns incomplete packages
IMM 5476Use of a Representative, if you use oneBoth of you

Our spousal sponsorship document checklist walks through every form and every category of evidence in order, including the mistakes that get packages returned.

Alongside the forms, budget for three third-party steps: an immigration medical exam with a panel physician (IRCC will tell you when; many applicants do it upfront), police certificates from every country other than Canada your partner has lived in for six months or more in a row since age 18, and biometrics once IRCC sends the instruction letter. If you are common-law, make the dates on your cohabitation documents match your forms, and read our IMM 5409 form guide for where that form is and is not required.

Sponsoring a spouse or partner with a dependent child

Many spousal applications are not just about the two of you. If your partner has a dependent child, generally under 22 and without a spouse or partner of their own, or 22 or older if they have depended on a parent for financial support since before 22 and cannot support themselves because of a physical or mental condition, that child is part of the same application, not a separate one. IRCC's own guide for this application, IMM 5289, is titled “Sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child” for exactly that reason: one package, one undertaking that extends to the child's basic needs, and one set of medical, background and security checks that the child must also pass.

One rule catches couples out more than any other: every child of the person you are sponsoring must be declared, even one who lives with their other parent under a custody order and is not coming to Canada with you. It feels counter-intuitive to list a child who is not immigrating, but IRCC is explicit that skipping a non-accompanying child risks your partner's permanent residence later and closes the door on sponsoring that child in future; undeclared family members are treated as a serious problem, not a paperwork nicety. Declaring the child does not commit them to travel to Canada, it simply keeps the file honest and preserves the option.

A child born or adopted after you submit is a different, and separate, process from anything in the original package; dependent children are not added automatically. You have to actively request that IRCC add them, through the IRCC web form, generally with a completed additional-dependant form, a background declaration and the child's birth or adoption record, before your partner becomes a permanent resident. Once your partner has already landed as a permanent resident, a child can no longer be added to that file; sponsoring them at that point means starting a new dependent-child sponsorship. If a child is born to a Canadian-citizen parent, including one born outside Canada, check whether the child is a Canadian citizen by descent first. A citizen child does not need to be sponsored at all; only a non-citizen child goes on the undertaking.

The mistake we see most often is not malicious, it is a couple who genuinely did not realise a child from an earlier relationship had to be listed, or who assumed a signed custody agreement settled the matter. It does not. We ask about every child, from every relationship, on both sides, at the very first meeting, specifically so this cannot surface as a problem after the application is already in the system. There is a fee for each accompanying dependent child (see the fee table above), though the Right of Permanent Residence Fee does not apply to children.

What happens after you submit: the application journey

After you submit, IRCC checks the package for completeness, issues an acknowledgment of receipt, then assesses your eligibility as a sponsor, your partner's eligibility for permanent residence and the admissibility of your partner and any dependants, with background, security, medical and biometric checks running alongside. The completeness check comes first, and an incomplete package is returned rather than refused, which restarts your wait, so this is the stage where a careful submission pays off. A complete application then gets an application number and an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR), and from that point the three assessments run at once rather than one after another.

Background and security checks run in parallel with the eligibility review and are largely outside your control; they can show as in progress for a long stretch, loop, or sit quietly with no visible update, none of which is a sign of a problem on its own. Your partner will be told when to complete the immigration medical exam, and instructions for biometrics arrive by letter; IRCC asks you to book an appointment as soon as you get it. For a partner living with you in Canada, on either route, the Spousal Open Work Permit is typically available once the AOR is issued, well ahead of a final decision.

If the tracker or your account goes quiet for longer than the published processing time for your route, do not assume the worst. The usual next step is a web form enquiry quoting your application number, followed by a Member of Parliament's constituency office if that yields nothing. Where a file genuinely appears stuck, ordering your GCMS notes shows exactly what the officer is waiting on, often a document request that never reached you, rather than leaving you to guess.

Most spousal files never see an interview or a procedural fairness letter; officers decide on the paper record when it is consistent and complete. An interview, in person or by video, happens when an officer wants to see the couple or resolve something the file does not answer. A procedural fairness letter is different and more serious: it sets out a specific concern, often about relationship genuineness or a discrepancy, and gives you a deadline to respond with evidence or an explanation before a decision is made. Both are answerable, but only if you understand exactly what the officer is questioning, which is why we read every fairness letter closely with the client rather than treating it as a form response.

A positive decision ends in one of two documents: applicants outside Canada get a passport request, then a permanent resident visa; applicants inside Canada confirm their details through the PR Confirmation Portal and receive an electronic Confirmation of Permanent Residence (eCoPR). Either document is what makes your partner a permanent resident; landing itself, at a port of entry or through the portal, is largely a formality once it is issued. Two labels account for most of the anxious messages we get from clients mid-file: “eligibility review in progress”, which simply means an officer is working through your file and is normal for most of the wait, and a status that has not changed in months, often just a quiet, internal “ghost update” to the last-activity date rather than a real problem. For the full set of status labels and what each one means, see our guide to how to track your IRCC application.

If your relationship changes during or after sponsorship

If you separate, divorce, or the relationship otherwise breaks down before a final decision is made, you must tell IRCC in writing through the IRCC web form before that decision is issued. Relationships sometimes end while an application is still moving through the system, and couples are often afraid to say so, but the rule is straightforward even though it feels uncomfortable. Sponsorship is assessed on whether the relationship is genuine at the time of the decision, not only at the time you applied, and an application built on a relationship that has already ended cannot honestly proceed as filed.

Reporting a breakdown is not the same as admitting the relationship was never real. Genuine relationships end for ordinary reasons, and IRCC's concern is misrepresentation, not heartbreak: failing to disclose a material change and letting an officer decide on facts you know are no longer true is what creates a misrepresentation risk, one that can follow your partner into future applications. Reporting promptly and honestly protects both of you, even when it means the application will likely be refused or you choose to withdraw it. You can withdraw a sponsorship at any point before your partner becomes a permanent resident, and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee is refundable if you withdraw before that happens.

A relationship breakdown is the most consequential change to report, but it is not the only one. IRCC expects the sponsor to keep contact details current and to flag changes to the family situation, a marriage, a birth, a death, throughout processing, using the same account or web form you used to apply. Treat any material change the same way: tell IRCC promptly rather than letting the file sit on outdated information while a decision is pending.

Once permanent residence has already been granted, the picture changes completely. Canada repealed conditional permanent residence in 2017, so there is no ongoing requirement to stay together, live at the same address, or prove the relationship continues after landing. A separation or divorce after your partner is already a permanent resident does not affect their status; it becomes relevant only in the rare case where IRCC later has evidence the relationship was never genuine at the time it was assessed, which is a fraud investigation, not a routine consequence of a marriage ending. For the overwhelming majority of couples whose relationship was real, a later separation is simply life, not an immigration event.

What we watch for before filing is different from what most couples expect: not whether the relationship will last, no honest consultant can promise that, but whether the evidence as built would still make sense to an officer if read a year from now. A file that only proves the relationship at the moment of filing is more fragile than one that documents a history, because IRCC's genuineness question is asked as of the day it decides, not the day you applied.

Common refusal pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Spousal sponsorship refusals usually come down to how a case is built rather than the relationship itself, and four pitfalls account for most of them: thin relationship evidence, inconsistencies across the forms, an incomplete package, and the wrong route or relationship category. Each is worth knowing before you submit.

  • Thin relationship evidence: too few evidence categories are covered, or the record captures a single moment rather than the relationship developing over time.
  • Inconsistencies: dates, addresses or histories that do not line up across forms and documents raise genuineness concerns even in a real relationship.
  • An incomplete package: a missing form or signature gets the application returned rather than refused, which restarts your wait from the beginning.
  • The wrong route or category: choosing inland when travel during processing is essential, or claiming a relationship category your circumstances do not meet, undermines an otherwise sound file.

If an application has already been refused, our guide to what to do when spousal sponsorship is refused covers reading the GCMS notes, the appeal right and when rebuilding beats appealing.

We are informational, not an appeals service

This page is informational. If a sponsorship is refused, we can give you an honest assessment of your options, but note that we do not provide sponsorship-appeal or tribunal (IAD) representation. The best protection is a careful, complete application the first time, which is the service we focus on.

Do you need a lawyer or immigration consultant for spousal sponsorship?

Legally, no. You are allowed to complete and submit a spousal sponsorship yourself, and many straightforward, well-documented relationships succeed that way. Where professional help earns its cost is in the cases that are not straightforward: a shorter relationship, time spent apart, a language barrier in the evidence, a prior marriage or sponsorship in either of your histories, a partner who is out of status, or simply not knowing which of the dozens of possible documents actually strengthens your file versus which ones just add bulk. An officer reading a thin, disorganised or inconsistent package cannot read your intentions, only what is on the page.

If you do use paid help, use someone licensed. Only a lawyer in good standing with a provincial or territorial law society, or a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, may charge a fee to represent you before IRCC; anyone else charging for representation is operating outside the law, and IRCC will not deal with an unauthorized representative once discovered, which can strand a file mid-process. Ask for a licence number and check it on the regulator's public register before you pay anyone; this niche attracts more unlicensed “consultants” than most, precisely because couples are emotional and in a hurry, which makes the check worth the two minutes it takes.

Our team works under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497).

How Wild Mountain Immigration helps with spousal sponsorship

We make spousal and partner sponsorship our priority. Working under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497), our team assesses your eligibility, recommends the right stream, and builds a relationship record that stands up to scrutiny, catching the issues that cause avoidable refusals before they reach an officer. We represent you with IRCC throughout the process.

We work to a clear written service agreement with transparent fees, and we never guarantee an outcome (no honest consultant can). What we do promise is a careful, complete application and straight answers at each step.

Frequently asked questions

Who can sponsor a spouse in Canada?

You can sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner if you are at least 18 and a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident living in Canada, or a person registered under the Indian Act. A citizen living abroad can sponsor if they show they will live in Canada once the partner becomes a permanent resident. You cannot sponsor while you hold only a work or study permit, and you are barred if you are in default of a previous undertaking or immigration loan, an undischarged bankrupt, under a removal order, or were yourself sponsored as a partner within the last five years.

What is the Canadian spouse visa called?

There is no Canadian spouse visa. What people mean is spousal sponsorship, a permanent residence application that a citizen or permanent resident files for their spouse, common-law or conjugal partner. If approved, the partner becomes a permanent resident rather than a visa holder. During an outland application the partner still needs a visitor visa or eTA to visit; during an inland application they can usually apply for a spousal open work permit.

Should I apply inland or outland for spousal sponsorship?

Choose inland when your partner is already in Canada with valid status and intends to stay throughout processing. Choose outland when your partner is abroad, or when travel during processing matters, because outland is more mobility-friendly. On either route, a partner living in Canada with you may qualify for a Spousal Open Work Permit once the application is acknowledged. Both routes lead to the same permanent residence. The right choice depends on where your partner lives, whether they need to work, and how much they need to travel.

Can I leave Canada while my spousal sponsorship is being processed?

You can leave and re-enter Canada freely during an outland spousal sponsorship, which is one of that route's main advantages. Inland sponsorship is different: you can technically travel, but you need valid status plus a valid visa or eTA to return, and IRCC warns there is no guarantee you will be allowed back in, especially if you need a visitor visa, and the inland class requires you to be living in Canada. If you know you will need to travel, outland is usually the safer route. We factor your travel needs into the inland-versus-outland decision from the start.

What proof do I need for a genuine relationship?

You need to show the relationship is genuine and was not entered into primarily for immigration. Strong evidence includes joint finances (shared accounts, bills, a lease or mortgage), a communication history, photos together over time, proof you have met in person and travelled together, and statements from people who know you as a couple. For common-law partners, you also need proof of 12 months of continuous cohabitation. Thin or disorganised evidence is one of the most common reasons a genuine couple gets a procedural fairness letter.

What income do I need to sponsor my spouse?

For a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner there is usually no minimum income requirement. You sign an undertaking to support your partner for three years, but you do not have to prove a set income, unlike sponsoring parents or grandparents. There are exceptions, such as when your partner has a dependent child who has their own child, but for most couples no income test applies.

Can I sponsor my common-law partner if we aren't married?

Yes. You can sponsor a common-law partner if you have lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 months of continuous cohabitation. You do not need to be married. The key difference from a married spouse is the evidence. You must document that you genuinely lived together for that continuous period, with a shared address, joint bills and mail to the same home, on top of the usual proof that the relationship is genuine.

Can I sponsor my spouse while I am on a work or study permit?

No. The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person registered under the Indian Act. A temporary resident on a work or study permit cannot sponsor. If your partner is with you in Canada, the usual route is for you to obtain permanent residence first, for example through Express Entry or a provincial nomination, including your partner as an accompanying dependant on that application.

Is there a minimum time we need to be married before sponsoring?

No. IRCC sets no minimum length of marriage or relationship for spouses; a recent, genuine marriage can be sponsored. What is assessed is whether the relationship is genuine and was not entered into primarily for immigration, and a short relationship simply means you should document it more carefully. Common-law partners are different: they must show at least 12 continuous months of living together.

Can I sponsor my partner inland if they are out of status?

Yes, in most cases: IRCC has a long-standing public policy that lets a spouse or common-law partner who has lost temporary status in Canada be sponsored under the in-Canada class, provided they are otherwise eligible and not inadmissible for other reasons. It does not cover everyone, the partner generally cannot work until status is restored or a work permit is issued, and the policy sits in IRCC's operational instructions, so its terms can change.

Is a sponsored spouse's permanent residence conditional?

No. Canada repealed conditional permanent residence in 2017. A sponsored spouse or partner receives unconditional permanent residence; there is no requirement to live together for a set period afterwards to keep status. The relationship must still be genuine and not entered into primarily for an immigration benefit, but once approved your partner holds full PR status with a path to citizenship.

Why do spousal sponsorship applications get refused?

The most common reasons are thin relationship evidence, an inconsistent or incomplete history that raises genuineness concerns, a missed form or document that causes the package to be returned, or an excluded relationship type. Refusals often turn on how the case is presented rather than the relationship itself. We are an informational and application-preparation practice, we do not provide sponsorship-appeal or tribunal representation, but careful, complete preparation is the best protection against an avoidable refusal.

Is the spousal sponsorship consultation really free?

Yes, if we can help. You get an honest read on your relationship evidence, the inland-versus-outland decision and your likely timeline before you commit to anything. We work to a clear written service agreement with transparent fees, and we never guarantee an outcome.

How long does spousal sponsorship take?

IRCC publishes about 26 months for an inland (in-Canada) spouse or common-law sponsorship outside Quebec and about 18 months for an outland one (processing-times tool, updated 9 October 2026). IRCC's 12-month service standard for overseas spousal files is the target it aims at rather than the current wait, so plan around the published figure. Real-world timelines also move with completeness, your country of residence and biometrics. The biggest avoidable delay is an incomplete package that gets returned, which effectively restarts your wait, so accuracy at submission is what protects your timeline.

Does marrying a Canadian citizen give me automatic permanent residence?

No. Marriage on its own changes nothing under immigration law. Your Canadian spouse still has to file a sponsorship application, and you still have to be assessed for eligibility and admissibility, before you hold any status in Canada. A marriage certificate is one piece of evidence in that application, not a status by itself.

Can same-sex couples sponsor a spouse or partner in Canada?

Yes. Canada's spouse, common-law partner and conjugal partner categories are defined without reference to gender, and same-sex marriages and relationships are assessed under exactly the same eligibility and evidence rules as opposite-sex ones. There is no separate process and no extra requirement.

Can I add a dependent child to my spousal sponsorship after I've already applied?

You can add a child born or adopted after you submit, but only if you actively request it before your partner becomes a permanent resident; nothing is added automatically. You make that request through the IRCC web form, with the supporting forms and the child's birth or adoption record. Once your partner has already landed as a permanent resident, a child can no longer be added to that file, and sponsoring them means starting a new dependent-child sponsorship instead.

What happens if we separate or divorce after my partner already has permanent residence?

Nothing changes for their status. Canada repealed conditional permanent residence in 2017, so there is no requirement to stay together after landing to keep it. A later separation or divorce only becomes an immigration issue in the rare case where IRCC finds evidence the relationship was never genuine at the time it was assessed, which is a misrepresentation matter, not a routine consequence of a relationship ending.

Do I need a lawyer or immigration consultant for spousal sponsorship?

Not legally, you can file it yourself, and many well-documented, straightforward relationships succeed that way. Professional help earns its cost on the cases that are not straightforward: a short relationship, time spent apart, a prior sponsorship, or a partner who is out of status. If you do hire someone, confirm they are a lawyer in good standing or an RCIC licensed with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, anyone else charging a fee to represent you is acting unlawfully and IRCC will not deal with them.

Bring your spouse or partner to Canada

Send us your details. A licensed RCIC reads every enquiry and replies by email, usually within two business days, and if we can help, the consultation is free.

Licensed RCIC Nicola Wightman, CICC licence R706497.Verify on the CICC public register (opens in a new tab)