Spousal sponsorship document checklist and forms
A spousal sponsorship package is one application containing two applications, and the commonest reason one comes back is a missing form or signature rather than a weak relationship. This is every form, every category of evidence, and the mistakes that get packages returned.
Key takeaways
A spousal sponsorship package is a single submission containing the sponsor's application and the partner's permanent residence application. The core forms are IMM 1344 for the sponsor, IMM 0008, IMM 5669 and IMM 5406 for the applicant, IMM 5532 for both, and IMM 5409 for common-law couples only. IMM 5533 is the document checklist IRCC uses to judge completeness, and packages missing listed items are returned unprocessed rather than refused. Relationship evidence should span several categories and show development over time rather than volume in one category. Documents not in English or French require certified translation. Most returns are caused by a missing form or signature, not by a weak relationship.
- IMM 5533 is the checklist completeness is judged against; work it line by line.
- IMM 5532 is for everyone; IMM 5409 only for common-law couples.
- A returned package is not a refusal, but it costs months against a long queue.
- Relationship evidence works by breadth and consistency, not volume.
- Download current form versions each time; old versions cause returns.
The forms, and who completes each one
| Form | What it is | Who completes it |
|---|---|---|
| IMM 1344 | Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking | The sponsor, and a co-signer if there is one |
| IMM 0008 | Generic Application Form for Canada | The sponsored partner (the principal applicant) |
| IMM 5669 | Schedule A: Background / Declaration | The sponsored partner |
| IMM 5406 | Additional Family Information | The sponsored partner, and sometimes the sponsor |
| IMM 5532 | Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation | Both partners, answering separately |
| IMM 5409 | Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union | Common-law couples only, sworn before a commissioner |
| IMM 5476 | Use of a Representative | Both, only if you use a representative |
| IMM 5533 | Document Checklist | The index for the whole package; include it |
The single most common reason packages come back
Proof of your status as sponsor
You must show you are eligible to sponsor. A Canadian citizen provides a citizenship certificate, a Canadian passport or a provincial birth certificate. A permanent resident provides both sides of the PR card, or the record of landing. A person registered under the Indian Act provides their registration document. If you are a citizen living abroad, you also need to show you will live in Canada when your partner becomes a permanent resident.
Proof of the relationship type
| If you are | You provide | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Married | Marriage certificate, and proof the marriage is legally valid where it took place and under Canadian law | Proxy, telephone and internet marriages are generally not recognised for immigration purposes |
| Common-law | IMM 5409 plus proof of at least 12 continuous months living together | The cohabitation start date must match across IMM 5409, IMM 5532 and your evidence |
| Conjugal | Evidence of the relationship and of the barrier preventing marriage or cohabitation | This category is narrow and often misapplied; the barrier must be genuine and documented |
Relationship evidence: breadth beats volume
This is the heart of the application. Officers assess whether the relationship is genuine and was not entered into primarily for immigration, and they do it by looking for a consistent story told from several independent directions and developing over time.
| Category | Strong examples |
|---|---|
| Joint finances | Shared accounts, joint bills or utilities, a lease or mortgage in both names, beneficiary designations, shared insurance |
| Cohabitation | Tenancy agreements, mail to the same address over time, driving licences, government correspondence |
| Communication | Messages and call logs spanning months and years, not a single dense week |
| Time together | Photographs across different occasions and years, travel itineraries, boarding passes, passport stamps |
| Recognition by others | Letters from family and friends who know you both, wedding or engagement evidence, social media over time |
| Plans and commitments | Wills, insurance, joint purchases, evidence of plans made together |
Our proof of relationship guide goes deeper on what persuades and what does not.
Identity, background and admissibility
- 01
Identity and civil documents
Passports and travel documents, birth certificates, and any divorce certificates or death certificates ending previous marriages. Certified translations for anything not in English or French.
- 02
Police certificates
From every country where your partner has lived for six months or more since turning 18. These take time to obtain in some countries, so start early.
- 03
Immigration medical examination
With an IRCC panel physician. Many applicants do it upfront to avoid a later request; it has a validity period, so time it sensibly.
- 04
Photographs and biometrics
Photographs to IRCC's specification, and biometrics when the instruction letter arrives, at $85 per person or $170 per family.
- 05
Fees
$1,260 for a spouse or partner including the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, or $660 without it, plus $180 per dependent child. See the full fee table.
How Wild Mountain Immigration helps
Spousal sponsorship is the work this practice does most. We build the package against the current checklist, make sure the forms are internally consistent, and choose the relationship evidence that answers the questions an officer will actually ask rather than filling a folder. Where a couple is common-law, we make sure the dates on IMM 5409, IMM 5532 and the evidence all tell the same story, because mismatches there are read as a credibility problem.
No consultant can guarantee an outcome and only IRCC decides. What we can remove is the avoidable months lost to a returned package. Spousal sponsorship enquiries get a free first call.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need for spousal sponsorship?
A complete package has four parts. The sponsorship forms completed by you as the sponsor, principally IMM 1344. The permanent residence forms completed by your partner, principally IMM 0008, IMM 5669 and IMM 5406. The relationship forms completed by both of you, IMM 5532 and, for common-law couples, IMM 5409. And the evidence: proof of your status as sponsor, proof of the relationship type, relationship evidence across several categories, identity and civil documents, police certificates and the immigration medical. IMM 5533 is the official document checklist that indexes all of it, and IRCC returns packages that are incomplete against it.
What is IMM 5533?
IMM 5533 is the document checklist for sponsoring a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner. It is not just guidance: it is the index IRCC uses to decide whether your package is complete, and a package missing items listed there can be returned to you unprocessed, which costs months. Download the current version from canada.ca each time, because checklists are updated and an old one may omit a newly required item. Work through it line by line and include it in the package.
What is the difference between IMM 5532 and IMM 5409?
IMM 5532 is the Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation form, completed for every spousal or partner application regardless of relationship type. It asks both of you about how you met, how the relationship developed, your families' knowledge of it, and your plans. IMM 5409 is the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union, needed only if you are common-law rather than married, and it is sworn before a commissioner of oaths. Married couples submit a marriage certificate instead of IMM 5409.
How much relationship evidence should I include?
Enough to show the relationship from several independent directions and developing over time, but not so much that the story is buried. Officers are looking for consistency across categories, joint finances, cohabitation, communication, time spent together, and recognition by family and friends, rather than sheer volume in one category. Two hundred near-identical chat screenshots persuade less than a smaller, well-chosen set spanning several years and several categories. Quality and breadth beat weight.
Do I need police certificates and a medical exam?
Your partner generally needs police certificates from every country where they have lived for six months or more since the age of 18, and an immigration medical examination with an IRCC panel physician. You as the Canadian sponsor do not need either. Many applicants complete the medical upfront to avoid a later request, though IRCC will tell you if it wants one at a particular point. Both have validity periods, so timing matters if the application is long-running.
What happens if my application is returned as incomplete?
IRCC returns the whole package to you and you start again, which in practice costs several months against a queue already running about 27 months inland and 17 months outland as of August 2026. It is not a refusal and does not count against you, but it is the most avoidable delay in the whole process. The overwhelming majority of returns come from missing a form, missing a signature, or missing something listed on IMM 5533, all of which a careful pass through the checklist would catch.
Do documents need to be translated?
Any document not in English or French needs a translation by a certified translator, submitted with the original or a certified copy, plus an affidavit from the translator where they are not certified. Do not translate your own documents, and do not have a family member do it. This is a common and easily avoided cause of a document being rejected or a request for further information.
Can I submit the application online?
Spousal sponsorship applications are generally submitted through IRCC's online portal, which has replaced paper filing for most applicants. Online submission does not change what the package must contain: the same forms and the same evidence, uploaded rather than posted. Watch file size and format limits, name files clearly so an officer can find things, and keep a complete copy of everything you submit.
Have the package checked before you send it
A returned application costs months against a queue already running years. A licensed RCIC will review your forms and evidence against the current checklist.