Spousal Sponsorship

Overview

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. The sponsor signs an undertaking to provide financial support, and IRCC assesses whether the relationship is genuine.

Who may qualify

• Sponsor is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, aged 18 or older
• Spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
• A genuine relationship supported by evidence

The process

1. 1Choose inland or outland sponsorship
2. 2Prepare relationship evidence and forms
3. 3Submit sponsorship and PR applications together
4. 4Background, medical and security checks
5. 5PR approval

Timeline: Check IRCC's current processing times for your situation

Confirm sponsor eligibility first

A sponsor must be at least 18 and hold eligible status: Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or registration under the Canadian Indian Act. Residence rules matter. A permanent resident living abroad cannot sponsor through this route. A Canadian citizen abroad must demonstrate a genuine plan to live in Canada when the sponsored family member becomes a permanent resident, supported by practical settlement arrangements rather than a promise alone.

Review sponsorship bars early, including relevant criminal convictions, previous sponsorship obligations, unpaid support and social assistance received for reasons other than disability. Previous sponsorship history can create restrictions. Most spouse or partner cases have no fixed minimum income threshold, although exceptions exist for certain families with dependent descendants. The sponsor must nevertheless demonstrate capacity and commitment to meet the undertaking.

Identify the correct relationship category

A spouse must have a legally recognized marriage meeting Canadian immigration requirements. A common-law partnership generally requires at least 12 consecutive months of living together in a marriage-like relationship, supported by evidence covering the period. Dating for a year, sharing holidays or having a child does not by itself establish common-law cohabitation. Explain temporary absences and whether the shared household continued.

Conjugal sponsorship is distinct: it concerns a partner outside Canada where significant barriers prevent marriage or cohabitation despite an established conjugal relationship. It is not a convenient alternative for couples who prefer not to marry or have not arranged to live together. Assess actual barriers, duration and interdependence. The wrong category can leave a genuine couple unable to meet legal requirements.

Requirements checklist: genuine relationship evidence

IRCC considers whether the relationship is genuine and whether it was entered into primarily to obtain status. A marriage certificate proves a legal event, not the whole relationship. Explain how you met, how the relationship developed, important decisions and shared plans. Ensure both partners' forms are consistent without scripting identical statements or concealing ordinary differences in recollection.

Select evidence reflecting real circumstances: shared housing, expenses, visits, communications, family involvement and decisions together. Couples living apart should explain why and document continuing contact. If joint accounts are unavailable or culturally unusual, explain that and provide other meaningful records. Organize photos and messages with dates and context. Enormous unlabelled collections can obscure stronger evidence. Discuss previous marriages and unusual circumstances openly.

Choose the class and protect temporary status

Family Class and the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class have different requirements and practical consequences. Living together in Canada, expected travel, current status and available refusal remedies affect the choice. Conjugal partners cannot use the in-Canada spouse or common-law class. Do not choose solely on assumed processing advantages; check the current rules and ability to maintain the class conditions.

Sponsorship does not itself extend visitor, student or worker status. An eligible applicant may qualify for a separate open work permit, but the sponsorship submission alone is not permission to work. Travel can create difficulties if the applicant cannot return and the class requires cohabitation in Canada. Plan status extensions, travel and employment authorization separately from PR.

Understand the undertaking and family declarations

The undertaking for a spouse or partner generally lasts three years from becoming a permanent resident. It includes responsibility for basic needs and can require repayment of social assistance paid during the undertaking. Separation, divorce, hardship or later citizenship does not simply cancel responsibility. Both partners should understand this before signing, particularly where finances or the relationship are uncertain.

Declare all family members accurately, including children who will not immigrate, and follow examination requirements unless an exception applies. Omissions can jeopardize current and future sponsorship. Report material changes such as a birth, separation, address change or criminal charge. Quebec residents must meet provincial requirements and follow instructions for the undertaking. Submit the sponsorship and PR applications together using the correct checklist, monitor requests and prepare honestly for an interview.

Government fees

Government amounts are in Canadian dollars and must be checked on the official fee list before payment. Professional fees, translations, medical examinations and other third-party costs are separate. Exemptions and family maximums may apply; paying a fee does not purchase approval.

Processing times: Use the linked live IRCC processing-times tool for your application type and location. Published estimates are not deadlines or guarantees. Allow separately for document preparation, biometrics, medical examinations and any passport submission. A processing estimate does not extend immigration status.

Document checklist

• Sponsor status, residence or documented return-to-Canada plans
• Marriage certificate, common-law cohabitation records or conjugal-category evidence
• Passports, birth records and documents for all dependent children
• Divorce, annulment or death records ending previous marriages
• Relationship chronology, labelled photos, visits and representative communications
• Household, financial and support-arrangement evidence
• Police certificates, medical evidence, translations and country-specific documents

Common refusal reasons

• Sponsor ineligibility or unresolved undertaking obligations
• Relationship category not established
• Relationship found not genuine or primarily immigration motivated
• Contradictory answers or unexplained relationship gaps
• Undeclared relatives or admissibility concerns

Frequently asked questions