Canada spousal and partner sponsorship

A spouse is legally married to you; a common-law partner has lived with you for at least 12 continuous months; a conjugal partner has been in a relationship with you for at least 1 year but could not live with you or marry because of significant legal or immigration barriers. You must prove the relationship is genuine with documents such as the marriage certificate, joint finances, photos and communication history.

You must be at least 18, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, live in Canada (citizens living abroad must show they will return when the partner becomes a permanent resident; permanent residents abroad cannot sponsor), and sign an undertaking and sponsorship agreement. You may not sponsor if you were sponsored as a spouse less than 5 years ago, are still within a previous partner’s 3-year undertaking, have a pending application for the same person, are in prison, or are behind on an immigration loan, performance bond or court-ordered support.

There is usually no income test for sponsoring a spouse or partner. The undertaking period is 3 years from the date the partner becomes a permanent resident and cannot be cancelled, even if the relationship ends; if the sponsored person receives social assistance you must repay it and cannot sponsor anyone else until you do. In Quebec, a separate undertaking with the Quebec government is also required.

The fee is CAD 1,260 including the sponsorship fee, processing fee and the CAD 600 right of permanent residence fee (CAD 660 without the RPRF), plus CAD 180 for each dependent child and biometrics (CAD 85, or CAD 170 per family).

Spouses and partners sponsored from inside Canada can apply for an open work permit while the sponsorship is processed. Applicants abroad can visit on a visitor visa if they qualify but must show they will respect the visitor conditions.