Sponsor Your Partner to Canada – A Detailed Guide to Sponsorship

July 30, 2021

spscanada

Sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner is a common way to immigrate to Canada. In this way, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor their partner to live in Canada permanently. 

Who is eligible to be a sponsor?

You can be a sponsor if you are

• At least 18 years old
• A Canadian citizen or a permanent resident or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• living in Canada or planning to live in Canada when the person you sponsor obtains a permanent residence.
• Not receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability
• Able to provide basic financial needs for yourself and the person that you want to be a sponsor for 3 years (you must sign an undertaking)

What are these basic financial needs?

Basic needs are:

• Everyday living needs such as; food, clothing, shelter
• Health care needs include dental care, eye care, and other needs that aren’t covered by public health services.

Who you can sponsor?

• Spouse
• Common-law partner
• Conjugal partner
• Dependent child/children

Definitions 

SPOUSE 

If you are legally married to a person, you can sponsor that person to become a permanent resident. In order to apply for this sponsorship, opposite or same-gender marriage must be legally recognized in the country where the marriage is held and in Canada. 

COMMON-LAW RELATIONSHIP 

If you have lived or are living together for at least 12 consecutive months, such as in marriage, you can sponsor your same or opposite-sex partner. 

CONJUGAL RELATIONSHIP 

If your partner; 

• is living outside of Canada 
• has been in a conjugal relationship with you for at least 1 year 
• cannot live with you because of religious reasons or sexual orientation 

This relationship is considered a conjugal relationship. 

If the relationship between you and your conjugal partner for at least 12 months is in the dimension of an interdependent relationship beyond the physical interaction and the reason why you cannot live together is due to reasons such as religious or sexual orientation existing, then you can become a sponsor for your partner.

What Documents Do You Need To Sponsor Your SPOUSE? 

 If you are married and looking into sponsoring your husband or wife, immigration officers will expect to see the following evidence:

• A valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage with your application
• Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation questionnaire
• Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking
• Generic Application Form 
• Photos of the wedding and invitations
• Proof of relationship between partners such as text messages, letters, social media conversations, photos which are taken at different times and places
• Photocopy of sponsor’s PR card or citizenship card/certificate or Indian status card (certificate of Indian status)
• Passports and/or travel documents
• Police certificates and clearances

And also, you need to provide at least two of the following documents:

• Proof of joint ownership of property
• The rental agreement that includes both partners’ name
• Utility bills (i.e., electricity, internet, gas) that consists of both partners’ name
• Car insurance
• Tax forms that show your address and indicate that you live at the same address together

What Documents Do You Need To Sponsor Your COMMON-LAW PARTNER?

 If you have a common-law relationship, you should show these documents to the officer:

• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union
• Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking
• Generic Application Form 
• Photocopy of sponsor’s PR card or citizenship card/certificate or Indian status card (certificate of Indian status)
• Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation questionnaire
• Proof of relationship between partners such as text messages, letters, social media conversations, photos which are taken at different times and places
• Proof that you have lived together for at least one year
• Police certificates and clearances

What Documents Do You Need To Sponsor Your CONJUGAL PARTNER?

For this partnership, it is essential to know what precisely conjugal partner means. As we mentioned above, a conjugal partner is a foreign national who residing outside Canada and has been in a relationship with the sponsor for at least 1 year. 

Documents that you need to show the officer are:

• Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking
• Generic Application Form 
• Police certificates and clearances
• Evidence that your friends and/or family recognize that the two of you are in a relationship 
• Proof of relationship between partners such as text messages, letters, social media conversations, photos which are taken at different times and places
• Proof that you have been in a relationship for at least one year

Outland Sponsorship 

If your spouse or common-law partner lives outside of Canada and you are currently living in Canada, you can still be a sponsor. 

The outland spousal sponsorship stream allows a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for PR, regardless of where the partner is currently living. 

If the sponsor lives in the province of Quebec, they may need to meet additional requirements. 

On the contrary of inland sponsorship, the sponsored person does not have to hold valid temporary status in Canada for sponsorship applications, as long as he or she is not living in Canada. 

The relationship between the sponsor and his/her partner must be recognized by IRCC. If the marriage between them is not valid in Canada, they may apply for sponsorship as common-law or conjugal partners.

Inland Sponsorship 

This sponsorship program allows the applicants to continue living in Canada while the application process continues. 

If the applicant’s temporary status document is not valid for the sponsorship processing period, they will need to apply for an extension or a new status document. Otherwise, they cannot maintain their legal status in Canada.  

Inland sponsorship applications’ processing time is generally 12 months. Although it is not an obstacle to travel abroad during the application process, it is not recommended.

If you want to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or children, or if you want to be sponsored, you can start to fill the assessment below. SPS Canada Team is here to help you with your immigration journey from the beginning to the end. 

Consult with our Senior Practitioner as they would be able to assess your profile and advise you in the right track. You can call (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada), +91 9586 226232 (Ahmedabad) or drop an E-mail at support@spscanada.com (Canada), support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad) for further information.  

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