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SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP
SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP
Relocating to a distant land and leaving behind cherished family members can be a challenging endeavor. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) prioritize family reunification, giving utmost importance to the processing of spousal sponsorship applications at Canadian Visa Offices.
A key goal of the Canadian government is to facilitate the reunification of families within Canada. The spousal sponsorship program stands as the most sought-after stream within the family class immigration. Recently, the processing time for 80% of applications, both for cases within Canada and those outside, has been reduced from 26 to 12 months.
For individuals seeking to immigrate to Canada under the spousal sponsorship category, sponsorship by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident is a requirement. If you have applied to sponsor a spouse from outside Canada, upon a favorable decision and approval of the sponsorship application, the Canadian immigration authorities will issue the applicant a Canada Spouse Visa, confirming their permanent residence.
The sponsored individual will attain permanent residency upon arrival in Canada and must enter the country before the expiration date stated on the temporary visa.
In the case of applying for spousal sponsorship within Canada, the application is processed initially, and upon approval, the status of the applicant transitions from temporary to permanent. Spousal sponsorship within Canada provides an opportunity for the sponsored person residing in Canada to apply for an Open-Work Permit.
Our Canadian immigration services offer various options, including Full Representation, Final Review, and Do-It-Yourself packages. If you have inquiries, you can schedule an initial consultation to converse with an immigration consultant based in Toronto.
While spousal sponsorship might not be feasible for you presently, you might also consider exploring temporary residence programs such as the visitor visa.
APPLICATION FORMS (CHECKLIST)
Spouse visa document checklist (IMM5533) is one of the forms you will need to mail with your application package. IMM 5533 includes list of application forms and documents you need to complete and send in with your application to sponsor. Country-specific requirements and special instructions may also be applicable.
APPLICATION PROCESSING TIME
IRCC recently reduced the spousal sponsorship processing time from up to 26 months to 12 months for both in-Canada and outside of Canada applications. During processing you can check spousal sponsorship application status online. Both you and the sponsor can check application status by using IRCC online tool.
SPONSORSHIP APPLICATION FEES
Spouse visa application processing fees are the same regardless of your country of residence. These fees are payable to the Government of Canada and can be paid in different ways depending on the fee type and where you are paying from. While if you decide to retain our services, professional fees will be applicable.
SPOUSE VISA
Spouse is a person, who must be legally married to a sponsor. The marriage should be valid both under the laws of the country where it took place and under Canadian law. It is important to check the rules of consanguinity that are required in the jurisdiction where the marriage took place. Married couple’s relationship must be genuine and continuing. Also married couple should be able to demonstrate a mutual commitment to a shared life as spouses. In case sponsor was previously married and obtained divorce, it must be valid both in the country where it was obtained and be recognized in Canada. Country-specific regulations may apply.
FIANCÉ/FIANCÉE VISA
Fiancé/fiancée is a relationship where a couple is engaged to be married or betrothed. Government of Canada has discontinued fiancé/fiancée visa program in 2002. If you have cohabited with your fiancé(e) for more than one year, you may consider the common-law partner stream. Or if you had a conjugal relationship and due to exceptional circumstances, you are not able to live together, you may consider the conjugal partner stream. Most likely you will consider getting married overseas and starting spousal sponsorship process. You may also try bringing your fiancée here as a visitor and get married in Canada, but you will need to disclose to visa office that he/she is engaged to you.
COMMON-LAW PARTNER
Common-law partner (same or opposite-sex) is someone with whom a sponsor has cohabited in a marriage-like relationship without any long periods apart for at least 12 consecutive months. Time spent away for each person must have been short and/or temporary leave for family, work or business-related travel. Even when cohabiting common-law partner has not divorced with their previous spouse, their relationship with sponsor may be considered as a common-law relationship, given they have cohabited for a period of at least one year. Regulations in regard to minimum age and consanguinity apply. Both sponsor and applicant will need to provide proof, that they have been living together for at least 12 months.
CONJUGAL PARTNER
Conjugal partner in relation to a sponsor, is someone residing outside Canada who has been in a conjugal (marriage-like) relationship with the sponsor for at least one year. It is important to note that this is a specific category of applicants who otherwise do not qualify to immigrate as spouses or common-law partners, because of certain impediment to a marriage or residency together. This is exceptional situation, where cohabitation is not a requirement for a conjugal partner relationship. However, the lack of cohabitation is usually the result of an immigration impediment. A sponsored application for permanent residence can still be filed, but only under the Family Class outside-of-Canada process.