Family Class Spousal Sponsorship
Family Class Spousal Sponsorship
If you are a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident, you can sponsor your spouse in Canada or abroad to become a permanent resident. While sponsorship applications are time-consuming, as a permanent resident your spouse will be able to work in Canada without worrying about a work permit, access high quality healthcare, pay domestic tuition fees, and apply for citizenship and travel visa-free to many countries in just a few years.
The first step towards sponsorship is to determine if you are eligible to sponsor. In general, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada, 18 or older, not dependent on social assistance except disability, not in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings or owing child support, not incarcerated or subject to removal, and have a relatively clean criminal record.
If you are a Canadian citizen not living in Canada, you can still sponsor your spouse if you and your spouse plan to move to Canada once they become a permanent resident.
While in most cases there aren’t specific financial requirements to sponsor your spouse in Canada, sponsoring your spouse means you become responsible for that person for 3 years from the day their application is approved. So, if your spouse applies for income assistance during this time, the government will come to you for reimbursement. Therefore, your application needs to demonstrate that you can support your family financially. You also might have to meet the minimum necessary income requirements if your spouse has grandchildren.
In order to prevent fraud, you cannot sponsor someone if you were sponsored to become a permanent resident less than 5 years ago, or if you sponsored another partner less that 3 years ago.
Needless to say, your marriage has to be legal, and you will have to submit documents, pictures, and other evidence proving a genuine marriage.
Once you have determined your eligibility, you also need to make sure that your spouse is eligible to be sponsored. They have to be at least 18 years old, and they must be admissible to Canada. Your spouse could be inadmissible because of their or their children’s criminal record, medical issues or having lied on their previous applications to come to Canada. If you are not sure about your spouse’s admissibility, it is good to consult with a registered immigration consultant before starting the sponsorship process.
Family Class Spousal Sponsorship
Once you know that you and your spouse are eligible, you can apply to sponsor your spouse. You can download the application package with the spouse document checklist from the IRCC website. Make sure you complete the package soon after downloading it so that it contains the most up-to-date information. Your package will have the list of necessary documents and instructions on how to fill out the application and where to send the complete package. Make sure you double-check all the instructions and answer all the questions truthfully. Read the guide by IRCC to make sure your application is complete.
The processing times for sponsorship applications are usually around 12 months and the sponsorship fees start from $1,040 depending on whether your spouse has dependent children, needs a medical exam, or they are in Canada and are eligible to apply for an open work permit. You and your spouse may be asked to attend an interview, but many applications are approved without one.
While sponsoring your spouse alone can be quite straightforward, sponsorship applications can be overwhelming due to the high number of documents and lengthy application guides. Our team of registered immigration consultants specializes in sponsorship applications and will be happy to consult you on the process.
Also, if you are not a permanent resident yet, but you’d like for your spouse to join you in Canada – check out our article on work permits for spouses.
Regards,
International Experience Club (Family Class Spousal Sponsorship)
