Things You Should Know About Spousal Sponsorship Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is now processing more spousal immigration applications following a slowdown at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Immigration processing and admissions have slowed due to the pandemic however IRCC made a major announcement in late-September that it would aim to expedite up to 6,000 spousal applications per month between September and December 2020.

Who can sponsor?
A sponsor must be an adult Canadian permanent resident or citizen over the age of 18. A sponsor must reside in Canada unless they are a citizen currently living abroad and planning to reside in Canada once the sponsored individual arrives.

A person may not sponsor if:

•    They are in prison
•    They are subject to a removal order
•    They are bankrupt
•    Receive social assistance from the government
•    Have been convicted of or attempted/threatened to commit an offense of a violent or sexual nature, or resulting in bodily harm of a family member
•    Has failed to pay child support payments
•    Have failed to pay back immigration loans, or have made late or missed payments
•    Have sponsored a previous spouse or partner who has not been a permanent resident for more than 3 years
•    Were themselves sponsored and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago

The Spouse/Partner Requirements Being Sponsored?

The spouse or partner applying for permanent residence must be at least 18 years old, and both the sponsor and the beneficiary must prove their relationship is genuine. 

Immigration officials have been faced with spousal sponsorship cases in which the individual is just applying for permanent residence and not to be with their partner. 

In such cases, the individual may be denied. Therefore, it is important to only enter under this class if the intent is sincere. A common-law partner applying under this class must live with their sponsor in Canada for a minimum of 1 year. This is not necessarily the case for a spouse. In cases where the sponsor and applicant are married but live apart overseas, the sponsor will sponsor the applicant so they can live together in Canada.

This does not apply tomarital partners.