Reuniting with your spouse or common-law partner is one of the most important objectives of Canada’s immigration system. Whether your loved one is already with you in Canada or is waiting to join you from abroad, the spousal sponsorship program is the pathway to building your life together as permanent residents.
Proving the genuineness of your relationship to immigration officials is the cornerstone of a successful application. The process is document-heavy and requires meticulous attention to detail. Our role is to manage these complexities with the care and professionalism your application deserves, ensuring your case is presented clearly and convincingly.
Choosing Your Application Pathway: Inland vs. Outland
There are two main pathways to sponsor your partner. The best choice depends on your specific situation.
Inland Sponsorship
This option is for you if your spouse or partner is already living with you in Canada and has valid temporary status (e.g., as a visitor, student, or worker).
- Key Advantage: Open Work Permit. A major benefit of the inland process is that your partner can typically apply for an Open Work Permit at the same time as the sponsorship application. This allows them to work for nearly any employer in Canada while the permanent residence application is being processed.
Outland Sponsorship
This option is used when your spouse or partner is living outside of Canada. It is processed through the visa office responsible for their country of residence.
- Key Advantage: Processing Times. In some cases, outland applications can have faster processing times. Your partner will become a permanent resident upon their first official landing in Canada.
Our Spousal Sponsorship Services
We provide end-to-end support to ensure your application is as strong as possible.
- Strategic Pathway Selection: We help you choose between an Inland and Outland application based on your family’s needs, travel plans, and current processing times.
- Building a “Genuineness of Relationship” File: We guide you in gathering and organizing the crucial evidence needed to prove your relationship is real, including photos, communication records, joint financial documents, and letters of support.
- Meticulous Application Preparation: We complete all required forms and assemble your entire application package, ensuring consistency and accuracy to avoid unnecessary delays.
- Interview Preparation: Should an interview be required, we provide thorough preparation so you can confidently answer an officer’s questions about your relationship.
Who is Eligible to Sponsor?
As the sponsor, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, at least 18 years old, and be able to prove you can provide for the basic financial needs of your partner without seeking social assistance. Certain conditions, such as a previous sponsorship undertaking or a criminal record, can affect your eligibility.
Ready to Begin Your Life Together in Canada?
This journey is too important to navigate alone. Let us help you reunite your family with a professional, compelling, and complete application.
Contact us today for a confidential consultation about your spousal sponsorship case.
FAQs:
Can I sponsor my wife and children if my income is low?Yes, you can. There is no low-income cut-off (LICO) for sponsoring a spouse, partner, or dependent child. You still need to prove that you can fulfill the sponsorship obligations. However, you must meet a minimum LICO score if:
- The spouse or partner you are sponsoring has a dependent child who has dependent children of their own, or
- The dependent child you are sponsoring has a dependent child of their own.
The Canadian government determines the LICO score annually. If you need to meet LICO requirements, you must include a Financial Evaluation (IMM 1283) form with your application.
Can a sponsored person with physical health issues apply?Yes, they can. As long as the sponsored person does not have a condition that poses a danger to public health or safety, or would cause excessive demand on health or social services, they generally will not be refused.
Can I sponsor someone if I'm currently living outside Canada?Canadian citizens living abroad can submit an outside-Canada sponsorship application but must convince the immigration officer that they will reside in Canada once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. Permanent residents living outside Canada cannot sponsor; they need to return to Canada to submit a sponsorship application.
I sponsored my ex-wife two years ago; can I now sponsor my current wife?No. After a successful sponsorship, the sponsor cannot sponsor another person for three years.
If you were sponsored to Canada as a spouse or partner, you cannot sponsor another spouse or partner for five years after becoming a permanent resident.
You may not be able to sponsor if you:
- Signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner and it hasn’t been three years since they became a permanent resident.
- Receive social assistance for a reason other than disability.
- Previously sponsored someone and did not repay any social assistance they received while the undertaking was in place.
- Are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond.
- Did not pay court-ordered alimony or child support.
- Have declared bankruptcy which has not been discharged.
- Were convicted of:
- An offence of a sexual nature,
- A violent crime,
- An offence against a relative that caused bodily harm, or
- Threatened or attempted to commit any of the above offences—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened, and if you received a pardon.
- Were previously sponsored as a spouse, common-law, or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago.
- Are under a removal order.
- Are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory, or prison.
- Have already applied to sponsor your current spouse or partner and haven’t received a decision.
If my relationship breaks down after becoming a PR in Canada, will it affect my PR card renewal?No. Divorce or relationship breakdown after landing will not affect the PR card. However, false marriages for immigration purposes are not allowed. If discovered, even citizenship can be revoked.
Can you guarantee that my application will be approved?It is illegal for any immigration company in Canada or Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant to make guarantees of approvals. Each case is prepared and reviewed by experienced, licensed Canadian immigration consultants to ensure completeness and favourable conditions.
To date, none of Wellspring Immigration’s spousal sponsorship applications have been rejected. For inland applications, the fastest open work permit was obtained within three months of submission; some applications took less than eight months to get a result.
