Spouse or Common Law Partner
There are two types of spousal or common-law sponsorship applications:
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Inland: The application can be made from within Canada because the person you wish to sponsor is currently in Canada. This type of sponsorship allows applicants to continue to live in Canada while their application for permanent residence is being processed.
If the application is made from within Canada, the person you are sponsoring may apply for an open work permit that would allow them to work for any employer in Canada while the sponsorship application is being processed.
It is possible for spouses or partners to come to Canada by first applying for a TRV (Temporary resident visa)​
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Outland: The application is made from abroad through an Embassy or Consulate.
In this case, the person you are sponsoring and who resides abroad will normally wait for permanent residence outside of the country but may visit you in Canada.
To be eligible to Sponsor, you must be:
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at least 18 years old
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a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident,
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living in Canada:
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if you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident.
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You can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside of Canada.
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able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability, and;
You must also be able to show that you can provide basic needs for:
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yourself, your spouse or partner,
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your spouse or partner’s dependent child(ren) (if applicable)
Note: In most cases, there is no low-income-cut-off (LICO) for spouse, partner or dependent child sponsorships. However, if either a spouse or partner you’re sponsoring has as dependent child who has dependent children of their own, or a dependent child you are sponsoring has a dependent child of their own, you must meet a minimum LICO score, which is determined by the Canadian government each year.
You may not be able to sponsor if you:
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are sponsoring a spouse or partner but you signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner and it hasn’t been three years since they became a permanent resident,
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previously sponsored someone and did not pay back any social assistance that they received while the undertaking was in place.
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are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond
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did not pay court-ordered alimony or child support
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have declared bankruptcy which has not been discharged
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were convicted of an offence of a sexual nature or a violent crime, or an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or threatened or attempted to commit any of the aforementioned offences—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened and if you received a pardon
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are sponsoring a spouse or partner and you were previously sponsored as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago
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are under a removal order
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are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison
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have already applied to sponsor your current spouse or partner and haven’t received a decision
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an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or
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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