Family Sponsorship

f you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada and you are married to a foreign citizen or in a common-law relationship, you have the right to sponsor your spouse or common-law partner as well as his (her) dependent children if any. You can sponsor your spouse or common-law partner living in Canada or outside of Canada. If your spouse or common-law partner lives in Canada, he (she) has the right to work in Canada while the sponsorship application is being processed but has to apply and obtain from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) a working permit.

If you are married, it is your marriage certificate that proves that your spouse is part of the family category in order for you to be able to sponsor him (her).

If you are in a common-law relationship, you will have to provide proof of the existence of this relationship (for example a lease on both names, joint bank accounts, financial support, etc.).

A well-prepared sponsorship application can save you a lot of potential problems and ensure a shorter processing time. CIC periodically updates the immigration guides and forms, therefore you have to ensure that you are using the most recent versions.

You have to make sure to include in your sponsorship application all the documents and all the proofs which demonstrate the authenticity of your marriage or common-law relationship. If your sponsorship application demonstrates by itself that your marriage or common-law relationship is authentic, then CIC won’t require an interview in order to verify the authenticity of the relationship and this will save you a lot of processing time and you will reunite sooner with your spouse or common-law partner.

If the agents of CIC decide that an interview is necessary, then they will inform you and schedule a date and a place where the interview will take place. If your spouse or common-law partner is in Canada, the interview will normally take place at the CIC center located closer to your place of residence in Canada. If your spouse or common-law partner lives outside of Canada, the interview will normally take place at the Canadian Embassy which covers the territory of the country of origin and residence of your spouse or common-law partner.

There are some situations and circumstances in which a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada is inadmissible for sponsoring a spouse or a common-law partner, for example: