Spouse Sponsorship in Canada

Life apart from your spouse can be hard for both partners. But if you want to reunite with your family, you can apply for the Spouse Sponsorship in Canada  program. It allows spouses of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to immigrate to Canada. However, you should be well prepared for all the possible challenges during the process. First, you need to meet the requirements of Spouse Sponsorship in Canada .

Requirements

Initially, you have to be older than 18, live in Canada, or plan to stay here when your spouse receives a permanent resident status and of course, intend to provide the financial support for the basic needs of your spouse in Canada for the next three years.

Then, you have to get the application package that includes the checklist, instructions, and forms. As a sponsor, you have to visit the official website of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) and select whom you want to sponsor, where they live, and the country where the submitted documents were issued. Then, you need to print and complete the checklist for the spousal sponsorship Canada. The checklist will help you and your spouse to fill all the needed forms and gather all the required documents.

The next step is to complete the forms. You should pay attention to this step since your Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application will not be processed if you do not provide all requested forms or they will not be fully completed. Also, the last page of the application checklist has a list of all signatures that you and your spouse have to include in the application.

As the sponsor, you need to fill out and sign these forms: 

1. Sponsorship Evaluation and Relationship Questionnaire [IMM 5532].
2. Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement, and Undertaking [IMM 1344].
3. Use of a Representative [IMM 5476]. You should submit this form if you are using a representative.

Your spouse has to fill out and sign these forms:

1. Sponsorship Evaluation and Relationship Questionnaire [IMM 5532].
2. Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement, and Undertaking [IMM 1344].
3. Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008].
4. Schedule A – Background/Declaration [eIMM 5669].
5. Additional Dependants/Declaration [IMM 0008DEP]. Your spouse needs to complete this form if they have more than five dependants on the spousal sponsorship Canada application.

1. Additional Family Information [IMM 5406]. Your spouse must declare all family members even if they do not come to Canada. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Family members who are not declared and examined are excluded from the family class, which means you cannot sponsor them later. Moreover, your spouse risks losing their permanent resident status if they do not declare all their family members on the spousal sponsorship Canada application.
2. Use of a Representative [IMM 5476]. Your spouse needs to submit this form if they are using a representative.

When you and your spouse complete all the forms, you need to validate three of them: IMM 1344, IMM 0008, and eIMM 5669. IMM 1344 and IMM 0008 will create barcode pages, which you should print and include in your application. Mind that the eIMM 5669 form does not create a barcode page after validation.

After completing all forms and gathering all documents, you need to check the spousal sponsorship Canada application and make its photocopy for your records. Then, you can submit it to IRCC by mail or courier for further processing.

You should place all documents in the correct order: 

1. The checklist.
2. The work permit application form and the processing fee payment receipt if you apply under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class and your spouse applies for an open work permit.
3. Barcode pages for required forms.
4. Supporting documents, in the order they are listed on the checklist.

Needed Documents

You and your spouse should gather all the required documents included in your checklist. You need to provide clear and easy-to-read photocopies of these documents. Unless the immigration officer asks for them, you do not have to send original documents since they are not returned to you. Also, you need to find your country-specific requirements and check whether you have gathered all the needed documents for the spousal sponsorship Canada application.

If documents you want to submit are not in English or French, you must attach certified copies of the original documents, the English or French translation, and an affidavit from the person who completed the translation (if they are not a certified translator).

You should also include a valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage to your spousal sponsorship Canada application. The document must prove that the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place.

Proof of identity is also an important part of an application to become a permanent resident. Your spouse should read the checklist sections on identity documents, travel documents, and passports. They have to submit a copy of the birth certificate and the birth certificates of your family members if you have included dependants in the Spouse Sponsorship in Canada Application.

Your spouse and each family member who is more than 18 years old must provide police certificates from the current country of residence and the country where they lived for most of their life since the age of 18. Police certificates are generally valid for a year from the date they were issued.

The application will be returned to you when you do not submit all the required documents. However, if you cannot provide needed documents, you have to explain the reasons to avoid the automatic return of the application.

While processing your Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application, the immigration officer can ask you for more documents, and there may be delays if you do not submit them. Moreover, your application could be refused if you do not comply with an officer’s request.

When your Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application is approved, the immigration officer will use the photos you include in your application package to create a Permanent Resident Card for your spouse.

Fees

Before submitting the Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application, the processing fees must be paid. It includes a principal applicant processing fee of 475 CAD, a sponsorship fee of  75 CAD, and a right of permanent residence fee of 500 CAD. In total, you have to pay 1,050 CAD. If the dependent child is included in the application, additional processing fee of 150 CAD must be paid too. Remember, your spouse needs to pay the biometrics fee of 85 CAD.

IRCC always recommends paying the right of a permanent resident fee (RPRF) before sending the Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application to avoid any delays during the application processing. If your spouse does not get permanent resident status, this fee will be refunded.

To pay the fees for your application, you need to have a valid email address and a Canadian debit/credit card. You should go to Online Payment on the website of IRCC, follow the online instructions, and, in the end, print two copies of the official receipt with a barcode. One copy you need to include to the Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application, and the second copy you should keep for your records.

The immigration officer will return your application if you do not pay the fees in full amount. When you return it with the correct fees, IRCC will start processing your Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application. Moreover, if you overpay for your application, IRCC will start processing your application and send you a refund as soon as possible.

Immigration Perspectives

It can take a year to process the Spouse Sponsorship in Canada application. But your spouse can start adjusting to life in Canada through the work there. If you apply under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in-Canada class, your spouse can get an open work permit while the application is being processed. Thus, your spouse should fill out the Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada as a Worker and submit it with the application for permanent residence or later. The processing fee is 155 CAD, and your spouse can get the work permit within four months.

 

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