Spousal Sponsorship · Canadian Permanent Residence
An officer who has never met you will decide if your relationship is real.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for permanent residence. There is no points system and, in most cases, no income test. The application is decided on evidence: of the relationship, of the sponsor's eligibility, and of a history disclosed in full.
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What IRCC assesses
Three tests. All three have to pass.
A spousal sponsorship is two applications filed together: the sponsor asks to be approved as a sponsor, and the partner applies for permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada examines the sponsor, the relationship, and the person being sponsored, each under its own rules.
The sponsor
At least 18, a citizen or permanent resident, living in Canada or returning to it, and free of the bars that block sponsorship, such as having been sponsored as a spouse within the past five years.
The relationship
A legal marriage, 12 continuous months of living together, or a qualifying conjugal relationship. It must be genuine and must not have been entered into mainly to obtain status in Canada.
The person sponsored
Medical, criminal, and security admissibility, with biometrics and police certificates. Dependent children are declared and examined whether or not they are coming to Canada.
Who can be sponsored
Married, living together, or kept apart.
Canadian law recognizes three kinds of partner. A spouse is legally married to the sponsor, in a marriage valid both where it took place and under Canadian law. A common-law partner has lived with the sponsor for at least 12 continuous months. A conjugal partner is in a committed relationship of at least a year but has been prevented from living with or marrying the sponsor by barriers such as immigration rules or the law of their country.
Same-sex and opposite-sex couples are treated identically. The category you apply under determines what you have to prove, and choosing the wrong one is a common reason for refusal.
Tell us about your relationshipFrom filing to permanent residence
Choose the class
In-Canada class or family class. The choice affects travel, work authorization, and what can be done if the application is refused, so it is made before any form is filled in.
File one complete package
The sponsorship and the permanent residence application go in together, with relationship evidence, civil documents, and police certificates. Incomplete packages are returned, not held.
Acknowledgement of receipt
IRCC confirms the file is in processing. A partner living in Canada with valid status can now apply for an open work permit.
Assessment and decision
The sponsor is assessed, then the relationship and admissibility: medical exam, background checks, and an interview if the officer has concerns. On approval, your partner becomes a permanent resident.
What this means for you
Inland or outland is a legal choice, not a postal one.
Many couples assume the class follows from where the partner happens to be. A partner in Canada can often apply under either one. The right answer depends on travel plans, immigration status, and how the file would fare if an officer said no.
In-Canada class (inland)
For partners living with their sponsor in Canada. Leaving the country during processing is a risk, because an applicant who cannot re-enter no longer meets the class. A refusal carries no right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division.
Family class (outland)
For partners abroad, and open to partners in Canada as well. Travel does not affect the application, and a refusal can be appealed by the sponsor to the Immigration Appeal Division, where the couple can testify and file new evidence.
Why it's worth doing right
Real relationships get refused on paper.
Officers do not refuse couples because they believe love is absent. They refuse because the file left a question unanswered: a short courtship, a previous marriage, time spent apart, a family that did not attend the wedding. A genuine relationship still has to be documented in a way that answers those questions before they are asked.
Evidence built for the test
We assemble the history of the relationship, shared finances, communication, and third-party proof around the factors officers actually weigh.
Full disclosure, handled properly
Past refusals, prior marriages, and family members who were never declared can each end an application. We address them openly, with the law on your side.
Sponsor eligibility confirmed
The five-year bar, earlier undertakings, residence outside Canada, and past convictions are checked before you file, not discovered by the officer.
Status protected meanwhile
For partners in Canada, we plan the work permit and any extension of status so that no one falls out of status while the application is pending.
Current processing
18 to 26
months shown by IRCC, as of September 2026
About 18 months for family class applications and about 26 for in-Canada class applications, outside Quebec. A file that is returned as incomplete, or refused and filed again, goes to the back of that line. The time to get it right is before it is submitted.
Start your assessmentCommon questions
What couples ask us about sponsorship.
Who can sponsor a spouse or partner for Canadian permanent residence?
A sponsor must be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Indian Act. Permanent residents must live in Canada to sponsor. Canadian citizens living abroad can sponsor if they show they will return to Canada when their partner becomes a permanent resident. A person cannot sponsor a partner if they were themselves sponsored as a spouse or partner less than five years ago, are still bound by an earlier undertaking, are in undischarged bankruptcy, receive social assistance for a reason other than disability, or have certain criminal convictions.
Is there a minimum income to sponsor a spouse?
In most cases, no. Spousal sponsorship has no minimum income requirement unless the person being sponsored has a dependent child who has a dependent child of their own. The sponsor does sign an undertaking: a promise to the government to provide for the sponsored partner's basic needs for three years from the day they become a permanent resident. That promise continues even if the relationship ends. Sponsors living in Quebec must also meet Quebec's requirements.
What is the difference between inland and outland sponsorship?
Inland means the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class: the sponsored partner lives with the sponsor in Canada and is expected to remain here during processing. Outland means the family class: the partner may live abroad or in Canada and is freer to travel. The most important legal difference appears on refusal. A refused family class application can be appealed by the sponsor to the Immigration Appeal Division. A refused in-Canada class application cannot, and can only be challenged in Federal Court.
How long does spousal sponsorship take?
As of September 2026, IRCC's processing times tool showed about 18 months for family class (outland) applications and about 26 months for in-Canada class applications, for couples outside Quebec. Applications destined for Quebec take longer. These are estimates that IRCC updates regularly, and they are counted from the day a complete application is received. An application returned as incomplete has not started the clock.
Can my spouse work in Canada while the application is processed?
Often, yes. A sponsored spouse or partner who lives in Canada with the sponsor and holds valid temporary resident status can apply for an open work permit once IRCC has issued an acknowledgement of receipt for the permanent residence application. Under IRCC's current policy this is available under both the in-Canada class and the family class. A partner living outside Canada is not eligible for this work permit.
What counts as a common-law partner?
A common-law partner is a person who has lived with the sponsor in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months. Short absences for work or family reasons do not break the period, but the cohabitation has to be proven with documents such as a shared lease, joint bills, and matching addresses on official records. A conjugal partner is a separate and narrow category for couples in a committed relationship of at least one year who could not live together or marry because of barriers outside their control.
Will we be interviewed?
Most spousal applications are decided on the documents. An officer who has doubts about the relationship can call an interview, and the couple may be questioned separately. Under guidance IRCC issued in January 2026, officers may interview family class applicants who are living in Canada by video instead of sending them to a visa office abroad. An interview request is a sign the officer has concerns, and it should be prepared for as carefully as the application itself.
What happens if a spousal sponsorship is refused?
It depends on the class. For a family class refusal, the sponsor generally has 30 days to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division, where new evidence and testimony can be presented. For an in-Canada class refusal there is no appeal; the remedy is an application for leave and judicial review in Federal Court, which must be filed within 15 days. A new application is also possible, but it has to answer the reasons the first one failed.
Founding Partner
Joshua Schachnow, B.Com., J.D.
Josh is a Toronto-based lawyer who has been practicing immigration law for more than 9 years. More specifically, he's helped thousands of individuals and companies navigate Canadian immigration - from work permits to permanent residence, study permits, citizenship, LMIAs and more. Josh always puts his clients first, and believes quick and thoughtful communication is most important to making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Called to the Ontario Bar. Member of the Law Society of Ontario, and the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association.
Before you file
Find out which route fits your relationship.
Tell us where each of you lives, how long you have been together, and your partner's current status. Within one business day, a licensed immigration lawyer will tell you which class suits your situation, what your file needs to show, and what the next step is.