If you are living in Canada or are a Canadian citizen, you may be able to sponsor your spouse or partner to come and live with you in Canada.
Providing that you meet the eligibility criteria, your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner may be able to get permanent residence in Canada, which offers the right to work, study and receive most social benefits (including healthcare).
Who can sponsor a Canadian Spouse Visa?
All applications for permanent residence on the basis of a spousal or common-law relationship must be supported by an eligible sponsor. In order to be a sponsor, an individual must be:
- aged at least 18
- a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or registered under the Canadian Indian Act
- able to provide for their spouse or partner’s ‘basic needs’ i.e. food, shelter, clothing
- in receipt of no social assistance, except those related to a disability
- willing to sign an ‘undertaking’ committing to financially supporting their spouse and to repaying any provincial social assistance they receive during the first three years of their permanent residence in Canada
Unlike some family sponsorship, sponsoring a spouse or partner does not typically necessitate meeting a minimum income requirement. The exceptions to this are if the sponsor lives in Quebec, which has a province-specific income requirement which must be met, or if the sponsored individual has a dependent child with their own dependent child.
Some individuals may be ineligible to sponsor their spouse or partner for a Canadian visa. You may wish to contact us to discuss your options if any of the following apply to your situation:
- you were yourself sponsored by a spouse or partner, and gained permanent residency within the last five years
- you are still financially responsible for a previously-sponsored spouse or partner (such a sponsorship will typically have been within the last three years)
- you are currently incarcerated
- you failed to repay an immigration loan or court-ordered payment (e.g. alimony, child support)
- you failed to provide promised financial support to a previously-sponsored visa applicant
- you have an undischarged bankruptcy
- you have been commited of violent, domestic or certain other crimes against the person in Canada or elsewhere
What does a Canadian Spouse Visa offer?
If successful, individuals who are successfully sponsored by their spouse or partner will be given Canadian permanent residence status, which allows someone to:
- live, study and work in Canada
- access public healthcare coverage and most other social assistance
- begin working towards Canadian citizenship, should they wish
If the spouse or partner who is being sponsored is already living in Canada and does not currently have an open work permit, they will be permitted to apply for one so that they may be able to work while their spousal visa application is being considered.
How do I apply for a Canadian Spouse Visa for myself or my spouse/partner?
Both the sponsor and their spouse/partner must submit their own applications: one for sponsorship, and one for the visa itself. Since 2022 it has been mandatory to do this online unless special accommodations are required, for example due to a disability.
Altogether, you should expect to pay around CAD $1205 for both applications. This includes the sponsorship fee, principal applicant processing fee and right of permanent residence fee.
There may also be additional costs for providing biometric information (photographs, fingerprints), and any supplementary information that may be requested by Canadian authorities e.g. police certificates.
The average processing time for Canadian spouse visa applications is around 10 months.