Sponsorship of a spouse in Canada involves a commitment to provide financial support to the sponsored person, including any dependent children. As a sponsor, you will be required to sign an undertaking that promises to provide for the basic needs of the sponsored person.

These basic needs include:

• Housing, including utility bills;

• Food and personal hygiene products;

• Clothing and other items necessary for daily living;

• Medical expenses not covered by public health insurance, such as dental and eye care.

Your obligations as a sponsor begin the moment the undertaking is in effect. The length of the undertaking is 3 years from the day your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner becomes a permanent resident.

You cannot cancel or withdraw an undertaking, even if your personal or financial situation changes, once the sponsorship application has been approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

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PLEASE NOTE: There is no specific income requirement to be able to sponsor your spouse or partner to Canada.

However, financial requirements for spousal sponsorship include the following:

• You must show that you have sufficient income or assets to support the spouse or partner once he or she arrives in Canada;

• You must not be receiving income support benefits from any province or be in bankruptcy proceedings.

If you are receiving Employment Insurance benefits or disability benefits, you may still sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner.

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Couples have two options to choose from when submitting their application:

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• Outland Sponsorship

In general, applications to sponsor a foreign spouse or partner are submitted when the sponsored person lives abroad and the Canadian sponsor resides in Canada.

The foreign spouse or partner may be allowed to enter and leave Canada throughout the application process, provided they are from a visa-free country or obtain the appropriate Canadian visa. For his or her part, the Canadian spouse or partner will have to remain in Canada while the application is being processed.

Applications from outside Canada are processed by the visa office serving the applicant's country of origin or in which the applicant has been legally residing for at least one year.

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• Inland Sponsorship

To submit a sponsorship application in this category, both spouses need to live together in Canada and the foreign spouse or partner must have temporary status in Canada as a worker, student or visitor.

The sponsor and the applicant spouse are required to live together in Canada for the duration of the processing of the application. This type of sponsorship application is filed in Canada.

Foreign spouses who are in Canada and have legal temporary status may apply for an Open Work Permit (OWP) while their Inland sponsorship application is being processed, allowing them to work for any Canadian employer. This measure is intended to alleviate potential financial hardship caused by potentially lengthy application processing times.

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To receive a visa under this immigration program, you and your foreign spouse or partner will have to prove that you are in an authentic relationship that qualifies under one of the three categories:

 

• Spouse: you are legally married;

• Common-law partner: you live or have lived with your partner for at least 12 consecutive months in a marriage-like relationship;

• Conjugal partner: you must have been in a continuous and committed relationship for a period of at least 12 months but have had significant obstacles that prevent you from residing with one another (such as cultural, religious or immigration barriers).