Spousal Sponsorship
Spousal Sponsorship
Spousal sponsorship is a program that allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent residency in Canada. The program is designed to help families stay together by providing a pathway for foreign spouses or partners to join their Canadian sponsor in Canada.
To be eligible for spousal sponsorship, the sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and they must be able to prove that they can financially support their spouse or partner once they arrive in Canada. The sponsored spouse or partner must also meet certain eligibility criteria, such as being in a genuine and ongoing relationship with the sponsor, passing background and medical checks, and meeting certain language requirements.
Requirements to Sponsor in Canada
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. Factors that can terminate your chances of sponsoring your spouse:
- If you fall under 18 years of age or were married to someone else at the time of his/her marriage to the sponsored applicant.
- Have been admitted to Canada but not examined by CIC.
- Have failed to provide any financial evidence to support a previous sponsorship.Lived separately and any one of the two had been involved in a conjugal or common-law relationship with a third person.
- Have been engaged in an existing sponsorship agreement which is valid at the time of filing another sponsorship application to CIC.
To sponsor your spouse in Canada involves a commitment to provide financial support to your spouse. As a sponsor, you will have to sign an undertaking that promises to provide for the basic necessities of your spouse.
These basic needs include:
- Food and personal hygiene products;
- Housing, including utility bills;
- Clothing and other items necessary for daily living;
- Medical expenses not covered by public health insurance, such as dental and eye care.
Your role as a sponsor begins the minute the undertaking is in effect. The duration of the undertaking is 3 years from the day your spouse or common-law partner becomes a permanent resident.