Find out if you meet the requirements to sponsor your spouse or partner to live with you permanently in Canada.

Who Can Be a Sponsor?

In order to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner to Canada, you must be a citizen, permanent resident, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act. You must be 18 years of age or older, and meet any further requirements, such as financial stability, to prove you have the capacity to act as a sponsor.

If you do meet these requirements, you may be eligible to sponsor a spouse, common- law partner, or conjugal partner who must also be qualified. The Canadian citizen or permanent resident applying to become a sponsor is the first step to the sponsorship process. Next, the spouse, conjugal partner, or common law partner will apply for permanent residence.

What are the Requirements for a Spouse or Partner Being Sponsored?

The spouse or partner applying for permanent residence must be at least 18 years old, and both the sponsor and the beneficiary must prove their relationship is genuine. Immigration officials have been faced with spousal sponsorship cases in which the individual is just applying for permanent residence and not to be with their partner. In such cases, the individual may be denied. Therefore, it is important to only enter under this class if the intent is sincere. A common-law partner applying under this class must live with their sponsor in Canada for a minimum of 1 year. This is not necessarily the case for a spouse. In cases where the sponsor and applicant are married but live apart overseas, the sponsor will sponsor the applicant so they can live together in Canada. This does not apply for conjugal partners.

Reasons You May Not Be Able to Sponsor

• are sponsoring a spouse or partner but you signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner and it hasn’t been three years since they became a permanent resident,
• previously sponsored someone and did not pay back any social assistance that they received while the undertaking was in place.
• Can provide the basic needs for you and your family, including food, clothing, and shelter.
• are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond.
• have declared bankruptcy which has not been discharged
• were convicted of
  • an offence of a sexual nature.
  • a violent crime.
  • an offence against a relative that caused bodily harm or.
  • threatened or attempted to commit any of the above offences—depending on the nature of the offence, how long ago it happened and if you received a pardon.
  
  
• are sponsoring a spouse or partner and you were previously sponsored as a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident of Canada less than five years ago
• are under a removal order
• are in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison,
• have already applied to sponsor your current spouse or partner and haven’t received a decision.