Inland Spousal and Common-Law Partner Sponsorship
The inland spousal sponsorship stream of the family sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents who reside with their spouse in Canada to apply to sponsor them.Inland spousal sponsorship enables applicants to reside in Canada during the processing of their permanent residence application. Should an applicant’s temporary status document expire during the sponsorship processing period, they must seek an extension or obtain a new document to maintain legal status in Canada throughout the sponsorship process. Typically, spousal sponsorship applications are processed within 12 months. While it’s permissible to travel abroad during the processing of an inland sponsorship application, it’s not advisable. If the sponsored individual encounters difficulties re-entering Canada, their sponsorship application may be considered abandoned, necessitating the submission of a new application. In the event that they’re not legally residing in Canada, an outland spousal sponsorship application must be pursued.
Eligibility for Inland Spousal Sponsorship
To qualify for sponsoring their spouse or common-law partner, Canadian citizens or permanent residents must Reside in Canada or have intentions to reside in Canada when the sponsored partner obtains permanent residency. In addition, the sponsor must be at least 18 years of age at the time of submitting their sponsorship application,have not previously sponsored a spouse to Canada within the past five years, and is not bankrupt, in prison, or charged with a serious offense. The sponsor also must not be subject to a removal order if they hold Canadian permanent residency, and demonstrate that they are not receiving social assistance for reasons unrelated to disability.
The relationship between the sponsor and sponsored person, must be recognized by IRCC to be either:
The relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored person must be one of the following:
spouse: you are legally married, and your marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction where it was registered and under Canadian law.
common-law: you are cohabiting or have cohabited with your partner in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months.
Conjugal partnerships: relationships in which two people cannot live together or marry because of religious or marital status barriers, for example, are not eligible for Inland sponsorship.