Family Immigration
Family reunification is one of the pillars of Canada’s immigration system. Since the end of the Second World War, Canada has sought to welcome immigrants to strengthen its economy, bring families together, and on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The family class is the second largest category of newcomers welcomed by Canada.
Family category Service fee
$500
$1800
$1600
$500
How does the spouse sponsorship application work
You can become a sponsor if you are:
- at least 18 years old
- a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident,
- living in Canada:
- if you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative becomes a permanent resident.
- You can’t sponsor someone if you’re a permanent resident living outside of Canada.
- able to prove that you are not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability, and;
You must also be able to show that you can provide basic needs for:
- yourself,
- your spouse or partner,
- your spouse or partner’s dependent child(ren) (if applicable)
- your dependent child(ren) (if you’re sponsoring only your dependent child)
You may not be able to sponsor if you…
- 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.
- are in default on an immigration loan or a performance bond
- did not pay court-ordered alimony or child support
- 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.
Gather the documents:
- Complete the required forms
- Photo
- Police certificates
- Marriage certificate or common-law evidence
- Passport, ID, and birth certificates
- Proof of income (employment letters, CRA notice of assessment…)
- Proof of relationship (wedding photos, joint accounts, joint lease…)
Once you submit a complete package it usually takes the IRCC about two months to check your application for completeness, if you submitted everything right the IRCC will inform you and put your application in process, if something is missing or wasn’t filled right, IRCC will return your application to resubmit it and you will have to wait another two months again before your application is put under process.
That’s why it is important to double-check everything and make sure you submit a complete application in order to avoid delays or rejection.
Once IRCC confirms that they have received a complete application, you should expect a separate email containing an application number.
Once you get that it is highly recommended that you create a GCkey account and link your application to get the updates quickly.