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Family and Spousal
sponsorship

Canadian citizens and permanent residents who live in Canada can sponsor their loved ones and help them get a Permanent Resident Visa through different Family Sponsorship programs. Don’t risk your future. We are Certified Canadian Immigration Consultants. We have a wealth of experience processing spouse sponsorships and family sponsorships. 

Spousal sponsorship applications are highly complex, submitted in Canada, or at a Canadian Embassy abroad. We at Premier Immigration are a dedicated and passionate team of immigration specialists that can help you with your Spousal Sponsorship Application.

We’ve compiled all the information you’ll need to sponsor your spouse or common-law partner. Let’s dive into it!

If You Wish to Sponsor, You Must Be: 
  • A Citizen of Canada, is a person enrolled under the Canadian Indian Act or a Permanent Resident of Canada.
  • An adult of at least 18 years of age 
  • A sponsor must also show that they can provide basic needs for themselves, their spouses and partners, and partner’s dependent children (if applicable)
You Cannot Sponsor If: 
  • Signed an undertaking for a former spouse or partner, who has not been a permanent resident for three years.
  • Obtain social assistance for reasons other than disability.
  • Formerly sponsored someone and did not return any social assistance received during the undertaking.
  • Defaulted on an immigration loan or a performance bond 
  • Paid no child support or alimony as ordered by the court 
  • Convicted of a violent crime, a sexual offense, 
  • Having threatened or attempted to commit any of the above, depending on the nature of the offense, how long ago it happened, and whether you received a pardon for it.
Income Requirements 

Sponsorships of spouses, partners or dependent children usually do not have a low-income cut-off (LICO). In either case, you must meet at least a minimum LICO score, which is determined by the Canadian government every year, if your spouse or partner has a dependent child or you have a dependent child. LICO requirements require you to submit a Financial Evaluation (IMM 1283) form in addition to your application. 

For more information, please contact us.

In-Canada applicants are eligible for open work permit applications. That means that a sponsored person will need to be in Canada physically present to benefit from this application. Outside Canada, applicants are not eligible for work permit application.

It is possible and you can certainly give it a try. When applying from a non-visa-exempt country, you will need to provide additional evidence that you will leave Canada at the end of your temporary residency. In other words, you will need to satisfy all requirements of the visitor visa applications.

IRCC acknowledges that this type of application is very important for Canadians and therefore, it is prioritized. Applications from inside Canada can enjoy a pre-Covid processing time of approximately 12 months. Outside Canada applications will have to wait longer- approximately 18-24 months. You can find current processing times here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html

Fees are $1,080 and there is an $85 Biometrics fee. You can find fees involved in the process displayed here: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp#permanent. At any time, you can contact our office for an accurate quote.

In the immigration context, a common-law partnership means that a couple have lived together for at least one year in a conjugal relationship [R1(1)]. A common-law relationship exists from the day on which two individuals can provide evidence to support their cohabitation in a conjugal relationship. You would need to prove this relationship by submitting numerous evidences and explain why you didn’t get married till now.

Refund eligibility depends on the stage of application processing:

  • You will receive a full refund if IRCC does not begin processing.
  • IRCC will refund you all fees except C$75 if it starts processing your sponsor’s application.
  • IRCC will refund the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (C$490 per person) if it completes processing the sponsor’s application and starts processing the sponsor’s permanent residence application.
  • There will be no refund of application fees if your application is refused.

A temporary resident of Canada cannot become a sponsor. A spouse or common-law partner may apply for an open work permit if he is a full-time student at:

  • College, university, or CEGEP in Quebec that is public
  • Quebec-based private college
  • Private Canadian schools that are authorized to award degrees under provincial law (such as Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorates)

Premier Visa and Immigration Services is providing immigration consulting services on various categories of immigration including permanent residence visas and temporary residence visas. We also assist in immigration consulting and advising. 

Our consultants are registered members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.

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