How To Migrate To Canada Along With Your Spouse?

The pandemic has certainly slowed down the processing of applications for spousal sponsorship and their immigration to Canada. 

However, the unveiling of its new 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan has promised to increase the newcomer levels significantly. Canada is likely to welcome around 80,000 immigrants per year under the spousal, partner, and children category.

As reported in the Toronto Star, a total of 15,999 files were finalized between October and December 2020 in which two-thirds of the applications were from people outside Canada.

Following the new immigration mandate letter, the Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship, and Canada (IRCC) seeks to implement pilot projects to fast track the family sponsorship programs. It involves the digital handling of applications for quick processing and interview schedules. Here in this blog, we would like to give you a brief on how you can sponsor your spouse and settle in Canada. 

Family Sponsorship From Within vs Outside Canada

IRCC allows citizens or permanent residents to apply to sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, and conjugal partners from abroad. This would depend on their proof of submission that they will move back to Canada when their sponsored family member becomes a permanent resident.

This proof of submission could be a confirmation of employment for the sponsored member, or a land title, etc. Every case will be different, and the final outcome depends on the visa officer who is reviewing the file.

If you are applying with your partner who is living with you in Canada, the process has slightly different steps than if you were applying from abroad. 

The Spouse or Common-Law Partner in-Canada class is for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already living together in Canada and want to obtain permanent residence. However, under the Outland Spousal or Common-Law Partner Sponsorship, Canadians or permanent residents may sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent residence in Canada, regardless of their place of residence.

Eligibility Requirements For Sponsors

• You can be a permanent residence or a Canadian citizen, over the age of 18.
• You will also have to prove that you can support them financially and make sure that they don’t need social assistance from the government.
• Factors that could render you ineligible are like if you were ever convicted of a violent crime for example.

Eligibility Requirement For Spouse To Be Sponsored

They must be over the age of 18 and pass the necessary security, and medical checks. Also, the federal government specified that your relationship must be “genuine”. This leads to the quantification of relationship based on: 

• Your spouse must be legally married to you and be at least 18 years of age. 
• Common-law partners must be at least 18 years old and have lived with you for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. 
• Conjugal partners must be 18 years old at least, have been in a relationship with you for a minimum of 12 consecutive months, reside outside of Canada, and are unable to live with you in their country or marry you due to significant obstacles. For example, if same-sex marriage is not allowed in your home country.

After establishing your eligibility for family sponsorship, you may have to submit two different applications to IRCC: 

• a sponsorship application, and 
• a permanent residence application.

Apply For Canada PR With Your Spouse

Step 1: Obtain an application package from IRCC.

Step 2: Pay your application fees to IRCC which tend to include processing fees, right of permanent residence fee, and biometrics fee. You need to pay these fees on IRCC’s website.

Step 3: Mail or submit online your completed application to IRCC.

The standard processing time is 12 months. 

During the processing period, IRCC may ask the applicant to submit and verify their biometrics or ask for an in-person interview. Those being sponsored will also be given 30 days to have a medical exam.

IRCC allows you to track and update your application status online.

Canada provides an application guide online, as well as a document checklist for people going through the process. We advise you to go through it.

However, applying through an immigration consultant will lessen your burden further. 

You may save yourself from all these troubles by contacting CanApprove. Our consultants will guide you through the entire process as well as help you apply for the same. 

Get in touch with us through…

WhatsApp: bit.ly/immig_pr

Contact: + 91-422-4980255 (India)/+ 971-42865134 (Dubai)

Email: helpdesk@canapprove.ae