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Travel restrictions imposed in March 2020 resulted in a screeching halt to the bulging economic class and family immigration numbers to Canada. Since then, Canadian immigration numbers have recovered well. The latest improvement in Canada’s spousal sponsorship processing time to its 12-month standard for new applicants is a major step forward.
According to the official media release, efforts to modernize the Canadian immigration system have allowed Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to get back on track. The 12-month spousal sponsorship processing time includes.
- the time required for applicants to give biometrics,
- for IRCC to assess the sponsor and the person being sponsored, and
- the time needed to ensure applicants meet eligibility requirements.
| Applicants will submit two applications together:
One is for spousal sponsorship and the other is a permanent residence application. Step 1: Get an application package from IRCC or ask a certified immigration consultant to do it on your behalf. Step 2: Pay the standard application fees to IRCC. It covers processing fees, a right of permanent residence fee, and a biometrics fee. Additional fees may be charged by the immigration consultants depending on the case basis. Step 3: Mail the completed application to IRCC & wait for it to process within 12 months. Meanwhile, ask certified immigration consultants for documentation, job, or language training assistance. |
IRCC also launched a portal where spousal and child sponsorship applicants can track their immigration applications online.
Sponsor your Family to Immigrate to Canada from the UAE
About 100,000 immigrants to Canada each year come through family sponsorship programs. IRCC welcomes about 80 per cent of these immigrants under the Spouses, Partners, and Children Sponsorship Program. The remaining 20 per cent is under the Parents and Grandparents Program.
Here is how you can sponsor your family to immigrate to Canada, especially your spouse to come and settle with you.
Eligibility for Spousal Sponsorship to Canada
To be eligible to sponsor your spouse to Canada from the UAE including any dependent children, you need to be:
- over the age of 18,
- a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and
- be able to financially support you and your family.
- cannot be receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability.
It is possible for Canadian citizens to live in the UAE throughout the spousal immigration from the UAE process. However, Permanent residents can only apply for spousal sponsorship from inside Canada.
Your spouse may be eligible for an Open Work Permit in Canada while applying for spousal immigration from the UAE.
| There is no minimum income cut off for spousal immigration from the UAE. The threshold on minimum income is decided on a case-by-case basis. |
When Are You Ineligible to Sponsor Your Spouse to Canada?
Beyond violent criminal offences, sponsors may be inadmissible for non-criminal reasons like loan default, or if you sponsored a previous spouse within three years of your application.
You cannot sponsor a new spouse within five years of your landing if you were a sponsored spouse and now turned Canadian permanent resident.
The immigration officer in charge of your application for spousal immigration to Canada from the UAE will be keen to determine the genuineness of your relationship.
| Do not get married for the sole purpose of getting Canadian permanent residency status. Canada has reportedly identified many such immigration frauds in the recent past and has already these applicants from applying for Canadian immigration in the future. |
Apply for Spousal Sponsorship through a Certified Immigration Consultant
The documents required for foreign nationals will depend on residency status, where they are applying from, and maybe even your travel history.
Presently, you are asked to fill out the travel history form, called the IMM 5562. There you report all of the trips you have taken out of the UAE over the past 10 years. Additionally, a military service form, known as the IMM 5546, is applicable for anyone in your application who has ever served in the military, army, defence, or police unit.
Also, if you were ever divorced in the UAE, IRCC asks for the original “Final irrevocable divorce” or “Final divorce judgment” document.
The above requirements can be overwhelming to follow and there are more to come. Visiting a certified immigration consultant can help you understand the documentation process better, if not have them do it on your behalf.
CanApprove is duly registered and approved by the College for Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) to provide documentation and other services relating to Canadian immigration.
Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for various Canadian family visa programs.
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