SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP

Sponsoring a spouse or partner is one of the most common ways that individuals obtain permanent residence in Canada.  If you are a Canadian citizen or Permanent resident, you can sponsor your spouse, partner or dependent children to become Permanent Residents of Canada.  You cannot sponsor someone if you are a Permanent Resident living outside Canada.

There are significant responsibilities in acting as a sponsor, and a financial undertaking is involved.  You must demonstrate to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that your marriage or partnership is genuine and not entered into primarily for immigration purposes. 

Your obligation as a sponsor begins as soon as the person you are sponsoring arrives in Canada.