How To Sponsor Your Foreign Spouse To Live In Canada

The Canadian government’s spousal sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada to bring a foreign wife or husband to live in with them in Canada. You can also sponsor any dependent children under 22 years of age. They don’t have to be your own biological children – they can be from your spouse’s previous relationships.Sponsoring your spouse can be broken down into easy steps:

1.Meet the eligibility criteria as sponsor; You must be 18 or over, live in Canada as a Canadian citizen or legal permanent resident, prove that you have sufficient finances to support your spouse and any dependent children. You must prove that you can support your spouse for 3 years and any dependent children for 10 years (or until they are 25 – whichever comes first.) You must be able to prove that you are legally married.

2.Submit a sponsorship application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada; You must fill out the application form and submit relevant supporting documents to prove your identity, relationship and financial status. You must also pay the application fee and provide the receipt form IMM 5401 as proof of payment.

3.Obtain medical and police clearance certificates;If your spouse lives outside of Canada, he/she must attend a medical with an approved doctor and obtain a police certificate stating that they have no criminal record, which would make them inadmissible to Canada. The Canadian Embassy or Consulate in your spouse’s country of residence will be able to advise your spouse on where to go. The police and medical certificate must be attached to your spouse’s application for permanent residence.

4.Submit an application for permanent residence;Your spouse must submit his/her permanent residence application to the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in the country he/ she lives in or if he/she lives in Canada to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta. Your spouse must pay the application fee and ensure that all supporting documents are translated into English or French by a qualified translator. Apart from providing documents proving your identity and legal marital status, you must provide documented evidence proving that your relationship is genuine e.g. wedding photos, emails, phone company records, letters, flight coupons, hotel bookings and proof of financial support from your spouse.

Time lines for the granting of your spouse’s marriage visa vary. Your sponsorship application will be processed in around 30 days from receipt. Your spouse’s application for permanent residence will take much longer – generally around 7 to 12 months although some applications do take longer.