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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Canadian government offers immigration programs that allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses to immigrate to Canada. These spousal sponsorship programs are designed to promote family unity and ease the integration of newcomers into Canadian society. Managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these programs set specific eligibility criteria for sponsors and their spouses, emphasizing the goal of family reunification as a cornerstone of Canadian immigration policy.

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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible as a sponsor, you must:

✅ Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
  • Note: if you’re a permanent resident living outside Canada, you are not eligible to sponsor. If you’re a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you can sponsor but you must show that you plan to live and settle back in Canada with the persons you want to sponsor. Canadian citizens travelling as tourists are not considered to be living abroad.
✅ Be at least 18 years old.
✅ Provide basic needs for the ones who you are sponsoring and prove you are not receiving any kind of social assistance.
✅ There is no income requirement for sponsorships of those who plan to live outside of Quebec.
  • The exception if is:
  • you’re sponsoring a dependent child that has 1 or more dependent children of their own, or
  • you’re sponsoring a spouse or partner that has a dependent child, and their dependent child has 1 or more children of their own.

For Married Couples:

✅ The person being sponsored must be at least 18 years old.
✅ You can sponsor the person as your spouse (same or opposite gender) if your marriage is a legally valid civil marriage.
✅ Opposite and same-gender marriages will be recognized for immigration purposes, where the marriage was legally performed in Canada, or if performed outside of Canada, the marriage must be legally recognized in the country where it took place and in Canada.
✅ Note: IRCC no longer recognizes marriages performed outside of Canada where one or both persons were not physically present at the ceremony, such as by proxy, telephone, or Internet.

For Common-Law Relationships:

✅ The person being sponsored must be at least 18 years old.
✅ Isn’t legally married to you.
✅ You can sponsor the person as your common-law partner (same or opposite gender) if you’ve been living or have lived with your partner for at least 12 consecutive months in a marriage-like relationship.

PROGRAM PRIVILEGES

These programs allow family members to settle and reunite in Canada. Spouses/partners can apply for an open work permit, allowing them to gain work experience while transitioning into Canadian life with their family. They can get this work permit while waiting for the permanent residence application to process. This is only available if you are applying under the In Canada Spousal Sponsorship.

In becoming a permanent resident, you can do anything that a Canadian citizen can do, except vote or join the military. Additionally, this will entitle you to all the other benefits extended to all Canadians and permanent residents, such as tax and government benefits, universal healthcare, and travel with more freedoms to countries without needing a Visa. You can then apply for Canadian Citizenship, after you satisfy the residency requirements as a PR (stay in Canada for 3 out of 4 years).

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COMMON TRAPS, PITFALLS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

While everyone’s case and circumstances are different, there are some common traps, pitfalls, and misconceptions when it comes to applying under this program. Here are some general and common ones we have experienced and encountered throughout the years:

OUR VALUE – HOW WE MAKE THIS EASY FOR YOU

We understand that information can be found on the Internet and there are lots of other consultants or lawyers out there, so things can certainly get confusing very quickly for you. However, our value is in our services and how can simplify a sometimes-complicated process while anticipating and proactively making this whole process easy for you, from the start to the end of your immigration journey. We will guide you and provide:

✅ An affordable service with an individualized payment schedule to suit any budget
✅ Comprehensive documents required for the process, including information and tips that can’t be found on the IRCC website
✅ Personalized immigration advice and solutions that are tailored to your case
✅ Collaboration with a licensed immigration professional who will communicate and represent your case on your behalf
✅ Support and Assistance through every stage of the process, from the application to the arrival in Canada.
 

MEET BRANDON MILLER - RCIC

Brandon is a Canadian government approved Immigration Consultant with CICC and is the founder of Maple Immigration Services. Brandon is passionate about everything immigration and enjoys not only helping people to come to Canada but seeing that they get integrated into the country. Although Brandon’s main focus is to provide immigration legal services, he has worked as a settlement counsellor; a volunteer to the regulatory body; and a teacher at a local college where he enjoys teaching and mentoring new immigration students. Brandon currently sits on the Queen's University National Advisory Committee which advises on the Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law. Brandon is a published author (Second Passport) is the creator of "The Immigration Success System™" which is a complete solution for immigrating & settling successfully in Canada.
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