Last updated: September 30, 2026
If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and your spouse or partner is waiting to join you — whether they live in another country or already live with you in Canada on a temporary status — spousal sponsorship is the immigration pathway built for exactly your situation. It leads directly to permanent residence for your partner, with no points system, no job offer, and no minimum income requirement for the sponsor.
That simplicity is slightly deceptive. The application is long, the evidence expectations are high, and a refusal can cost you more than a year. This guide covers who can sponsor, who can be sponsored, how to choose between the inland and outland routes, what sponsorship costs in 2026, the steps from application to permanent residence, and the relationship evidence that decides most cases.
Who is allowed to sponsor
You can sponsor your spouse or partner if you are at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen, a person registered under the Indian Act, or a permanent resident of Canada. You must be living in Canada — with one exception. A Canadian citizen living abroad can still sponsor, but must show you plan to live in Canada once your partner becomes a permanent resident. A permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor at all.
There is no minimum income requirement for sponsoring a spouse or partner. Unlike parent and grandparent sponsorship, you do not need to meet a low-income cut-off. You must show you are not on social assistance (disability excepted) and can provide for everyone’s basic needs. An income requirement applies only in rare cases, such as when the partner you sponsor has a dependent child who has a child of their own.
Several things can disqualify you. Per the official IRCC sponsorship guide, you may not be able to sponsor if you signed an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner less than three years ago; if you were yourself sponsored as a spouse or partner and became a permanent resident less than five years ago; if you are in default on a previous undertaking or an immigration loan; if you owe court-ordered alimony or child support; if you have an undischarged bankruptcy; if you were convicted of a sexual offence, a violent crime, or an offence against a relative; if you are under a removal order or in prison; or if you already have a pending sponsorship application for the same person.
Who you can sponsor
You can sponsor a spouse, a common-law partner, or a conjugal partner. The person you sponsor must be at least 18, and these categories apply to couples of any gender.
A spouse is someone you are legally married to, with the marriage valid both where it took place and in Canada. Marriages performed by proxy, telephone, fax, or over the internet — where one or both people were not physically present — are not recognized.
A common-law partner is someone you have lived with for at least 12 consecutive months in a marriage-like relationship. Prove the 12 months with documents like a shared lease, joint bills, or official mail addressed to both of you at the same address.
A conjugal partner covers couples in a committed relationship of at least a year who could not live together or marry for reasons beyond their control, such as immigration barriers or local laws. The conjugal partner must live outside Canada, and this category is processed only through the Family Class route below.
Everyone sponsored — and their family members — must pass medical, security, and background checks. You can include dependent children: under 22 with no spouse or partner of their own, or 22-plus only if financially dependent on the parents since before 22 and unable to support themselves because of a mental or physical condition. Declare every child, including non-accompanying ones and those in a previous partner’s custody — failing to declare a family member can endanger the sponsored person’s status later.
Inland or outland: choosing your route
This is the most consequential decision in the process. The two classes differ in where your partner waits, how long it takes, and what happens if the application is refused.
Apply inland — the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class — if your partner lives with you in Canada. Your partner needs valid temporary resident status: a visitor record, a study permit (see our guide to the Canada student visa process), or a work permit all count, and a public policy also covers certain people without status. Plan to stay in Canada for the entire process. Leaving can automatically cancel temporary status, and if your partner cannot get back in, the application can be treated as abandoned.
Apply outland — the Family Class — if your partner lives outside Canada, or lives in Canada but wants travel freedom during processing. Outland files go through the visa office for your partner’s country. Your partner can travel with a valid visa or travel authorization, and a refusal generally carries a right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. An inland refusal has no such appeal; the only recourse is asking a court to review the decision, which is slower and far more expensive.
Conjugal partners and dependent children can only be sponsored through the Family Class.
| Inland (in Canada) | Outland (Family Class) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your partner waits | With you in Canada | Anywhere — usually abroad |
| IRCC processing time (Sept 2026, outside Quebec) | About 26 months | About 18 months |
| Travel during processing | Risky — leaving can cancel status | Flexible, with a valid visa or travel authorization |
| If refused | No appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division | Right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division |
| Open work permit | Yes, after the acknowledgement of receipt | Yes, if your partner is living in Canada with you |
| Best for | Couples already settled together in Canada | Partners abroad, or who need travel flexibility |
Those processing times come from IRCC’s official processing-times tool, updated September 3, 2026; IRCC refreshes the figures monthly, so check the current numbers before planning around a date. Quebec files take considerably longer because of the extra provincial step.
The undertaking: the three-year promise
Sponsoring means signing an undertaking — a binding promise to support your partner’s basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, and health costs not covered publicly) for three years from the day they become a permanent resident. The promise survives divorce, separation, your partner’s citizenship, moves between provinces or countries, and even your own financial problems. If your partner claims social assistance while it is in effect, you must repay it, and you cannot sponsor anyone else until you do.
It cannot be cancelled once approved. The only exit is withdrawing the sponsorship before IRCC decides, via a letter through the IRCC web form — which IRCC must approve. Understand this commitment before you sign; it is the legal core of the program.
What sponsorship costs in 2026
IRCC raised its fees on April 30, 2026, so ignore any figure you see online that predates that change:
| Fee | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor your spouse or partner (sponsorship + processing + right of permanent residence fee) | $1,260 |
| Without the right of permanent residence fee | $660 |
| Each dependent child | $180 |
| Biometrics — per person / family maximum | $85 / $170 |
| Spousal open work permit, if needed ($155 + $100) | $255 |
Pay the right of permanent residence fee upfront: it is refundable if the application is refused, and paying later can delay the final stages. Quebec residents pay an additional provincial fee on top. Beyond government fees, budget for the medical exam (by an IRCC-approved panel physician; costs vary by country), police certificates, and certified translations of documents not in English or French. Confirm current amounts on IRCC’s official fee list before paying.
The application, step by step
Step 1: Confirm eligibility on both sides
Work through the sponsor requirements and disqualifiers above, and check that your relationship fits one of the three definitions. If your partner is a skilled worker, compare a second route too: our complete guide to Canada Express Entry explains the points-based alternative.
Step 2: Choose your class
Decide between inland and outland using the comparison above. Conjugal partners must use the Family Class. If your partner lives with you in Canada but will need to travel, outland is usually safer despite the name.
Step 3: Gather your documents
Collect passports, the marriage certificate or proof of 12 months’ cohabitation, police certificates for every country where the sponsored person has lived six months or more since turning 18, photos to IRCC’s specifications, and your relationship evidence (next section). Anything not in English or French needs a certified translation. Follow IRCC’s document checklist (IMM 5533) line by line.
Step 4: Complete the forms online
The package centers on the sponsorship undertaking (IMM 1344), the permanent residence application (IMM 0008), the relationship questionnaire (IMM 5532), and the checklist (IMM 5533), plus supporting schedules. Since September 2022, applications go through IRCC’s permanent residence portal. Answer everything truthfully — inconsistencies between the two sets of forms commonly get files flagged.
Step 5: Pay the fees
Pay online and keep the receipt. Double-check the total for your situation, including biometrics and any dependent children.
Step 6: Submit and receive your acknowledgement of receipt
Once IRCC confirms the application is complete, it issues an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) with your application number. For inland applicants, the AOR is also the point at which a partner with valid temporary status can apply for an open work permit.
Step 7: Complete biometrics and the medical exam
Give fingerprints and a photo at a designated collection point, normally within 30 days of the instruction letter. The medical exam must be with an IRCC-approved panel physician and can be completed upfront.
Step 8: Respond to additional requests
Officers commonly ask for more relationship evidence or updated documents. Reply quickly and completely — every request pauses your timeline.
Step 9: Receive the decision
Outland applicants get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if from a visa-required country, a permanent resident visa, then land in Canada before the documents expire. Inland applicants confirm their status online and receive the PR card by mail; occasionally an in-person interview is required instead.
The relationship evidence that decides most cases
Under section 4 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, an officer can refuse the application if not satisfied the relationship is genuine, or if it appears to have been entered into primarily for immigration. The burden of proof is entirely yours. A marriage certificate alone proves almost nothing — officers look for volume, diversity, and a timeline.
A strong package includes photographs from multiple occasions and years, ideally with family and friends; communication records showing regular contact across the relationship; evidence of shared daily life — joint accounts, a shared lease, bills in both names, insurance naming each other as beneficiaries; records of time spent together and travel; and letters from people who have seen you as a couple. Both sides must match: officers compare the two accounts for contradictions and may check public social media.
Some situations draw closer scrutiny: a relationship that moved to marriage very quickly, a large unexplained age gap, or a sponsor with previous sponsorships. None disqualifies on its own, but each demands stronger documentation. Address unusual features head-on with evidence rather than hoping the officer overlooks them. A thin or inconsistent evidence package is the most common avoidable cause of refusal.
Working in Canada while you wait
An inland partner with valid temporary status can apply for a spousal open work permit after the acknowledgement of receipt. It allows work for almost any employer while the sponsorship is processed, and costs $255 ($155 processing plus the $100 open work permit holder fee). Apply before the current status expires — a work permit application submitted in time keeps your partner in legal status while it is processed. A partner on the outland route who is physically living with you in Canada can also apply after the AOR. The permit is processed separately and typically takes several months, so apply as early as eligible.
After the decision
Outland approval brings a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, for visa-required countries, a permanent resident visa in the passport. Both carry an expiry tied to the passport and medical results and cannot be extended — if they expire unused, the process restarts with new fees. Your partner then travels to Canada and completes landing at a port of entry.
Inland applicants confirm their status through IRCC’s online portal, and the PR card follows by mail. As a permanent resident, your partner can live, work, and study anywhere in Canada with public healthcare access, and can apply for citizenship after three years of physical presence within a five-year period.
If refused, the right of permanent residence fee is refunded. An outland refusal can generally be appealed to the Immigration Appeal Division; an inland refusal cannot, leaving judicial review as the main recourse. Either way, you can address the stated reasons and apply again.
Frequently asked questions
How long does spousal sponsorship take in 2026?
IRCC’s tool, updated September 3, 2026, shows about 26 months inland and about 18 months outland outside Quebec, refreshed monthly — check it before planning around a date. The often-quoted 12 months is IRCC’s service standard, a target rather than today’s reality. Timelines vary by visa office and file completeness. Some cases move much faster — one outland file finished in six months — but plan around the published figure, not the exception.
Is there a minimum income requirement to sponsor my spouse?
No. What you sign instead is the three-year undertaking above. An income requirement applies only in rare cases, such as when the person you sponsor has a dependent child who has a child of their own.
Can I sponsor my spouse if I live outside Canada?
Permanent residents cannot — you must live in Canada throughout. Canadian citizens abroad can, but must show they will live in Canada when the partner becomes a permanent resident.
Can my partner visit Canada while the outland application is processed?
Yes, with a valid visitor visa or electronic travel authorization. It does not guarantee entry: your partner must still satisfy the officer of their visitor requirements.
What happens if our relationship ends during processing?
You can ask IRCC to withdraw the sponsorship before a final decision, via the IRCC web form — IRCC must approve. Once your partner is a permanent resident, the three-year undertaking stands regardless of divorce or separation.
We married outside Canada. Does the marriage count?
Yes, if it was legally performed and is recognized both where it took place and in Canada; same-sex marriages are recognized. Ceremonies where a partner was not physically present — proxy, telephone, or internet weddings — are not recognized.
