Spouse and Partner Sponsorship

Spousal or common-law sponsorship refused? See how to request GCMS notes, what IRCC says about timelines, and how notes inform appeal, reapplying or JR.

Leaving Canada during an inland spousal sponsorship can end temporary status, and re-entry is not guaranteed. See what IRCC says and where it is silent.

How long does spousal sponsorship take in 2026? See how IRCC's processing times are calculated, what the 80% figure means and what the window includes.

Conditional PR for sponsored spouses ended on April 28, 2017. See what changed, what rules still apply and what sponsors and sponsored spouses should know.

IRCC's guide sets no age-gap rule or minimum marriage length. See what officers look at for age-gap and arranged marriages and how to show a genuine bond.

IRCC does not recognize proxy, phone or internet marriages if a partner was not physically present. See your options if you met online or married remotely.

The 3-year sponsorship undertaking does not end if you separate or divorce. See what spousal sponsors owe and how social assistance repayment works.

Canada has no fiancé(e) category. Learn the options: marry first, marry in Canada, common-law or conjugal sponsorship, and the visitor-visa risks for engaged couples.

Your spouse or common-law partner is in Canada without valid status. Learn how inland sponsorship works, what restoring status means, the outland alternative and the removal risks.

Compare spouse, common-law and conjugal partner sponsorship in Canada. What each requires, who qualifies, inland or outland, and how to choose the right route.

Can you sponsor a same-sex partner in Canada? Yes. Same-sex spouses and common-law partners are sponsored the same way. See rules, evidence and the conjugal option.

Common-law partner vs spouse for Canadian PR sponsorship: how IRCC defines each, what you must prove, inland and outland options, and which route fits your relationship.

How long to be common-law in Canada? IRCC requires 12 continuous months living together in a conjugal relationship. See what counts, time apart and what if you're short.

Do you have to register as common-law in Canada? No federal registry exists. See how IRCC, CRA and provinces treat it, and the IMM 5409 declaration for sponsorship.

Your hub for Canadian spousal, common-law and conjugal partner sponsorship: how it works, documents, fees, waiting, evidence, refusals, appeals and H&C options.

Avoid spousal sponsorship mistakes that can get your Canadian application returned or refused, from missing forms to bad translations, tied to IRCC rules.

Spousal sponsorship approved? Learn what a COPR is, how landing works, the PR card, what an expiring COPR means and what happens if you separate.

Spousal sponsorship fees in Canada as of October 2026: what IRCC lists, what is refundable, plus extra costs like medicals, police certificates and translations.

Refused as "not genuine"? Learn the legal test for spousal sponsorship, what officers weigh, how to answer concerns and what to do after a refusal.

Who can sponsor a spouse in Canada? See IRCC's sponsor rules, the 5-year and 3-year waiting rules, and what can block you, like bankruptcy or default.