Spousal Sponsorship Canada
Spousal Sponsorship Canada is the family-class pathway to permanent residence for your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. Whether you’re already together in Canada or planning to reunite, we help you understand your sponsorship options. Get guidance on eligibility, relationship evidence and application preparation, with support tailored to your circumstances.
✓ Sponsor and partner eligibility review
✓ Relationship evidence and application preparation
✓ Direct access to your licensed consultant
Who this service is for
You may be living together in Canada or planning to reunite from different countries. The starting point is identifying the relationship category that fits your circumstances.
Planning to marry? Read our fiancé visa explainer. For family-introduced relationships, see arranged-marriage spousal sponsorship.
Married couples
Prepare a sponsorship application with evidence of your legally recognized marriage and your relationship together. See our guidance on same-sex spousal sponsorship.
Common-law partners
For common-law partner sponsorship, get help documenting at least 12 consecutive months of living together in a marriage-like relationship, including any short, temporary absences.
Partners facing barriers to marriage or living together
Explore whether conjugal partner sponsorship applies. Your partner must live outside Canada, with a qualifying relationship of at least one year.
What Spousal Sponsorship Application Support Includes
Your written agreement identifies the work included in your file. Support can cover the following steps.
01
Review eligibility and choose the application route
Review both partners’ circumstances, previous sponsorships and immigration history. Compare inland and outland options, including how travel plans affect the choice.
02
Organize your relationship evidence
Build a clear relationship timeline using records of your life together. Identify missing periods and explain circumstances the documents do not show.
03
Prepare forms and supporting documents
Prepare forms such as IMM 1344 and IMM 5532. Use our spousal sponsorship document checklist to organize your records. Check civil records, translations and country-specific document requirements.
04
Check dates and details across the file
Compare relationship dates with address histories, travel records and supporting documents. Resolve differences before they become conflicting answers in your application.
05
Prepare the application for submission
Review the completed application with you and check the required signatures and uploads. You personally complete the declarations IRCC requires you to sign.
06
Handle agreed follow-up with IRCC
Understand document requests and prepare responses within their deadlines. Interview preparation or additional applications can be discussed when relevant to your file.
What Spousal Sponsorship Application Support Includes
Your written agreement identifies the work included in your file. Support can cover the following steps.
01
02
03
04
05
06
Review eligibility and choose the application route
Review both partners’ circumstances, previous sponsorships and immigration history. Compare inland and outland options, including how travel plans affect the choice.
Organize your relationship evidence
Build a clear relationship timeline using records of your life together. Identify missing periods and explain circumstances the documents do not show.
Prepare forms and supporting documents
Prepare forms such as IMM 1344 and IMM 5532. Use our spousal sponsorship document checklist to organize your records. Check civil records, translations and country-specific document requirements.
Handle agreed follow-up with IRCC
Understand document requests and prepare responses within their deadlines. Interview preparation or additional applications can be discussed when relevant to your file.
Check dates and details across the file
Compare relationship dates with address histories, travel records and supporting documents. Resolve differences before they become conflicting answers in your application.
Prepare the application for submission
Review the completed application with you and check the required signatures and uploads. You personally complete the declarations IRCC requires you to sign.
Choose the support you need
Get help from the start, or a professional review before you submit.
Full application support
For couples who want help preparing the application. We guide you through the evidence, prepare your forms and support the submission process, with IRCC follow-up covered by your agreement.
Application review
For couples preparing their own application. We review your forms and supporting documents, identify missing or inconsistent information, and explain what needs attention before you submit.
Why Choose Mirzoyan Immigration Services for Spousal Sponsorship
You know who is responsible for your file and how the application will be reviewed.
One on One Advisory
Your questions go directly to Narek or Vahe, the licensed consultant handling your file. Every client communication is answered by one of them.
There is no intake team, assistant or call-routing system answering in their place.
Narek Mirzoyan · RCIC # R1005184
The Mirzoyan Methodology
Six review stages organize the work on your file:
Risk Diagnosis:
Identify eligibility concerns and the correct application route.
Evidence Mapping:
Connect the required facts with the records that support them.
Document Verification:
Check documents against the applicable instructions.
Consistency Audit:
Compare travel dates, status periods, tax details and form histories.
Submission:
Prepare the application for the permitted filing route.
IRCC Response Management:
Handle follow-up included in the written agreement.
Meet in person, online or by phone. Based in Toronto, we serve clients across Canada and abroad in English, Russian and Armenian.
Document issues we check before submission
We check that your forms and supporting records tell the same story.
Missing forms or signatures
Check required forms, declarations and supporting records against the checklist for your application.
Dates that do not match
Compare relationship milestones, addresses and travel dates across your forms and evidence.
Unclear scans or translations
Check that documents are readable and that translations and supporting copies meet the applicable instructions.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
Both the sponsor and the sponsored partner must meet IRCC’s requirements. The sponsor’s requirements concern status and the undertaking; the partner’s concern the relationship and admissibility.
| Requirement | Sponsor | Sponsored partner |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Canadian citizen, registered Indian under the Indian Act, or permanent resident (s. 130 IRPR) | Spouse, common-law partner (12+ months cohabitation), or conjugal partner of the sponsor |
| Minimum age | 18 or older | 18 or older; the marriage must be legally recognised for sponsorship |
| Residence at filing | PRs must reside in Canada; a citizen abroad may sponsor only if they will return to live in Canada when the partner becomes a permanent resident (s. 130(2) IRPR) | Spouses and common-law partners may apply from inside or outside Canada, depending on the route. Conjugal partners must live outside Canada. |
| 3-year undertaking | Signs a binding undertaking to repay any social assistance the partner receives for 3 years after becoming a permanent resident; it holds even if the relationship later ends | Signs the sponsorship agreement on IMM 1344 |
| No sponsorship bars | Not in default on a prior undertaking or support order, not an undischarged bankrupt, not on social assistance (except disability), not under a removal order, not detained, and no disqualifying conviction (s. 133 IRPR). A former sponsored partner cannot sponsor a new partner for 5 years after becoming a permanent resident (s. 130(3) IRPR). | Not applicable; the bars test the sponsor |
| Admissibility | Not applicable | Must meet the applicable admissibility requirements, including security, criminality, health and misrepresentation checks (ss. 34–42 IRPA) |
| Genuine relationship | Must show the relationship is genuine and was not entered primarily to gain status | Same test under s. 4 IRPR; a relationship that is not genuine, or entered primarily for status, fails |
This is a summary of the federal requirements. Quebec has separate sponsorship requirements. Review IRCC’s eligibility requirements and our complete spousal sponsorship guide for the details.
Spousal Sponsorship Fees and Processing Times
Government fees for a spouse or common-law partner with no dependent children total $1,345 when the $85 biometrics fee applies. The firm’s professional fee is separate, a flat fee confirmed after the initial consultation and published on our professional fees page. Government charges are explained in our spouse sponsorship fees guide. Current estimates and delayed-file steps are covered in our spousal sponsorship processing times guide.
IRCC’s service standard for overseas Family Class applications is 12 months. Actual processing times vary by application type and destination, including Quebec. Check IRCC’s current processing-times tool for the applicable estimate.
| Government fee | Amount (CAD) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship fee | $90 | Paid by the sponsor to open the Family Class file |
| Principal applicant processing fee | $570 | The sponsored partner’s permanent residence application |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) | $600 | Paid before the partner becomes a permanent resident; this rate took effect on April 30, 2026 |
| Biometrics | $85 | Per person, if required |
| Accompanying dependent child (each) | $180 | Add for each accompanying dependent child on the file; additional biometrics charges may apply |
| Spouse-only total, including biometrics | $1,345 | Sponsorship + processing + RPRF + individual biometrics, with no dependent children |
Fees checked on 18 September 2026 against the IRCC fee list. Without biometrics, the spouse-only total is $1,260. Medical exams, translations, Quebec charges where applicable, and professional fees are separate.
Discuss your sponsorship application and the help you need before committing to representation. Your written agreement confirms the professional fee and the work covered.
Government fees, medical exams, translations and other case costs are separate. Review our fee schedule before booking.
Clear fees before you retain us
Country-specific spousal sponsorship services
If your spouse’s documents come from outside Canada, review the relevant country service page. Civil-record and police-certificate requirements may affect the file. Mirzoyan Immigration Services prepares origin-country sponsorship files for the markets it serves.
Country-specific services: Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Brazil · China · Georgia · India · Iran · Kazakhstan · Mexico · Moldova · Nigeria · Pakistan · Philippines · Russia · Ukraine · United Kingdom · United States · Uzbekistan
Spousal Sponsorship Across the GTA
Mirzoyan Immigration Services supports sponsorship applications across the Greater Toronto Area, in person, online or by phone. Explore the service page for your city.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will spousal sponsorship take?
Spousal sponsorship processing times vary by application type and destination, including whether you will live in Quebec. Use IRCC’s current processing-time tool for the applicable estimate. Application preparation happens before that processing period. A complete submission helps avoid returns, but hiring a consultant does not give your application priority.
How much money do I need to sponsor my spouse in Canada?
Most spousal sponsorship cases outside Quebec have no fixed minimum income requirement. An exception applies when your spouse’s dependent child has a dependent child. You still commit to financial support and must budget for application costs. Quebec has separate financial rules. View our professional fees for representation costs.
Can my spouse work while waiting for approval?
Submitting a sponsorship application does not itself authorize your spouse to work. Eligible partners living in Canada with their sponsor may qualify for an open work permit. Eligibility depends on application stage and immigration status. Both inland and Family Class applicants may qualify. Your agreement confirms whether work-permit assistance is included.
Can I live in Canada if I marry a Canadian?
Marriage to a Canadian does not automatically grant permanent residence or permission to stay. You and your sponsor must meet the sponsorship requirements. If you are already in Canada, review your temporary status separately. Applying for permanent residence does not extend a visitor stay or work permit.
Can spousal PR be rejected?
IRCC can refuse a sponsorship application if eligibility, relationship or admissibility requirements are not met. An incomplete application can also be returned. A returned application and a refusal require different next steps. Have the letter reviewed before deciding whether to resubmit, provide further information or explore a review or appeal.
Prefer to understand the requirements first? Read our complete guide to spousal sponsorship in Canada.
Ready to discuss your sponsorship application?
Choose the appointment that fits the help you need.
Consultation: Discuss your questions, options and next steps with a licensed consultant. Pricing is shown when you book.
A full application review requires a separate service agreement.
In person, online or by phone. Questions before booking?
This page provides general information, not legal or immigration advice. A consultation addresses your individual circumstances.