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Spousal Sponsorship Canada Requirements, Process and Timeline

Licensed RCIC · CICC R408519 · Written by the Immigration Pros editorial team · Reviewed by Galo Castillo, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant · Published October 20, 2026 · Last reviewed October 20, 2026

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Couple hugging in their new home in Canada, surrounded by moving boxes and an open suitcase, after a spousal sponsorship brings them together.

Almost half of the couples who contact us ask the same thing first: what is all this going to cost? Close behind come the questions that keep people up at night: can my partner visit, stay or work in Canada while we wait, and how long will it take? This guide answers those first, then walks you through the application step by step and shows the mistakes that send a file back to the start.

Quick answer.

Spousal sponsorship is the IRCC program that lets a Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner for permanent residence. There is no separate spouse visa.

Who can sponsor: a person who is at least 18, a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person registered under Canada’s Indian Act, and who lives in Canada.

Who can be sponsored: a legally married spouse, a common-law partner after 12 months living together, or a conjugal partner abroad.

Processing time: on September 3, 2026, IRCC estimated about 26 months for partners living in Canada and about 18 months for partners abroad, outside Quebec.

Inland vs outland: a partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada with valid status can apply inland, and a partner abroad applies outland. On either route, a partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada with valid status can get an open work permit.

Approval: IRCC decides mainly on proof that the relationship is genuine, and outside Quebec most sponsors need no minimum income.

Every month counts: IRCC estimates 18 to 26 months outside Quebec, and an incomplete file is returned and starts the wait over. A licensed Immigration Pros consultant reviews your case for free and tells you which route fits and what IRCC will expect to see. No cost, no obligation.

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What changed in 2026.

Quebec limits spousal undertakings to 13,300 from July 2, 2026 to June 30, 2028, on a staggered calendar.

Canada’s 2026 target is 69,000 new permanent residents in the spouses, partners and children category (Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028).

Since January 21, 2025, open work permits for spouses of students and workers are limited. This does not change the spousal open work permit for sponsored spouses and partners.

Last checked against IRCC and Quebec official pages: October 20, 2026.

Spousal sponsorship Canada: the short answers

Three facts settle most of the first questions about spousal sponsorship: Canada has no separate spouse visa, most sponsors outside Quebec need no minimum income, and a partner who applies from inside Canada can usually work while IRCC processes the application.

Is there a spouse visa for Canada?

Not as a separate visa. What people call a “spouse visa” is the spousal sponsorship program: your partner applies for permanent residence and you apply to sponsor them. If they live abroad and need a visa to travel, IRCC issues it together with the confirmation of permanent residence at the end. If the sponsor lives in Quebec, the province also sets an intake calendar for spousal undertakings from 2026 to 2028.

Do I need a minimum income to sponsor my spouse?

In most cases, no. Outside Quebec, IRCC asks for a minimum income only when your partner has a dependent child who has children of their own. You still sign an undertaking to cover your partner’s basic needs. Quebec is the exception: it applies its own financial rules.

Can my partner work in Canada while we wait?

Yes, if your partner lives with you in Canada at the same address and holds valid temporary status. Once IRCC sends the acknowledgement of receipt, your partner can apply for a spousal open work permit, whether you applied inland or outland. A partner who lives outside Canada does not qualify.

Those answers lead to the next question: what exactly are you applying for?

What is spousal sponsorship in Canada?

Spousal sponsorship is a family-class immigration program that lets a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person registered under Canada’s Indian Act sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner for permanent residence. The sponsor signs a legal promise to support the partner financially for three years, and IRCC must be satisfied that the relationship is genuine.

Two applications travel together. As the sponsor, you complete the Application to Sponsor (IMM 1344) and the relationship questionnaire (IMM 5532). Your partner, called the principal applicant, completes the permanent residence forms and submits the whole package through the Permanent Residence Portal. Dependent children can be included in the same application.

Approval gives the partner permanent resident status, the same status as any other permanent resident: they can live, work and study anywhere in Canada, and later apply for citizenship. Canada stopped using conditional permanent residence for sponsored partners in 2017.

Before you plan anything else, check where your partner fits: spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.

Three relationship categories	What IRCC requires · Can apply from inside Canada? · Key evidence
Spouse	What IRCC requires: A legally valid civil marriage, recognized where it took place and in Canada. Proxy, telephone and online marriages are not recognized. Can apply from inside Canada?: Yes Key evidence: Marriage certificate registered with the civil authority
Common-law partner	What IRCC requires: At least 12 consecutive months living together in a marriage-like relationship Can apply from inside Canada?: Yes Key evidence: Joint lease or mortgage, shared bills, same address on IDs
Conjugal partner	What IRCC requires: At least one year in a committed relationship where marriage or living together was not possible for reasons beyond the couple’s control Can apply from inside Canada?: No, the partner must live outside Canada Key evidence: Proof of the barrier and of the relationship over time

Many couples start before the wedding. About half of the couples who contacted Immigration Pros about spousal sponsorship over the last 12 months were not married yet: roughly three in ten were engaged or planning a wedding, and two in ten lived together as a common-law couple.

What couples ask us.

“Is there a timeline of how fast we can get it rolling after we’re married, or can we start it?” A question from a couple before they hired Immigration Pros, shared anonymously.

Fiancé(e)s and boyfriends or girlfriends.

Canada has no fiancé visa. A partner who is not married to the sponsor and has not lived with the sponsor for 12 months usually does not qualify as a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner until one of those facts changes.

Typical case

Engaged, with the partner in the United States.

🇺🇸 Partner in the US · 💍 Engaged · ✈️ Outland.

A Canadian citizen is engaged to a partner who lives in the United States, and they plan to marry soon. Before hiring, they ask what the whole process will cost, how long it will take and whether the partner can visit Canada while they wait. Because they are not married and have not lived together for 12 months, they need to marry in a legally valid civil ceremony, or live together for 12 months, before they can apply. Once married, an outland application lets the partner keep visiting Canada during processing, as long as each visit is temporary.

What to do: marry in a legally valid civil ceremony first, then apply outland with proof of the relationship.

Based on common patterns in our client files.

Now the same question from your side: do you qualify as the sponsor?

Spousal sponsorship requirements for the sponsor

IRCC sets four conditions for a sponsor: age, status in Canada, living in Canada, and the ability to sign the undertaking and support the partner.

At least 18 years old

Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered under the Indian Act

Living in Canada, or a citizen who plans to return when the partner becomes a permanent resident

Able to sign the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement, and to support the partner’s basic needs

Who cannot sponsor a spouse

Some situations stop a person from sponsoring a spouse even when the basic requirements are met, such as a recent spousal sponsorship of their own, unpaid support or sponsorship debts, social assistance not related to a disability, or certain criminal convictions.

These situations block a sponsorship.

You became a permanent resident through a spousal sponsorship less than 5 years ago.

You sponsored a previous spouse or partner and that 3-year undertaking has not ended.

You already have an application pending for the same person.

You receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability.

You are in undischarged bankruptcy, in prison, or under a removal order.

You are in default on an immigration loan, a performance bond, court-ordered family support, or a previous sponsorship undertaking.

You were convicted of a violent or sexual offence, or of an offence that caused bodily harm to a relative.

Some of these bars lift with time or once a debt is repaid.

Is there a minimum income to sponsor a spouse?

Outside Quebec, usually not. IRCC applies a minimum necessary income only when the partner has a dependent child who has dependent children of their own; that case uses the Financial Evaluation form (IMM 1283). The undertaking still makes you responsible for your partner’s basic needs, so the officer can look at how you plan to support them.

Once you know you qualify, the next choice shapes almost everything else: where your partner will be while IRCC decides.

Inland vs outland spousal sponsorship: which application fits your case?

Inland (the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class) is for couples who live together in Canada while the partner holds valid temporary status. Outland (the family class) is for partners abroad, or in Canada who plan to travel. On either route, a partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada with valid status can get an open work permit. Conjugal partners must apply outland.

Criteria	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class) · Outland (family class)
Where the partner lives	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): In Canada, with the sponsor Outland (family class): Abroad, or in Canada but free to travel
Status needed	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): Valid temporary status (visitor, student or worker), or covered by the 2005 public policy Outland (family class): None in Canada
Open work permit	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): Yes, after the acknowledgement of receipt Outland (family class): Only if the partner lives in Canada with the sponsor and has valid status
Travel during processing	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): Risky: leaving Canada can end temporary status and block re-entry Outland (family class): Allowed
Conjugal partners	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): Not eligible Outland (family class): Eligible
If IRCC refuses the application	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): IRCC’s guide gives no right of appeal to the Immigration and Refugee Board; the partner must leave Canada when their authorized stay ends Outland (family class): The sponsor can usually appeal to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), except in some cases, such as when the partner is found inadmissible for certain reasons
IRCC wait on Sept. 3, 2026 (outside Quebec)	Inland (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class): About 26 months Outland (family class): About 18 months

Inland vs outland spousal sponsorship

InlandSpouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class

Where the partner livesIn Canada, with the sponsor

Open work permitYes, after the acknowledgement of receipt

Travel while waitingRisky: leaving can end temporary status

OutlandFamily class

Where the partner livesAbroad, or in Canada and free to travel

Open work permitOnly if living in Canada with the sponsor, with valid status

Travel while waitingAllowed

The route is hard to change once the file is submitted: choosing inland when you need to travel, or outland when your partner needs to work, can cost months or your partner’s status in Canada. Talk to Immigration Pros before you decide. Free assessment, no obligation.

Help Me Choose My Route

For a deeper comparison with example situations, read our article on inland vs outland spousal sponsorship: https://immigrationpros.ca/inland-vs-outland-spousal-sponsorship-which-one-fits-your-situation/.

Leaving Canada during an inland application.

A partner who applies inland and leaves Canada can lose temporary status and may not be allowed back in. Couples who expect to travel should choose between an inland and an outland application before filing.

Outland is the more common choice in practice: over the last 12 months, the sponsored partner was living outside Canada in about six in ten of the couples who contacted Immigration Pros about spousal sponsorship. And a partner who is already in Canada does not always apply inland. Some couples choose outland so the partner can keep travelling during processing.

Typical case

A couple in Quebec with the partner already in Canada.

⚜️ Quebec · 🏠 Partner in Canada · 📄 Inland.

A French-speaking couple lives together in Quebec, and the partner is already in Canada with temporary status. They ask whether the partner can stay and keep working while they wait, and how living in Quebec changes the case. An inland application lets the partner stay in Canada during processing, but leaving Canada becomes risky. Because the sponsor lives in Quebec, the file has two stages: IRCC first confirms the sponsor’s eligibility, then the sponsor sends an undertaking to the Quebec government on the date its intake calendar allows, and the total wait is longer than in the rest of Canada.

What to do: apply inland, avoid travel outside Canada during processing and plan the Quebec undertaking around the intake calendar.

Based on common patterns in our client files.

With the route chosen, the next thing couples ask us is what it will cost.

How much does spousal sponsorship cost?

IRCC charges CAD $1,260 to sponsor a spouse or partner: CAD 660 for the sponsorship and processing fees plus CAD $600 for the right of permanent residence fee. Add CAD $180 per dependent child and CAD 85 for biometrics per person (CAD 170 maximum per family). Medical exams, police certificates and translations are paid separately.

Government fees (IRCC fee list, page modified Sept. 21, 2026)

Fee	Amount (CAD) · Who pays it
Sponsor a spouse or partner (CAD 660 sponsorship and processing + CAD $600 right of permanent residence)	Amount (CAD): 1,260 Who pays it: Once per application
Each dependent child	Amount (CAD): 180 Who pays it: Per child included
Biometrics	Amount (CAD): 85 / 170 Who pays it: Per person / maximum per family
Open work permit (optional, partner living in Canada)	Amount (CAD): 255 Who pays it: Work permit fee 155 + open work permit holder fee 100
Medical exam, police certificates, translations	Amount (CAD): Varies Who pays it: Paid to third parties; depends on country
Quebec undertaking fee (Quebec residents only, from January 1, 2026)	Amount (CAD): 335 / 135 Who pays it: First person sponsored / each additional person; paid to the Quebec government

The right of permanent residence fee.

The CAD $600 right of permanent residence fee can be paid with the spousal sponsorship application or later. If IRCC approves the file before it is paid, IRCC asks for it then; paying it upfront avoids a delay at the end.

Want to know what applies to your case? A free assessment tells you before you pay any fee.

After the cost, the question that follows is how long you will wait.

Spousal sponsorship processing time: how long does it take right now?

On September 3, 2026, IRCC estimated about 26 months for a new application from a partner living in Canada and about 18 months for a partner living abroad, outside Quebec. For Quebec, the estimates were about 32 and 33 months. IRCC updates these figures monthly and they are not a guarantee.

IRCC estimated processing time for new applications (updated Sept. 3, 2026)

Where the partner lives	Sponsor outside Quebec · Sponsor in Quebec
Inside Canada	Sponsor outside Quebec: About 26 months Sponsor in Quebec: About 32 months
Outside Canada	Sponsor outside Quebec: About 18 months Sponsor in Quebec: About 33 months

What couples ask us.

“Is that the minimum amount of time? Or is there a time that it could be sooner if we do everything requested?” A question from a couple before they hired Immigration Pros, shared anonymously.

The clock starts when IRCC receives a complete application with all fees paid. Files that need extra documents, an interview or a background check take longer, and an incomplete file is returned without processing.

A returned file can restart the wait, so it helps to have someone check yours first. A free assessment reviews it before you submit.

Knowing the cost and the wait, here is how the application works, one step at a time.

How do you apply for spousal sponsorship, step by step?

The sponsor and the partner prepare two applications and submit them together through IRCC’s Permanent Residence Portal. After submission IRCC checks completeness, sends an acknowledgement of receipt, asks for biometrics and a medical exam, assesses the sponsor and the relationship, and then decides.

Six steps of a spousal sponsorship application

Step 1Confirm eligibility and choose the route

Step 2Gather forms and evidence

Step 3Pay the fees and submit in the Portal

Step 4Acknowledgement of receipt and biometrics30 days to give biometrics

Step 5Medical exam, checks and review30 days for the medical exam

Step 6Decision and permanent residence

Step 1

Confirm eligibility and choose the route

First, confirm that you meet IRCC’s sponsor requirements and that your relationship fits one of the three categories: spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. Then choose between an inland and an outland application. If you live in Quebec, also check Quebec’s intake calendar before filing.

Step 2

Gather forms and evidence

Download IRCC’s spousal sponsorship document checklist for the partner’s country of citizenship. It sets which civil documents, translations and police certificates IRCC expects.

Step 3

Pay the fees and submit through the Portal

The principal applicant creates the Portal account, uploads both applications and pays online. A paid representative can prepare and submit from their own account, but cannot sign for you.

Step 4

Acknowledgement of receipt and biometrics

If the file is complete, IRCC sends an application number and an acknowledgement of receipt. Biometrics must be given within 30 days of the instruction letter. IRCC asks the sponsor, the partner or their representative to check the IRCC online account regularly for updates and requests.

Step 5

Medical exam, background checks and review

The partner completes the immigration medical exam within 30 days of IRCC’s instructions. IRCC then assesses the sponsor, the relationship and the partner’s admissibility, and may request more documents or an interview.

Step 6

Decision and permanent residence

An approved partner receives a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if needed, a permanent resident visa. They present these documents at a port of entry, or finalize inside Canada, before they expire.

Most files lose time at step 2, so it pays to know exactly what to gather.

Spousal sponsorship documents: what do you need to apply?

You need the sponsor’s and the partner’s IRCC forms, identity and civil status documents, police certificates, a medical exam, and evidence that the relationship is genuine. The exact list depends on the partner’s country, so IRCC publishes a country-specific checklist that must be followed line by line.

The IRCC forms

A spousal sponsorship uses two sets of IRCC forms: the sponsor’s forms (IMM 1344 and IMM 5532) and the principal applicant’s permanent residence forms, completed in the Permanent Residence Portal.

Forms (IRCC guide IMM 5289, modified April 23, 2026)

Form	What it is · Who completes it
IMM 1344	What it is: Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking Who completes it: Sponsor
IMM 5532	What it is: Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation Who completes it: Sponsor and partner
IMM 0008	What it is: Generic Application Form for Canada Who completes it: Principal applicant (in the Portal)
IMM 5669	What it is: Schedule A — Background / Declaration Who completes it: Principal applicant and each family member 18+
IMM 5406	What it is: Additional Family Information Who completes it: Principal applicant and each family member 18+
IMM 5562	What it is: Supplementary Information — Your Travels Who completes it: If applicable
IMM 5476	What it is: Use of a Representative Who completes it: Only if you appoint one
IMM 1283	What it is: Financial Evaluation Who completes it: Only when a minimum income applies

Proof that the relationship is genuine

IRCC decides whether a relationship is genuine from documents that show a shared life over time: civil records, a joint address and finances, photos, communication, and statements from people who know the couple.

Marriage certificate registered with the civil authority, and divorce or death certificates for any earlier marriage

For common-law partners: joint lease or mortgage, shared utility bills, bank accounts or insurance, and the same address on IDs over 12 months

Photos together over time, with family and friends

Messages, call logs and travel records that show contact during periods apart

Statutory declarations from people who know the couple

Evidence that children are shared, if any

Police certificates and medical exam

The partner provides a police certificate from every country, other than Canada, where they lived 6 months or more in a row since age 18. Every family member who is not a citizen or permanent resident takes the immigration medical exam with a panel physician, within 30 days of IRCC’s instructions.

Spousal sponsorship document checklist

Forms

Sponsorship application and undertaking
Relationship information form
Permanent residence forms in the Portal

Identity and civil status

Passports and national IDs
Birth certificates
Marriage certificate, plus divorce or death certificates for any earlier marriage

Relationship evidence

Photos together over time
Messages, calls and travel records
Joint lease, bills or bank accounts

The exact list depends on the partner’s country: follow IRCC’s checklist line by line.

Not sure your evidence is enough? A free assessment looks at it before you file.

What you gather also depends on where your partner lives, and a few countries have their own rules.

Sponsoring a spouse from the US, the Philippines, India, the UK or another country: what changes?

The forms and the process are the same for every country. What changes is the list of civil documents and police certificates, which IRCC sets for each country. The partner downloads the checklist for their country of citizenship and follows it line by line; documents not in English or French need a translation.

Among the couples Immigration Pros helped with spousal sponsorship over the last 12 months, the sponsored partner was most often a citizen of the United States, in about one in three cases. No other country reached one in ten: the rest came from many places, including the Philippines, Brazil, India, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. The table covers four of those countries. If your partner comes from anywhere else, the last row shows the documents IRCC asks for in every case.

Country-specific documents (IRCC police certificate pages and visa office checklists)

Partner’s country	Police certificate · Civil documents IRCC asks for
United States	Police certificate: Identity History Summary from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), requested online or by mail Civil documents IRCC asks for: IRCC has no separate US checklist: use the Document Checklist: Spouse (IMM 5533) and choose “United States” in IRCC’s application package tool to get the country-specific document instructions
Philippines	Police certificate: NBI Multi-purpose Clearance Certificate, from the National Bureau of Investigation (online, at an NBI office, or at a Philippine embassy or consulate if abroad) Civil documents IRCC asks for: Birth and marriage certificates authenticated by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) when the partner is not married, for example for common-law partners
India	Police certificate: Police Clearance Certificate, through Passport Seva (passport office), a local district police station, an Indian embassy or consulate, or a BLS International centre if abroad Civil documents IRCC asks for: Birth certificate (if the birth was registered late, also school records and the Voter ID); marriage certificate; for common-law partners, affidavits of at least one year living together plus joint documents; notarized translations
United Kingdom	Police certificate: Police Certificate, from the ACRO Criminal Records Office; it covers England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar Civil documents IRCC asks for: IRCC has no separate UK checklist: use the Document Checklist: Spouse (IMM 5533) and choose “United Kingdom” in IRCC’s application package tool to get the country-specific document instructions
Any other country	Police certificate: A police certificate from every country, other than Canada, where the partner lived 6 months or more in a row since age 18, requested as IRCC explains on its police certificate page for that country Civil documents IRCC asks for: The documents in the Document Checklist: Spouse (IMM 5533): identity and civil status documents, such as a passport, birth certificate and marriage certificate or proof of living together, plus any country instructions shown in IRCC’s application package tool; certified translations for documents not in English or French

Always use the current checklist.

IRCC updates its country document checklists without notice; the Philippines (Manila) and India (New Delhi) checklists cited in this guide are dated June 2026. A partner who has lived 6 months or more in a row in another country since age 18 also needs that country’s police certificate.

If your partner is already in Canada, or plans to visit, the next question is whether they can work.

Spousal open work permit: can your partner work or visit Canada while you wait?

A partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada and holds valid status can get an open work permit once IRCC sends the acknowledgement of receipt, on an inland or an outland application. A partner living abroad can apply for a visitor visa, and IRCC processes it faster when the permanent residence application already has an acknowledgement of receipt.

Open work permit for sponsored partners

A sponsored partner qualifies for the spousal open work permit when the couple lives together in Canada, the partner has valid or maintained status, and IRCC has sent the acknowledgement of receipt, on an inland or an outland application.

An inland application (Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada class), or an outland application (family class) while the partner lives in Canada

Living with the sponsor in Canada, in a genuine relationship

Valid temporary status or maintained status

Acknowledgement of receipt received. Exception: if the current permit expires within 2 weeks, the partner can apply without it

The permit is usually issued for 2 years and can be extended while the sponsorship is in process. A partner without valid status must wait for approval in principle of the sponsorship before applying.

Not the same as the open work permit for spouses of students and workers.

Since January 21, 2025, the spouse of an international student or temporary worker can get an open work permit only in limited cases: the student is in a master’s program of 16 months or more, a doctoral program or certain professional programs, or the worker has a TEER 0 or 1 job (or certain TEER 2 or 3 jobs) with at least 16 months left on their permit. These limits do not apply to the spousal open work permit for an inland sponsorship.

Visiting Canada during an outland application

A pending sponsorship does not guarantee a visitor visa. The officer still checks that the visit is temporary, so the partner shows ties and plans that fit a visit.

If you live in Quebec, there is one more stage that changes the timeline.

How is spousal sponsorship different in Quebec?

A sponsor who lives in Quebec follows two stages: IRCC first confirms eligibility as a sponsor, then the sponsor files an undertaking with the Quebec government. Quebec applies its own eligibility rules and financial criteria, charges its own fees, and limits how many spousal undertakings it receives.

Quebec intake cap.

From July 2, 2026 to June 30, 2028, Quebec accepts a maximum of 13,300 undertaking applications for spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners, on a staggered calendar based on the date of the IRCC eligibility letter or acknowledgement of receipt. Applications sent before their date, or after the cap is reached, are returned without processing. Source: quebec.ca, updated July 22, 2026.

Quebec is a frequent case: about four in ten of the couples who contacted Immigration Pros about spousal sponsorship over the last 12 months were French-speaking couples served by our Quebec team.

For a spouse, common-law (de facto) spouse or conjugal partner, the Quebec undertaking lasts 3 years. Since January 1, 2026, Quebec charges CAD 335 for the first person sponsored and CAD 135 for each additional person.

Quebec’s submission calendar for spousal undertakings (2026–2028)

You can submit from the date in the first column if your IRCC eligibility letter or acknowledgement of receipt is dated on or before the date in the second column. Applications sent earlier are returned.

You can submit from	IRCC letter dated on or before
July 2, 2026	July 31, 2024
September 1, 2026	January 31, 2025
November 1, 2026	June 30, 2025
January 1, 2027	August 31, 2025
March 1, 2027	October 31, 2025
May 1, 2027	November 30, 2025
July 1, 2027	December 31, 2025
September 1, 2027	February 28, 2026
November 1, 2027	May 31, 2026
January 1, 2028	August 31, 2026
March 1, 2028	December 31, 2026
May 1, 2028	May 27, 2027

Source: quebec.ca, rules governing the reception of applications, updated July 22, 2026.

Quebec accepts only 13,300 spousal undertakings until June 30, 2028, and an undertaking sent before its window or after the cap is returned. Immigration Pros can confirm your submission date and prepare your Quebec undertaking. Free assessment, no obligation.

Check My Quebec Date

Wherever you apply, the biggest risk is the same: a file that goes wrong, and here is how that happens.

Why do spousal sponsorship applications get delayed or refused?

Most delays come from incomplete files, documents that do not match the country checklist, and requests for more evidence. Most refusals come from an officer not being satisfied that the relationship is genuine, or that it was not entered into mainly to obtain immigration status.

A missing form, signature, fee or translation: the file is returned and the wait starts again

Inconsistent dates or addresses between the sponsor’s and the partner’s forms

Thin evidence of the relationship, or of 12 months living together for common-law partners

A marriage that is not legally valid in Canada, such as a proxy or online marriage

A sponsor bar that was not disclosed

Criminality or a medical issue on the partner’s side

A family member not declared: they can never be sponsored later as a family member of this sponsor

A returned application is not a refusal.

IRCC returns an incomplete spousal sponsorship application without processing it, for example when a form, signature or fee is missing. A returned application is not a refusal: the couple can correct it and submit it again, but the wait starts again from the new submission date. A refusal is a decision on the application itself, after IRCC has assessed it.

Declare every family member.

Dependent children must be declared and examined even if they are not coming to Canada. A child left out cannot be sponsored later as a family member.

Worried about a past refusal or a returned application? A free assessment looks at it before you apply again.

Before you sign, understand what you are promising as the sponsor.

If the partner receives social assistance during those 3 years, the government can ask you to repay it.

For a dependent child under 22, the undertaking lasts 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first. For a dependent child 22 or older, 3 years.

The sponsor can withdraw the sponsorship before the partner becomes a permanent resident, through IRCC’s web form.

Want to understand what you would be signing? A free assessment walks you through the undertaking first.

The promise goes both ways, so here is what your partner takes on.

What does the sponsored partner commit to, and what do they need?

The sponsored partner, called the principal applicant, signs the sponsorship agreement in form IMM 1344 and promises to make every reasonable effort to support themselves and the family members who come with them. They must also prove the relationship is genuine and meet IRCC’s biometrics, police certificate and medical exam requirements.

Spousal sponsorship requirements for the sponsored partner

A sponsored partner must complete the principal applicant’s forms, prove a genuine relationship and pass IRCC’s identity, police and medical checks, whether the application is inland or outland.

Complete the principal applicant’s digital forms: the Generic Application Form (IMM 0008), Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669) and Additional Family Information (IMM 5406).

Sign the sponsor’s Application to Sponsor (IMM 1344), together with the sponsor.

Give biometrics if aged 14 to 79, within 30 days of the instruction letter.

Provide a valid police certificate for every country other than Canada where they lived for 6 months in a row or more after turning 18.

Do the medical exam within 30 days of the medical instructions IRCC issues.

Show, with documents, that the marriage, common-law union or conjugal relationship is genuine.

What changes for the sponsored partner after approval?

After approval, a sponsored partner becomes a permanent resident without any condition to keep living with the sponsor, because Canada removed the two-year cohabitation condition in April 2017.

If the relationship ends, the partner keeps permanent resident status, and the sponsor stays responsible for the undertaking period.

A person who became a permanent resident through spousal sponsorship cannot sponsor a new spouse or partner within 5 years of becoming a permanent resident, even if they become a citizen during those 5 years.

A sponsored partner in Canada who is experiencing abuse from the sponsor can apply for a temporary resident permit or an expedited humanitarian and compassionate permanent residence application.

Both partners sign the sponsorship agreement.

The sponsor and the sponsored partner both sign the sponsorship agreement in IMM 1344. The sponsor covers the partner’s basic needs for 3 years from the day the partner becomes a permanent resident, and IRCC offers no way to cancel or shorten that period afterwards. The sponsored partner promises to make every reasonable effort to support themselves.

Many couples handle these steps alone, and some choose help, so here is how to decide.

Do you need an immigration consultant to sponsor your spouse?

Couples can apply for spousal sponsorship on their own, but a licensed immigration consultant is recommended for every application, not only for complicated cases. A spousal sponsorship combines two sets of IRCC forms, a checklist that changes by country and evidence that the relationship is genuine, and a missing document or the wrong route can send the application back and restart a wait that IRCC estimates at 18 to 26 months outside Quebec. Only licensed consultants (RCIC), lawyers and notaries can charge to represent you before IRCC.

Immigration Pros is a firm of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. We review the couple’s situation, recommend the inland or outland route, check every document against IRCC’s current checklist and, as your authorized representative, answer IRCC’s requests for you. Our principal consultant, Galo Castillo, holds CICC licence R408519, which anyone can verify on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants’ public register.

About one in eight couples who contact us ask whether a past visa refusal, a returned application or the partner’s status history will hurt the case, and that is exactly what a free assessment checks before you file. During the assessment we also explain our fees and the payment options available. We are consultants, not a law firm, and no one can promise an approval.

What couples ask us.

“I don’t want this coming back.” A couple talking about an application that IRCC had returned to them before, shared anonymously.

Applying on your own or with a consultant.

IRCC does not require a representative for a spousal sponsorship, and its forms, guides and country checklists are free on canada.ca. A couple who applies on its own saves the professional fee but takes full responsibility for every form, translation and document. A consultant does not make IRCC process the file faster and cannot guarantee an approval. What a licensed consultant adds is a complete review before submission and a representative who answers IRCC’s requests for the couple.

When is professional help most important?

Professional help is recommended for every spousal sponsorship, and it matters most when a mistake would be expensive: a returned or refused spousal sponsorship file can add 18 months or more to the wait, and some errors, such as an undeclared family member, can never be fixed later. It is especially important if:

You or your partner had a previous refusal, sponsorship or undertaking

Your partner’s status in Canada expires soon, or your partner is out of status

You have been together a short time, live apart, or are claiming a conjugal relationship

You live in Quebec and need to fit the 2026–2028 intake calendar

There is a criminal record, a medical issue, or a child who will not move to Canada

Immigration Pros prepares the complete spousal sponsorship file, checks it line by line against IRCC’s checklist for your partner’s country, and represents you before IRCC until a decision is made.

A returned file restarts a wait of 18 months or more, and a family member left out of the application can never be sponsored later. Have Immigration Pros check your forms and relationship evidence before you pay the IRCC fees. Free assessment, no obligation.

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Spousal sponsorship Canada: frequently asked questions

Couples who contacted Immigration Pros about spousal sponsorship over the last 12 months asked most often about the total cost and how to pay it, whether the partner can visit or stay in Canada during processing, whether the partner can work while they wait, how long the process takes and how living in Quebec changes the case.

What couples ask before a spousal sponsorship

Share of 80 Immigration Pros spousal sponsorship cases that raised each question before hiring, Oct. 2025 to Oct. 2026

Total cost and how to pay it45 %

Visiting or staying in Canada while we wait25 %

Open work permit for my partner24 %

How long it will take20 %

How Quebec changes our case20 %

Whether our relationship qualifies16 %

Whether a past refusal hurts our case13 %

What proof of our relationship is enough13 %

Social assistance, debt or a record11 %

Including my partner’s children11 %

Does IRCC accept an online or proxy marriage for spousal sponsorship?

IRCC does not accept a marriage as the basis for spousal sponsorship when one or both partners were not physically present at the ceremony, such as a proxy, telephone, fax or online marriage. A couple in that situation may still qualify for spousal sponsorship as common-law partners after 12 consecutive months living together, or as conjugal partners when living together has not been possible, so the relationship category should be confirmed before the application is prepared.

Can a permanent resident sponsor a spouse from outside Canada?

A permanent resident must live in Canada to sponsor a spouse or partner, so a permanent resident living abroad cannot sponsor from there. A Canadian citizen living abroad can sponsor if they show they will return to Canada when the partner becomes a permanent resident; Immigration Pros can help gather the evidence of that return that IRCC expects to see.

How long do we need to be together to apply?

A married couple has no minimum time together to apply for spousal sponsorship. A common-law couple needs 12 consecutive months living together, and a conjugal relationship needs at least one year. In every case, IRCC judges the relationship by the evidence, not only by the dates, so a recent relationship is worth a professional review before filing.

Can I sponsor my spouse if I am on social assistance?

A sponsor who receives social assistance for a reason other than a disability cannot sponsor a spouse or partner. A sponsor who receives social assistance because of a disability can still sponsor.

I was sponsored as a spouse. When can I sponsor a new partner?

A person who became a permanent resident through spousal sponsorship can sponsor a new partner five years after that date, and only if any previous undertaking they signed for a partner has ended. Immigration Pros can confirm both dates before a new application is prepared.

Can my spouse stay in Canada while the application is processed?

A sponsored partner can stay in Canada during processing when they apply from inside Canada (inland) and keep valid temporary status while IRCC processes the spousal sponsorship. Leaving Canada can end that status and block re-entry, so travel plans should be settled before choosing the route.

What happens if we separate before the decision?

A sponsor can withdraw a spousal sponsorship before the partner becomes a permanent resident, by writing to IRCC before the final decision and sending the letter through the IRCC web form. After the partner becomes a permanent resident, the sponsor’s 3-year undertaking remains in force even if the couple separates.

Is the spousal open work permit affected by the 2025 limits for spouses of students and workers?

The January 2025 limits on open work permits apply to spouses of international students and temporary workers, not to spousal sponsorship. A sponsored partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada and has valid status can still get a spousal open work permit after the acknowledgement of receipt.

Can I include my partner’s children?

A partner’s dependent children are included in the same spousal sponsorship application, with a fee for each child. Every dependent child must be declared and take the medical exam, even one who is not moving to Canada, because a child left out of the application cannot be sponsored later as a family member.

Can we travel or live apart while the spousal sponsorship is processed?

Couples who apply outland can usually travel and live in different countries while IRCC processes the spousal sponsorship, and the partner can visit Canada if the officer is satisfied that the visit is temporary. Couples who apply inland must live together in Canada, and a partner who leaves Canada during an inland application can lose temporary status and may not be allowed back in.

My partner’s status in Canada is about to expire. What can we do?

A partner whose visitor, work or study status is about to expire can apply to extend it before the expiry date, and IRCC then allows them to stay legally until it decides (maintained status). A spouse or common-law partner who has already lost status can still be sponsored inland under IRCC’s public policy for partners without status, but can apply for the spousal open work permit only after the sponsorship receives approval in principle, and the policy does not waive criminal or security inadmissibility. Because the dates matter, this situation is worth a professional review before the status ends.

Are there alternatives to spousal sponsorship?

Spousal sponsorship is the main permanent residence route for a partner whose link to Canada is the relationship. A partner who qualifies on their own may also look at economic immigration programs, such as Express Entry or a provincial nominee program, or at a temporary work or study permit. Each route has different requirements and timelines, so a free assessment with Immigration Pros compares the options for the couple’s situation.

What proof of our relationship is enough for spousal sponsorship?

IRCC does not set a minimum number of photos or documents for a spousal sponsorship. The officer looks for evidence that the relationship is genuine and continuing: civil records such as a marriage certificate, a shared address and finances for common-law partners, photos together over time, communication while apart, and statements from people who know the couple. The country-specific IRCC checklist lists what must be included, and anything missing can get the application returned. For example, a common-law couple whose lease is in only one name can add other proof of the shared address, such as government IDs, mail or a joint bank account, along with the Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union (IMM 5409), and can group the photos in one PDF with the date, place and people shown in each one.

Is Immigration Pros licensed, and can the whole process be done remotely?

Immigration Pros is a firm of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. Our principal consultant, Galo Castillo, holds CICC licence R408519, which anyone can check on the public register of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. We work with couples remotely, inside Canada and abroad, so the free assessment, the document review and the submission can all be done without visiting an office. We are consultants, not a law firm.

Get Your Free Spousal Sponsorship Assessment

Tell us where you and your partner live and how you met. The sooner a complete application reaches IRCC, the sooner the wait starts. A licensed consultant reviews your situation, tells you which route fits and what IRCC will expect to see, and usually replies within a few hours during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00). No cost, no obligation.

Spousal Sponsorship Simplified IP ENG

Your full name

Phone

Your relationship status

How long have you been together?

Does either of you have a criminal record, serious medical condition, or past visa refusal?

Are you the sponsor or the partner being sponsored?

About you as the sponsor

What is your immigration status in Canada?

Have you sponsored, or been sponsored as, a spouse in the last 5 years?

Where is your partner currently living?

Are you receiving social assistance, bankrupt, or in default of a support or immigration loan?