NEWS: Sponsorship applications are now being processed more quickly

Great news for spouses and common-law partners looking to reunite in Canada!

The government of Canada has shown once again that it is committed to family reunification. The Minister of Immigration announced that sponsorship applications were processed much faster in 2017 and that more than 80% of submitted applications (which were part of a backlog) received a final decision.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has also announced that the processing time will now be shortened to 12 months for sponsorship applications.

Furthermore, according to IRCC, the number of accepted spouses and dependants should increase to 66,000 in 2018, which is well above the average of 47,000 in the past decade.

Spousal Sponsorship

If you are a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, you may sponsor a foreign national who you are married to, who is a common-law partner or a conjugal partner. The family class sponsorship program also allows you to include your dependent children in the application. It is also worthy to mention that same-sex spouses or partners are also eligible to sponsor under this program and are not discriminated under Canadian Law.

Who is a spouse?

A spouse is someone who is legally married to another person. If the couple got married in Canada, CIC will require to see the Canadian Marriage Certificate.
If the marriage was celebrated outside Canada, it must be valid in the foreign country where it was celebrated and a legitimate marriage certificate must be issued.

Who is a common-law partner?

A common-law partner is defined as a couple living together in a conjugal relationship for a period of at least one year. This includes same-sex common law partners. The couple must have been in a conjugal relationship for a continuous 1 year uninterrupted period, except for family or business reasons.

Who is a conjugal partner?

This category is for couples, including same-sex couples, who are unable to qualify as spouses or common-law partners, due to exceptional circumstances beyond their control. For example, the couple cannot live together for religious, sexual orientation, marital status or customary reasons. The relationship should prove the same level of commitment as a married couple or common-law partner.

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