Permanent Residence for Your Spouse or Partner – HCFL Immigration, Calgary
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal
partner to become a Permanent Resident of Canada. Spousal sponsorship is a family-class immigration
program that allows families to reunite and settle together permanently in Canada.
Under this program, the sponsor signs an undertaking with the Government of Canada to financially support
the sponsored spouse for a period of three (3) years after they become a permanent resident.

Benefits of Spousal Sponsorship

• Sponsored spouse becomes a Canadian Permanent Resident
• Ability to live, work, and settle permanently in Canada
• No strict education, language, or work experience requirements
• Strong focus on family reunification by the Government of Canada
Types of Spousal Sponsorship

Outland Spousal Sponsorship

• For sponsored partner residing outside Canada
• PR application submitted to IRCC Case Processing Centre (Sydney, Nova Scotia)
• Sponsored spouse may travel in and out of Canada during processing (if eligible)
Inland Spousal Sponsorship
• For sponsored partner living in Canada under temporary status
• Applies to visitors, students, or workers already in Canada
• PR application submitted to IRCC Case Processing Centre (Mississauga, Ontario)
• Option to apply for open work permit during processing

Eligibility Requirements

• Sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
• Both sponsor and sponsored partner must be at least 18 years old
• Proof of genuine and ongoing relationship is mandatory
• Sponsored partner must have a clean police record
• Sponsored partner must not have been sponsored as a spouse within the last 5 years
• Sponsor must have completed 5 years in Canada if previously sponsored as a spouse
• Sponsor is financially responsible for the spouse for 3 years after PR approval
Who Can Be Sponsored?
• Spouse: Legally married partner (same-sex or opposite-sex)
• Common-law partner: Lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months
• Conjugal partner: Unable to live together due to circumstances beyond control but in a committed
relationship for at least 1 year

Processing Time

Spousal sponsorship applications generally take between 12 to 26 months to process. Processing times vary
depending on the country of residence and the completeness of the application.