Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for permanent residency. Spousal sponsorship is among the most personal — and most scrutinized — applications IRCC reviews. Our RCIC team builds well-documented, genuine relationship applications that satisfy every IRCC requirement, the first time.
Canadian spousal sponsorship splits into two distinct streams — and choosing the wrong one can cost you a year of waiting and an open work permit. Our team analyzes your situation and recommends the stream that protects your rights and gets your spouse to permanent residency in the shortest realistic time.
Inland sponsorship is for couples already living together in Canada. The sponsored spouse must hold valid temporary status (worker, student, visitor). One major advantage of the inland stream is the Spousal Open Work Permit, which lets your spouse work for any Canadian employer while the application is processed.
Outland sponsorship is processed at a visa office abroad. Despite its name, the sponsored spouse can be either inside or outside Canada — the key difference is that outland applications generally allow the spouse to travel freely while the application is pending and can sometimes be faster to finalize, depending on the visa office of responsibility.
IRCC's central concern in any spousal application is whether the relationship is genuine and not entered into primarily for immigration purposes. We build a comprehensive evidence file — joint financials, lease/mortgage documents, photos across time, communication history, family declarations, travel records, and a carefully drafted relationship narrative — that leaves no doubt about the legitimacy of your relationship.
The sponsored spouse must have valid temporary status in Canada. The major benefit is access to the Spousal Open Work Permit while the application is processed.
Despite the name, the spouse can be inside or outside Canada. Allows for travel during processing and provides a right of appeal to the IAD if refused.
Our RCIC team has guided spousal sponsorship applications across both inland and outland streams. We'll choose the right pathway for your situation and prepare a file that holds up under IRCC scrutiny.
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