How to Apply for Spousal Visa to Canada: A Detailed Guide 2024/2025

The Spousal Sponsorship Program, also known as Spouse Visa Canada, allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their foreign spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for Canadian permanent residency. This program is known by several unofficial names, including the Canada Marriage Visa, Canada Fiance Visa, and Common-Law Sponsorship Canada. However, the primary goal is always to assist the sponsor’s partner in obtaining permanent residency.

What’s the difference between a spouse, common-law partner, and conjugal partner?

When discussing the Canada Spousal Sponsorship Program, it is critical to understand Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) definitions of a spouse, common-law partner, and conjugal partner.

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Who can be considered a spouse in Canada?

IRCC classifies a spouse as someone who:

• Of either gender.
• 18 years or older.
• Legally got married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Note that same-sex marriages performed in Canada are eligible for spousal sponsorship.
• If the marriage took place outside of Canada, it must be valid under both the laws of the country where it occurred and Canadian federal law.
• Same-sex marriages performed outside of Canada are ineligible for spousal sponsorship, but an application can be made under the common-law partner or conjugal partner categories if such a relationship can be demonstrated.

Who can be considered a Common-Law Partner in Canada?

IRCC classifies a common-law partner as someone who:

• Of either gender.
• 18 years old or older.
• Not legally married to a permanent resident or Canadian citizen.
• Has lived continuously with the Canadian citizen or permanent resident for at least 12 months.

Who can be considered a Conjugal Partner  in Canada?

IRCC classifies conjugal partner as someone that is:

• Of either gender
• 18 years old or older
• Not legally married to a permanent resident or Canadian citizen.
• In a relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for at least a year.
• Living outside of Canada
• Exceptional circumstances beyond the applicants’ control have prevented them from qualifying as common-law partners or spouses, such as immigration barriers or legal restrictions on divorce or same-sex relationships.
• This may necessitate a demonstration of emotional ties and intimacy, financial closeness, such as joint ownership of assets or mutual financial support, and efforts to spend time together and reunite.
• Conjugal partners can be either opposite or same sex.

Canada Spouse Visa: Sponsor Requirements

To sponsor your partner through Canada Spousal Sponsorship or Spouse Visa, you must be:

• A Canadian permanent resident or citizen.
• At least 18 years old.
• Presently living in Canada or planning to return after your partner has become a permanent resident.
• Able to support your partner’s financial needs for a minimum of three years.

Step-by-Step Process:Spousal Sponsorship in Canada

This is a step-by-step guide for the Canada Spousal Sponsorship Visa Program.

Step 1: 

Determine Your Eligibility

Prospective sponsors should be aware of the applicable requirements, whether they are sponsoring a partner in or outside Canada.

• Inland Spousal Sponsorship Canada is for partners who live in Canada. Such partners must have valid temporary resident status in the country and reside with their sponsor during the application process.
• Outland Spousal Sponsorship Canada is for partners living outside of Canada. If the partners are from a visa-free country, they can enter or exit Canada during the application process.

Step 2: 

Get the Application Package for Spousal Sponsorship.

The first step in the spousal sponsorship process is to obtain the Spouse Visa Application Package. You can use the checklist included in the package to identify the documents required for Spousal Sponsorship Canada.

Step 3: 

Complete an online application.

Gather all of the documents mentioned in the previous step and complete your online application as instructed on the IRCC’s website. The main applicant must complete all digital forms online. To prove the genuineness of your relationship in Canada Spouse Visa, you must provide additional information about your travels and other documents.

Step 4: 

Pay the Application Fee for Spousal Sponsorship

After completing the online application for a Canada Spouse Visa, you must pay application processing fees totaling $1,080 CAD. The Spousal Sponsorship Fee is 75 CAD, while the Principal Applicants Fee is 490 CAD. The remaining $515 CAD is for the right to permanent residence fee.

Step 5: 

Submit the Spouse Visa Application.

After carefully reviewing your Canada Spousal Sponsorship application, you may submit it. Following that, the IRCC will submit the application for permanent residence.

Step 6: 

Apply for Permanent Residency.

Once your Canada Spouse Visa application is approved, your partner may apply for permanent residency.

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Canada Spouse Visa Fees

The total Canada Spousal Sponsorship fees vary based on the number of sponsored family members.

• Sponsorship fee: $75 CAD.
• Biometric Fee: 85 CAD per person.
• The principal applicant processing fee: 490 CAD.
• The fee for permanent residence: $515 CAD.
• Additional fee if including a dependent child: 155 CAD per child.

Canada Spousal Sponsorship Process Time

The processing time for both inland and outland applicants ranges between 12 and 20 months. However, the exact Spousal Sponsorship processing time can only be found on the IRCC’s official website.