Family Sponsorship Representation
Reuniting families through Canadian immigration law.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent children, parents, and grandparents for permanent residence. Whether you apply inland or outland, the strength of your relationship evidence and the completeness of your documentation directly affect the outcome.
Eligibility
What IRCC checks for every sponsorship application.
Officers assess several core requirements. Missing any one of them can result in a refusal or significant delays in processing.
Sponsor eligibility
The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, at least 18 years old, and not subject to a removal order, undischarged bankruptcy, or sponsorship bar.
Relationship evidence
IRCC requires detailed evidence to establish the legal existence and genuineness of the relationship — shared finances, cohabitation, communication, and third-party declarations.
Inland vs outland strategy
Inland sponsorship allows an open work permit during processing. Outland sponsorship preserves the right of appeal. The right strategy depends on your circumstances.
Financial requirements
Sponsors of spouses and partners are not subject to a minimum income threshold, but sponsors of parents and grandparents must meet minimum necessary income requirements.
Admissibility & police checks
The sponsored person must be admissible to Canada. Police clearance certificates from every country of residence are required, along with medical examinations.
Open work permit eligibility
Inland spousal sponsorship applicants may be eligible for an open work permit while the application is being processed, allowing them to work for any employer in Canada.
What We Do
FAQ
Inland sponsorship is submitted while the sponsored person is living in Canada. It may allow the sponsored person to apply for an open work permit while the application is being processed. Outland sponsorship is submitted while the sponsored person is outside Canada and is generally processed at a visa office abroad.
Yes, you can sponsor your common-law partner if you can demonstrate that you have been living together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months.
Processing times vary depending on the type of application and the visa office processing it. IRCC publishes updated processing times on their website. Inland applications may take longer but offer the possibility of an open work permit during processing.
No, there is no language requirement for sponsored spouses or partners applying for permanent residence through the family class.
IRCC requires detailed evidence to establish the legal existence and genuineness of the relationship. This includes documentation of the couple's history, shared finances, cohabitation, communication records, photos, and statutory declarations from third parties who can attest to the relationship.
Yes, Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) typically opens through an interest-to-sponsor process, and invitations are issued based on available spots. Sponsors must meet minimum income requirements.
Family sponsorship requires precision — every detail matters.
We prepare sponsorship applications that clearly establish eligibility and genuineness — so nothing is left to interpretation.
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