Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or, in limited cases, a conjugal partner for permanent residence. The application is decided on evidence, not on how long you have been together or how obvious the relationship feels to you. Officers look for a documented history: how you met, how the relationship developed, where you have lived, how you share finances and how your families are involved.
The first decision is the stream. An inland application is filed while your partner lives with you in Canada and lets them apply for a Spousal Open Work Permit while it is in process, but there is no right of appeal if it is refused. An outland application is processed through the visa office serving your partner’s country, allows travel during processing, and carries a right of appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. We assess your circumstances and recommend the stream that fits your status, travel needs and appetite for risk.
Common-law partners must show at least 12 continuous months of cohabitation in a marriage-like relationship, proved with leases, joint accounts, mail and statements from people who know you as a couple. Conjugal partner sponsorship exists only where marriage or cohabitation has been impossible because of an immigration or legal barrier, and it is examined closely. We tell you honestly which category fits your relationship before anything is filed.
Who this is for
- Canadian citizens and permanent residents married to, or in a common-law relationship with, a foreign national
- Couples living together in Canada where the sponsored partner needs a Spousal Open Work Permit during processing
- Couples separated by distance who need an outland application filed through the visa office abroad
- Partners who cannot marry or live together because of legal or immigration barriers and may qualify as conjugal partners
- Sponsors with a complicated history: prior sponsorships, a previous refusal, or a relationship that began while one partner was without status
What we do
- Confirm sponsor eligibility, including undertakings from past sponsorships, social assistance and any bars to sponsoring
- Recommend inland or outland based on your partner’s status, travel plans and the value of appeal rights
- Build a relationship evidence package: cohabitation, financial interdependence, communication history, photographs and family recognition
- Draft your relationship narrative and statutory declarations so every document tells the same story
- Prepare and file the Spousal Open Work Permit alongside an inland application
- Respond to IRCC requests, prepare you for any interview and monitor the file to decision
How it works
- 1
Eligibility and stream
We review both of you against the sponsor and applicant requirements, flag any risk, and recommend inland or outland.
- 2
Evidence plan
You receive a document checklist tailored to how your relationship developed, with guidance on what officers weigh most.
- 3
Drafting and review
We prepare the forms, relationship narrative and declarations, then reconcile every date and detail across the file.
- 4
Filing and follow-up
We submit the application and any open work permit, track it, respond to IRCC requests and prepare you for an interview if one is called.