Sponsor Your Spouse Inside Canada
Inland vs Outland Spousal Sponsorship Canada
Outland Spousal Sponsorship
The key difference between inland and outland sponsorship is where your spouse resides. If you are a Canadian Permanent Resident or a Canadian Citizen looking to sponsor your spouse living outside of Canada, you would apply for the outland spousal sponsorship stream.
In most cases, your spouse will remain outside of Canada until your application has been approved. In some cases, however, your spouse can apply for a temporary visa to come to Canada while the application is being processed.
Inland Spousal Sponsorship
If your spouse is residing outside of Canada, you would apply through the inland spousal sponsorship stream. To qualify for this stream, your spouse must have some form of temporary visa (i.e. study permit, visitor visa, work permit, etc.) to be in Canada.
A benefit of inland spousal sponsorship is that your spouse may be eligible to apply for an open work permit while their sponsorship application is being processed. An open work permit will allow them to work for any employer while the spousal sponsorship application is being processed.
Inland Spousal Sponsorship Open Work Permit
If your spouse is temporarily staying in Canada as a visitor while their application for inland spousal sponsorship is being reviewed, they can apply for an open work permit. The open work permit for spouses awaiting approval of their sponsorship application began as a pilot program in 2014 and has since been extended annually.
Your spouse can apply for an open work permit at the same time as they submit an application for spousal sponsorship. In most cases, they will receive authorization to work within 4-5 months.
It’s important to note that while the applications are being processed, your spouse must wait for their work permit application to be approved before starting to work.
Inland Spousal Sponsorship Canada Processing Time
As of 2021, inland spousal sponsorship applications typically take one year (12 months) to be fully processed. When evaluating how long it will take to sponsor your spouse in Canada, it’s
also important to remember that it will take time for you to prepare the application and gather documents.
Typically, it takes a couple of months to secure all of the supporting documentation, complete the forms, review, and submit the final application package. As such, if you haven’t begun the process yet, you should expect it to take approximately 18 months or longer to sponsor your spouse inside Canada, from the start of the process to the end.
Inland Spousal Sponsorship Checklist
What do you need to sponsor your spouse living inside Canada?
1. Download your application package from Immigration Canada. This package contains a full list of the forms and documentation your application will require.
2. Fill out your forms. There are approximately 8-10 forms you will need to fill and submit with your application, which includes:
Forms for the sponsor:
Document checklist (completed) - IMM5533
Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement, and Undertaking - IMM1344
Sponsorship Evaluation and Relationship Questionnaire - IMM5532
Use of a Representative - IMM5476 (if required)
Forms for the person being sponsored:
a. Generic Application Form for Canada - IMM0008
b. Additional Dependents/Declaration - IMM0008DEP
c. Additional Family Information - IMM5406
d. Schedule A - Background/Declaration - eIMM5669 e. Use of a Representative - IMM5476
3. Gather Your Documents. You must submit all documentation listed in the checklist.
For any documents not in English or French, you must provide a certified copy of the original document, and an English or French translation, and an affidavit from the person who completed the translation.
You must submit police certificates from the country where the person being sponsored currently lives (if they’ve lived there for at least 6 months) in addition to the country where they spent most of their life since the age of 18.
You must submit a valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage. The document must show that the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place.
4. Review your application for common errors.
Be sure all forms are signed and dated correctly.
Double-check to see if there are any country-specific requirements.
5. Pay your application fees. You will need to pay multiple processing fees upon submission of your application.
Sponsorship fee $75 CAD
Principal application processing fee $475 CAD
Right of permanent residence fee $500 CAD
Biometrics fee $85 CAD
6. Submit your application by mail. You must submit your application to the appropriate Government processing office.
Our Services
Calver and Associates is a leading provider of Canadian Immigration services in Durham Region. We serve clients in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and beyond. Our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant has over 10 years of experience in Canadian Immigration law and over four years of experience serving those in the Oshawa area.
We can provide assistance with applications for both temporary and permanent residency in Canada. We handle applications for study permits, permanent residency, family class sponsorship, visitor visas, work permits, and Canadian citizenship. We also handle criminal inadmissibility cases by developing remedies for refusal.
