Do I have to move to Canada to sponsor my spouse?

If you are outside of Canada currently, you may have to move to sponsor your spouse, depending on whether you are a citizen or permanent resident—however, your loved one's ability to travel during the application process drastically changes, depending on if you use the in-Canada (Inland Sponsorship) or outside Canada (Outland Sponsorship) options.

Outland Sponsorship provides many benefits, including faster application processing, increased freedom to travel in and out of Canada during processing, and the right to appeal if an application is denied.

Couples have the option of the Outland Sponsorship route, even when located in Canada.

Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration

Canada has two distinct spousal sponsorship routes, both of which have specific considerations and stipulations:

• Inland Sponsorship (Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class); and
• Outland Sponsorship (Family Class).

Permanent residents (PRs) must reside in Canada to sponsor their spouse or partner, regardless of sponsorship class.

Only Canadian citizens can apply through Outland Sponsorship from abroad, provided they can demonstrate an intent to move back to Canada once their partner’s PR application is approved.

In this article, we’ll expand on who can sponsor (and be sponsored) through each spousal sponsorship category and provide insight into which one may be best for you.

Basic sponsorship eligibility

Before choosing the most suitable sponsorship pathway for your circumstances, you must first confirm that you qualify as a sponsor. In general, you can sponsor someone if

• You are at least 18 years of age;
• You are a Canadian citizen, PR, or registered Indian;
• You possess sufficient financial resources to support the sponsored person’s basic necessities; and
• You are not receiving social assistance from the federal government, other than for a disability.

You also cannot fall under any of the scenarios that disqualify an individual from sponsoring their spouse or partner.

Inland Sponsorship

An Inland Sponsorship application can only be made if both the sponsor and the sponsored person are residing together in Canada at the time of application—even if the sponsor is a Canadian citizen.

Under the Inland Sponsorship pathway, you can only sponsor a spouse or common-law partner. If sponsoring a common-law partner, you must have lived with them continuously for at least one year before making an Inland Sponsorship application.

As a consequence, if you do not yet meet the definition of a common-law couple, you may need to move to and reside in Canada for at least a year before being eligible for an Inland Sponsorship.

The person being sponsored must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada (visitor, worker, or student), unless they meet certain exemption criteria. If eligible, they may want to apply for a spousal open work permit (OWP) while their PR application is being processed.

Ideally, neither you nor your partner should leave Canada while the sponsorship application is being processed. There is no guarantee your loved one will be permitted to re-enter, especially if they need a visitor visa to do so.

It’s worth noting that even if both you and your loved one are residing in Canada, you can apply through the Outland Sponsorship pathway, as this allows for travel in and out of Canada during application processing—but a willingness to return is required.

Should your application be refused, you do not have the right to appeal the refusal under the Inland Sponsorship pathway.

At the time of writing, the processing time for Inland Sponsorship applications is about 20 months.

Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration

Outland Sponsorship

This sponsorship category is for the sponsorship of spouses, common-law partners (who meet shared living requirements), or conjugal partners that reside outside Canada. This is the only sponsorship avenue if sponsoring a conjugal partner.

Unlike Inland Sponsorship, Outland Sponsorship allows both the sponsor (if they are a Canadian citizen) and the person they are sponsoring to travel in and out of Canada during application processing.

While sponsors typically reside in Canada when sponsoring their loved one through Outland Sponsorship, Canadian citizens can do so from abroad.

They must, however, be able to show the immigration department that they will move back to Canada and live with their partner once the partner gets PR. This can be done by providing evidence such as:

• A job offer or employment contract in Canada;
• A property rental agreement or property deed;
• A letter of acceptance to an educational institution in Canada; and/or
• A mortgage on property.

In short: Canadian citizens do not have to move to Canada in order to submit an Outland Sponsorship application—but PRs do not have the same ability.

Another perk of Outland Sponsorship is that it provides the right to appeal an application refusal, should one be given.

Under Outland Sponsorship, spouses and partners can also be eligible for a spousal OWP if they first apply and get approved for a visitor visa, for which they benefit from expedited processing. They must be within Canada to get the spousal OWP.

Outland Sponsorship applications, at this time, take about 14 months to be processed.

Fictional examples

Inland sponsorship: Emma is a Canadian PR living in Toronto. Her fiancé, Jake, an American citizen, is in Canada on an employer-specific work permit. After 12 consecutive months of continuous cohabitation, they qualify as common-law partners and submit an Inland Sponsorship application.

Because Emma already resides in Canada, she does not need to move to sponsor him—the primary concern is ensuring that Jake maintains legal status in Canada, so he transitions to a spousal OWP so they can continue living together while the application is processed. While waiting, Jake avoids leaving Canada to avoid issues with re-entry.

Outland sponsorship: Noah is a Canadian citizen working in New York and is married to Lily, an American citizen. They decide to apply for Outland Sponsorship while both continue living in the US.

Noah includes proof that he genuinely plans to move to Canada once Lily’s PR is approved—such as a written plan, evidence of a job offer, and an intention to stay with family in Canada at first. Neither of them has to move to Canada before applying, but approval depends on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepting Noah’s intent to return.

Undertaking obligations

To sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner, you must sign an undertaking agreement—regardless of whether you’re taking the Inland or Outland Sponsorship route.

This is a legally binding agreement in which you commit to financially support your spouse or partner for their basic needs for three years from the day they become a PR.

Before signing the sponsorship undertaking, you must ensure the sponsored person will not need government financial assistance. If they do, you must repay the full amount and cannot sponsor anyone else until it is paid.

Keep in mind that undertaking commitments cannot be withdrawn after a final decision is made on your sponsorship application, including due to financial difficulties, relationship breakdown, or relocation.

An undertaking can be withdrawn only if a financial decision has yet to be made by the immigration department.

Of note is that spousal sponsorship requirements, including undertaking obligations, differ for Quebec residents—who must submit a spousal sponsorship application to both IRCC and the Ministère de l'immigration, de la francisation et de l'intégration (MIFI).

As a Quebec resident, you must sign an undertaking with the province of Quebec and get an income assessment completed by MIFI.

Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration