Why over 25% of spousal sponsorship applications don’t get processed

Recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that approximately 27% of applications of inland sponsorship applications submitted in 2025 (January to October) were refused due to incompleteness.

Of the 45,235 spouse or common-law partner sponsorship applications (within Canada) reviewed by IRCC during this time frame, a total of 32,994 applications were accepted for processing, while 12,241 failed the R10 completeness check.

An application will only be considered complete if it satisfies the requirements established under Regulation 10 (R10) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Sponsor your spouse or common-law partner for Canadian immigration

This article provides information on the stages of application assessment, and how to ensure your spousal sponsorship application is complete at submission—and will make it to the processing stage.

Applications that passed or failed the completeness check in 2025

Below you can see the number of applications, by month, that made it through the first screening step IRCC performs after receiving an application, and how many failed—therefore not making it to the processing stage.

About the application assessment process

Once you submit an inland spousal sponsorship application online, the immigration department first does an application completeness check (R10).

An application passes the R10 completeness check if all required forms, documents, information, signatures, and fees listed in the official checklist are successfully included at the time of submission.

Eligibility (to sponsor or be sponsored) is not assessed at this stage.

If your sponsorship application fails to meet the requirements specified in R10 (i.e., it is incomplete), it will be returned to you. In such cases, IRCC will issue you a refund.

If IRCC deems the application to be complete, it will enter the processing stage and the following will occur:

• An application number will be issued;
  • An *acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter will be provided;
• This letter is issued by the Centralized Intake Office, to the applicant’s MYCIC account (if submitted online) or by mail.
• The eligibility of the sponsor will be assessed;
• The eligibility for permanent residency (PR) and admissibility of the sponsored person (and dependents, if applicable) will be assessed;
• A letter will be sent requesting the sponsored person—and dependents, if applicable—submit medical exams and biometrics.

*Once an AOR has been issued, the sponsor can check the status of their application by using IRCC’s Application Status Tracker (AST). The person being sponsored can only do so after their application enters the processing stage—either through the AST or by creating an IRCC secure account and linking their application to it.

Following assessment, IRCC will send the sponsor an email or letter telling them whether they’ve been approved or refused to be a sponsor.

If approved (sponsor): IRCC will then assess the eligibility of the person being sponsored (and dependents, if applicable).

If refused (sponsor): When you apply, you inform IRCC whether you want to withdraw your sponsorship or continue processing your spouse/partner’s PR application in the case of your refusal as a sponsor.

In the case of withdrawal, all fees (except for the sponsorship fee) will be refunded; in the case of continued PR application processing, no processing fees will be returned.

If approved (sponsored person(s)): IRCC may ask your spouse/partner (and accompanying dependents, if applicable) to send in their passport (or photocopies, depending on IRCC’s request), a photo, and receipt for the right of permanent residence fee.

Your spouse/partner will be sent instructions on how to confirm their PR status online through the Permanent Residence Portal. An in-person interview may be requested—if so, IRCC will inform them of its time and place, and what documents to bring.

If refused (sponsored person(s)): IRCC will communicate the reason for refusal.

IRCC notes that inland sponsorship application refusals cannot be appealed the way outland sponsorship (outside Canada) applications can.

Sponsor your spouse or common-law partner for Canadian immigration

How to ensure your application passes the R10 completeness check

To pass the R10 completeness check and have your application enter the processing stage, you need to submit a complete application.

To ensure you submit a complete application, following the steps detailed below:

Step 1) Read the instruction guide in its entirety: “Sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child – Complete Guide (IMM 5289).”

This will aid in the preparation of both your application to sponsor your spouse/partner (and dependent children, if applicable), and the application of the sponsored person(s)—and in determining eligibility requirements to sponsor and be sponsored.

Step 2) Consult the document checklists to determine which documents must be included in the sponsor’s application and the sponsored person’s application:

• Sponsor’s document checklist: IMM 5287.
• Sponsored person’s (spouse/partner) document checklist: IMM 5533.

Gather all required application forms, as well as supporting documentation that is mandatory and which may be applicable to you (e.g., if you used a representative, include the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] form).

Note that the document checklist itself is a document that must be included for an application to be considered complete.

Any documents that are not in English or French translation should be accompanied by notarized (certified) translations of the original or an affidavit from the person who completed the translation.

Make sure to check country-specific requirements on the family sponsorship application kit web page, as there may be specific requirements for civil documents from certain countries, or additional forms to fill out.

Step 3) Both parties must fill out the applicable application form, paying close attention to whose signature is required on each form (e.g., just the spouse or sponsor, or both parties). Missing even one signature is grounds for an application not passing the completeness check.

If a section on a form does not apply to you, write “Not applicable” or “NA.” Further, if you need more space for any section, include an additional page containing the relevant section and upload it along with your application.

At this stage—in case you are unable to provide any requested documents—you will also want to draft a letter of explanation (LOE), explaining why a certain piece of documentation is unavailable and provide any documents that may support your claim (failure to do so may result in application refusal).

Step 4) Pay the applicable fees (before submitting the application)—as part of a complete application is a copy of the receipt.

Refer to the fees below:

1) Full fee to sponsor your spouse/partner = $1,205—which consists of:

• Sponsorship fee ($85);
• Principal applicant processing fee ($545); and
• Right of permanent residence fee ($575).

2) Full fee to add a dependent child = $170—which consists of:

• Sponsorship fee ($85); and
• Principal applicant processing fee ($545).

3) Full biometrics fee = $85 per person, or $170 for a family of two or more people (applying at the same time/place).

IRCC notes that while you are not obligated to pay the right of permanent resident fee ($575) at the time of application submission, you will need to pay it before you become a PR. Paying this fee later, however, may result in delays.

Step 5) Double-check your application to confirm it is complete (forms signed, correct documents attached, fees paid and receipt attached, etc.) and that you’ve avoided common mistakes (outlined in the instruction guide).

Step 6) Submit your application.

For more details on inland sponsorship (including eligibility (to sponsor or to be sponsored), how it works, and a spouse/partner’s (or dependent child’s) eligibility for a work permit, see our dedicated web page.

Sponsor your spouse or common-law partner for Canadian immigration