Canadian citizens can sponsor their wife, parents, and children for permanent residency. For sponsoring spouse for immigrant visa, you have to follow certain documentation process.
Sponsorship is a process that allows individuals who are partnered with the permanent resident to gain permanent residency within 6 to 8 months period without meeting compulsory requirements like language, education, and work experience requirements.
When to Consider Sponsorship for Spouse?
You can consider sponsorship when you are legally married in the country in which you have got married. If you are not legally married, you should only consider sponsoring, if you are in a marriage-like relationship.
You must show partnership documents like shared assets and photos, the time you both spend together.
Sponsor Eligibility
Below are the pre-requisites to ensure that you know if you are eligible of sponsoring a spouse for an immigrant visa in Canada:
- You should be legally married to your wife.
- You should be 18 years of age or older.
- You must be a permanent resident.
- You must reside in Canada.
- If you are a Canadian citizen, not residing in Canada, you may sponsor your wife who doesn’t have children of your own.
- You and your wife must sign an agreement confirming that each of you understands your mutual obligations.
Who cannot be a Sponsor?
- If you are going through the process of bankruptcy
- If you became a permanent resident in Canada less than five years ago
- If you have been convicted of sexual offenses
- If you are in prison
Application Process for Sponsoring Spouse for Immigrant Visa
Before you begin the sponsorship process, as a sponsor, you have to provide financial support for your partner for three years from the time you have become a permanent resident, depending on age and relationship to you. There is no minimum income requirement for sponsoring your spouse.
You must print the information guide and applications you need for sponsorship and immigration from the Immigration Canada website. For sponsoring a spouse for an immigrant visa, you have to fill the application form, and you have to pay the processing fee when you submit the application. The fee is non-refundable. Along with the application, the supporting documents have to be provided.
- Pictures of wedding
- Pictures of honeymoon
- Affidavit attesting your relationship to your spouse
- Airline tickets
- Birth certificate of your spouse
- Valid passport
- A valid marriage certificate
- Proof of citizenship in Canada
- Proof of income
- Sponsorship agreement
- Spouse questionnaire
- Proof of medical examination
- Police screening certificates
- Two photos of the applicant.
If the process is successful, an immigrant visa will be approved. You have to pay a permanent resident fee for your spouse for the visa to be issued. The sponsored person must reach Canada before the visa expires.
Key to a Successful Application
As a legal spouse, you must ensure you provide supporting documents to prove that your marriage to your sponsor was legally approved in your country. There is no limitation on the amount of supporting material you can include in your application.
An error in the documentation for sponsoring spouse for immigrant visa can delay your application. You must fill the application form completely with no missing information. You can submit the application along with supporting documents without the criminal record checks. Send the criminal record to check separately, once the CIC asks you to.