The Canadian government places high value on families, and it therefore strives to reunite Canadian citizens or permanent residents with their loved ones as quickly as possible. The outland sponsorship program provides citizens and permanent residents with a way to assist their spouses or common-law partners in their immigration applications. Generally, this class of immigration is used when the sponsored person is living outside of Canada. While this option is available to applicants who are already living in Canada, the inland sponsorship program is a more popular route for those cases.

If you pursue the outland sponsorship program when you are already in Canada, you may travel between Canada and other countries as long as your temporary resident visa allows you to do so. However, it should be noted that there is no guarantee of re-entry.

How does the outland sponsorship program work?

If you wish to immigrate to Canada under the inland sponsorship program, your spouse or common-law partner must first apply to Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the right to be your sponsor. As part of this application, your spouse or partner will need to submit proof of your relationship in the form of family photos or letters, a marriage certificate, or the birth certificates of any children born to you.

Once your spouse or partner has been approved as your sponsor, you can submit your application for permanent residence. This includes the submission of supporting documents, such as proof of a medical examination and a police clearance certificate, as well as payment of the relevant fees. Processing times vary depending on volume and your country of origin, but IRCC endeavours to process applications through this category within twelve months.