Spousal sponsorship is back to standard, according to the government, after the pandemic hindered IRCC operations.
In January 2022, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced that the 12-month processing requirement for new spousal sponsorship applications had been reinstated in Canada.
Efforts to modernize Canada’s immigration system have allowed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to get back on schedule, according to a government press release. In addition, the IRCC has created a website where spousal and child sponsorship candidates may follow their applications online.
Whether spouses apply as inland or outland candidates, the 12-month service minimum applies. The processing period in both circumstances includes the time it takes for applicants to provide biometrics, for IRCC to examine the sponsor and the individual being sponsored, and for applicants to fulfil eligibility standards.
Spousal Sponsorship Eligibility:
Canadians may be able to sponsor if they meet the following criteria: are over the age of 18; are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or are an Indigenous person as defined by the Indian Act of Canada; demonstrating that they do not receive social aid unless they are disabled; and can meet the financial demands of the individual who is being sponsored
Sponsorship Eligibility:
The individual who is being sponsored must fulfill the following requirements:
Spouse: They must have married the sponsor legally in a public ceremony.
Common-Law Partner: They must have spent at least 12 months with the sponsor.
Conjugal Partner: They must have been in a relationship with the sponsor for at least one year, live outside of Canada, and be unable to live with or marry the sponsor in their home country owing to serious legal or immigration issues. They reside in a nation, for example, where same-sex marriage and divorce are prohibited. Sponsors must demonstrate to IRCC that they would be unable to live together or marry in their partner’s country.
To be sponsored for immigration under any of these categories, foreign people must be at least 18 years old.
To be deemed acceptable to Canada, foreign people must also pass a health, security, and criminality screening.
How to Get Started:
Inland and outland sponsorship are the two sorts of sponsorship processes. Couples asking for sponsorship from within Canada are classified as inland, whilst those whose foreign national spouse lives outside of Canada are classified as outland.
The foreign spouse or common-law partner must also have a legitimate temporary status in Canada, such as worker, student, or guest, to be eligible for inland sponsorship. During the application process for inland sponsorship, the sponsored individual will be permitted to live, work, and study in Canada. The sponsored spouse may be eligible to get a Spousal Open Work Permit while pursuing inland sponsorship, allowing them to work while awaiting the outcome of their application.
Inland sponsorship candidates are typically required to remain in Canada while their application is processed. Outland sponsorship may be a preferable choice if the spouse or common-law partner does not want to stay in Canada or needs to be permitted to move outside the country while the application is being handled.
Foreign spouses who are not legally present in Canada at the time of application are eligible for outland sponsorship. Outland sponsorship is an option for applicants who live in Canada and want to travel to and from the country while their application is being processed. For people whose profession or personal circumstances necessitate them to leave the nation, it may be the best alternative.
Permanent residents of Canada can only sponsor their spouse as an outland candidate if they live in Canada, but Canadian citizens can sponsor their spouse from anywhere in the world. However, if they do so, they must show that if the application is accepted, they will return to Canada with their spouse.
It is also feasible to support conjugal partners through outland sponsorship, in addition to married and common-law couples. Conjugal partners are couples who have been in a committed relationship for at least 12 months but are unable to live together owing to major legal limitations or other issues beyond their control.
How to Submit a Sponsorship Request:
Applicants will submit two separate applications. The first is for sponsorship, while the second is for permanent residency.
Step 1: Contact IRCC for an application packet.
Step 2: Pay the IRCC application fees, which include processing fees, a charge for the privilege of permanent residency, and a price for biometrics. These costs must be paid through the IRCC’s website.
Step 3: Send the application to IRCC once it’s been finished.
The IRCC’s norm for processing is 12 months.
(Source CIC News)
