Canada’s spousal sponsorship program is underscored by family reunification, a core principle of IRCC. When applying to bring a spouse or partner to Canada through the family class sponsorship route. IRCC places importance on ensuring the authenticity of the relationship.
These evaluations are conducted by IRCC as spousal sponsorship can be exploited by foreign nationals in order to obtain Canadian permanent residency status through dishonest relationships. When sponsors agree to support their spouse financially for three years after obtaining permanent residence status, regardless of relationship changes. This arrangement can be emotionally and financially taxing.
In some cases, Canadian citizens or permanent residents could try to form a transactional association with a foreign person in order to profit financially.
A variety of documentation should be submitted with a spouse or partner sponsorship application in order to prove the legitimacy of the relationship. Immigration officials may call the couple to an IRCC office for separate interviews with the sponsor. And applicant in cases where further verification is required. The foreign national will not be eligible for sponsorship if an officer is still doubtful about the sincerity of the relationship.
Canada’s spousal sponsorship – Ways to prove relationship is genuine
The government demands paperwork from all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, to verify the validity of their union. Depending on whether a couple is officially married or in a common-law relationship in Canada, different paperwork may be needed.
Spouses
For a married couple, the following official documents are necessary:
- A filled Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation questionnaire (IMM 5532) – included in the application package.
- Marriage certificate.
- Evidence of marriage registration with a government authority (local, provincial, state, or country).
- If applicable, divorce confirmation for either applicant or spouse’s previous marriage.
- For couples with shared children, comprehensive birth certificates or adoption records with both parents’ names.
- Inclusion of wedding invitations and photographs as supplementary proof.
The application for a common-law partnership should be made if the foreign national’s country does not recognize a same-sex couple’s marriage. When restrictions on visas make it impossible for them to live together, they may be qualified to apply as a couple.
Common-law
A common-law relationship in Canada is one in which an unmarried couple has lived together in a conjugal union for at least a year. They must submit similar supporting evidence to married couples, with the exception of wedding photographs and invites, to support their application. Additionally, they need to contain:
Documentary evidence of financial cooperation and shared costs between the major applicant and sponsor is required. Additionally, they should provide proof that their relationship has been acknowledged by friends and/or relatives, such as letters of support or social encounters supported by documentation of their public association in medical records.
Additionally, the sponsor and major applicant in a married or common-law partnership must both submit documentation from a minimum of two of the following types of papers.
- Proof of co-ownership of residential property.
- Rental agreement indicating both sponsor and principal applicant as occupants.
- Evidence of shared utility accounts (electricity, gas, telephone, internet), joint credit cards, or mutual bank accounts.
- Vehicle insurance demonstrating joint residency at the insured address for both applicant and sponsor.
- Copies of official government documents for both principal applicant and sponsor, displaying the identical address (e.g., driver’s licenses).
- Other documents issued to both applicant and sponsor, reflecting the same address—whether jointly held or not (e.g., cell phone bills, pay stubs, tax forms, bank or credit card statements, insurance policies).
Couples will be expected to submit a thorough written explanation if they fail to provide at least two of the aforementioned papers.
Demonstrating shared residency
In Canada, a couple can prove they are legally married by submitting the following documents:
- Mutual bank accounts or credit cards.
- Joint ownership of residential property.
- Shared residential leases.
- Collective rental receipts.
- Joint utility accounts (electricity, gas, telephone).
- Combined management of household expenses.
- Proof of shared purchases, particularly for household items.
- Correspondence addressed to either or both at the same address.
- Significant documents with matching addresses, such as identification, licenses, and insurance.
- Shared duties in household management and chores.
- Telephone call records.
If they are not currently living together in Canada, they must provide supporting documentation of their prior cohabitation for at least a year. This should include:
- documentation demonstrating continuous communication, such as letters, written text messages, emails, discussions on social media, or similar evidence. These documents shouldn’t be longer than ten pages.
- Flight tickets or boarding permits are used as proof of visits made by the Canadian citizen or permanent resident to their partner. To prove these visits, photocopies of passport pages bearing immigration stamps should be added. The sponsored person must explain any circumstances in which physical visits did not take place on the IMM 5532 questionnaire.
