Inland Spousal and Common-Law Partner Sponsorship

Inland sponsorship allows Canadians and Permanent residents to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent resident status if the couple is already living together in Canada.

What is Inland sponsorship? 

Inland sponsorship allows Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their loved one, provided the couple is legally living (cohabiting) together in Canada.

To apply under Inland sponsorship, the foreign spouse or common-law partner must also have valid temporary status in Canada, either as a worker, student, or visitor. During the processing of an Inland sponsorship application the sponsored person will be able to continue to live, work or study in Canada.

In order for the sponsored person to receive a Canadian PR visa through Inland sponsorship, both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and the foreign national will need to be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

A key benefit of submitting an Inland sponsorship application is that the spouse or partner may be eligible for an open work permit, which will allow them to work full-time in Canada while their application for permanent residence is being processed.

Having an Open Work Permit (OWP) can help reduce the economic and emotional burden of a potentially lengthy application process, as well as allow your spouse or partner to be professionally active and enter the Canadian labour market.

It is generally expected that Inland sponsorship applicants will remain in Canada while their application is being processed. If the spouse or common-law partner does not plan to stay in Canada or needs to be able travel outside the country while the application is being processed, Outland sponsorship may be a better option.

Who can apply under Inland sponsorship?

To be eligible to sponsor a loved one under the Inland application category, you will need to meet these specific conditions
:

• your spouse or partner needs to live with you in Canada; and
• your spouse or partner needs to have temporary resident status in Canada.

There are also several basic requirements for immigration to Canada that the sponsor and the sponsored person will also have to meet to be eligible for Inland sponsorship:

• the sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada;
• both the sponsor and sponsored person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored person must be one of the following:
  • spouse: you are legally married, and your marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction where it was registered and under Canadian law;
  • common-law: you are cohabiting or have cohabited with your partner in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months;
• the sponsored person must not have been sponsored by their spouse in Canada in the five years preceding the submission of their application;
• neither spouse must be in prison, charged with a serious offence or bankrupt.

Conjugal partnerships, i.e., relationships in which two people cannot live together or marry because of religious or marital status barriers, for example, are not eligible for Inland sponsorship.

How does Inland sponsorship work?

Inland sponsorship is a specific application process used to sponsor a loved one under Canada’s Spouse or common-law Partner in Canada Class immigration program.

Inland sponsorship applications consist of the following two parts:

• The Canadian citizen or permanent resident will have to apply to become a sponsor;
• The foreign spouse or partner will have to apply for permanent residence.

The application submission process involves several steps, including:

• verifying eligibility for both the sponsor and sponsored person;
• paying required fees online;
• collecting supporting documents;
• completing the required forms and submitting them to the appropriate visa office.

It is generally expected that Inland sponsorship applicants will remain in Canada while their application is being processed.

If you need more information about this program, please do not hesitate to get in touch today at info@dhunnaimmigration.ca