Spousal sponsorship remains one of Canada’s main routes for bringing an eligible spouse or partner to Canada as a permanent resident.
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Spousal Sponsorship Update
The program is available to eligible spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners, subject to sponsor eligibility, relationship requirements, application completeness and admissibility checks.
Spousal sponsorship is not a single pathway with identical rules for every applicant.
The applicable requirements depend on the sponsor’s status, where the sponsored person lives, the relationship category and whether the sponsor lives in Quebec.
Who Can Sponsor A Spouse Or Partner
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people registered in Canada under the Indian Act may be able to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.
The sponsor generally must be at least 18 years old, live in Canada and sign an undertaking and sponsorship agreement.
A Canadian citizen living outside Canada may sponsor if they demonstrate plans to live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.
A permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor from abroad.
These spousal sponsorship rules include other restrictions.
For example, a sponsor may be ineligible if they are receiving social assistance for a reason other than disability, are in default on certain financial obligations or remain responsible under an earlier sponsorship undertaking.
Income Requirements
In most spouse, common-law partner and conjugal partner sponsorship cases, the sponsor does not have to meet a minimum necessary income requirement.
An income requirement can apply when the sponsored spouse or partner has a dependent child who has one or more dependent children of their own.
Quebec has additional provincial eligibility and financial requirements that may affect a spousal sponsorship application.
Which Relationship Category Applies
The relationship must fit one of the categories recognized by IRCC.
Spouse
A spouse must be legally married. A marriage performed in Canada must be legally valid under Canadian law.
A marriage performed outside Canada must be legally recognized both in the country where it took place and in Canada.
IRCC generally does not recognize marriages conducted by proxy, telephone, fax or internet when one or both people were not physically present at the ceremony.
Common-Law Partner
A common-law partner is a person of any gender who has lived with the sponsor in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months.
The application should include evidence of continuous cohabitation and evidence showing the nature and genuineness of the relationship.
Conjugal Partner
A conjugal partner must live outside Canada and have been in a genuine conjugal relationship with the sponsor for at least one year.
The relationship must involve a significant degree of attachment and mutual interdependence, and marriage or cohabitation must not have been possible for any reason.
A person living in Canada cannot be sponsored in the conjugal partner category.
Conjugal partner applications must be submitted under the Family Class.
Choosing The Application Class
A spouse or common-law partner may generally be sponsored under either the Family Class or the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class.
The Family Class is normally used when the sponsored person lives outside Canada.
It can also apply when the person is in Canada but does not plan to remain in Canada while the application is processed, or when the sponsor wants to preserve the available appeal route if the application is refused.
The Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class is intended for a spouse or common-law partner who lives with the sponsor in Canada and has valid temporary resident status, or who qualifies under the applicable public policy.
Conjugal partner applications must be submitted under the Family Class.
The class chosen can affect travel, work-permit options and appeal rights in a spousal sponsorship case.
Applicants should review the current IRCC guide and country-specific document checklist before filing.
2026 Processing Times
There is no single permanent processing time for every spousal sponsorship application.
IRCC’s live processing-time tool can change as application volumes, inventories, country-specific factors and case complexity change.
In a federal briefing published March 23, 2026, IRCC reported approximate processing times as of January 31, 2026, of 12.6 months for spouse, partner and child permanent-residence applications processed outside Quebec when the applicant was overseas, and 14 months for applications processed inside Canada.
For applications destined to Quebec, the reported approximate times were 33 months for overseas applications and 25 months for applications processed inside Canada.
Those figures are historical reference points for spousal sponsorship applicants, not a guarantee for an application submitted on October 1, 2026.
Applicants should check the live IRCC processing-time tool immediately before filing and again while the application remains in process.
Current Quebec Undertaking Rules
Quebec spousal sponsorship cases involve a provincial undertaking process in addition to the federal sponsorship and permanent-residence assessment.
The sponsor first submits the federal application to IRCC.
After the relevant federal sponsorship stage, IRCC provides the instructions or documentation needed for the Quebec undertaking application.
Sponsors should not submit the Quebec undertaking before they are permitted to do so under the applicable instructions.
From July 2, 2026, to June 30, 2028, Quebec set a maximum of 13,300 undertaking applications for spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners.
However, as of October 1, 2026, Quebec’s official rules page states that the maximum for this category has been reached.
New applications in the capped category are generally returned without processing, although limited exemptions can apply, including certain applications to add family members already covered by an undertaking.
This means Quebec applicants should not treat the 13,300 figure as an available quota.
They must check Quebec’s current intake rules, schedule and exemptions before mailing an undertaking application.
IRCC cannot finalize permanent residence without the required Quebec undertaking and related provincial selection steps.
Current Federal Fees
Under the fee schedule in force on October 1, 2026, the federal fee to sponsor a spouse or partner is CAD $1,260 when the right of permanent residence fee is included.
The amount is CAD $660 when the right of permanent residence fee is not paid upfront.
Each dependent child included in the application adds CAD $180.
Biometrics may also be required.
The individual biometrics fee is CAD $85, with a maximum family biometrics fee of CAD $170 for eligible family members applying at the same time.
Quebec applicants must also pay the applicable provincial undertaking fee separately.
Fees can change during the spousal sponsorship process. Applicants should confirm the official IRCC fee list immediately before payment.
What A Complete Application Usually Requires
A spousal sponsorship package includes forms and supporting documents from both the sponsor and the person being sponsored.
Typical evidence can include identity documents, civil-status records, police certificates where required, photographs, medical-examination documentation when requested and proof of the relationship.
Relationship evidence may include shared housing records, financial documents, travel history, communication records, photographs and evidence of contact with each other’s families.
The correct document checklist depends on the relationship category, the applicant’s current country of residence and the countries that issued the documents.
Documents not in English or French generally require the required translation materials.
IRCC may return an application without processing if required forms, signatures or documents are missing.
A returned application can affect the effective submission date and may be especially important for Quebec applicants because of the undertaking intake limit and schedule.
Working While Waiting For Permanent Residence
A spouse or common-law partner living in Canada may be able to apply for an open work permit while the spousal sponsorship application is processed.
In the usual situation, the applicant has applied under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class or as a sponsored spouse or common-law partner under the Family Class, is living with the sponsor in Canada and has valid temporary resident status or qualifies under the applicable public policy.
Once the applicant receives an acknowledgement of receipt confirming that the application package is complete, they can generally apply online for the open work permit.
Limited exceptions allow an application without an AOR in certain cases, including when temporary status will expire within two weeks.
Applicants without status may need to wait for approval in principle under the applicable public policy.
The applicant must wait for work-permit approval before beginning work unless they already hold valid work authorization and can legally continue working under applicable maintained-status rules.
Submitting the sponsorship or work-permit application alone does not authorize work.
Applicants should also check provincial or territorial health-insurance rules because public coverage may not begin immediately.
The Sponsor’s Financial Commitment
The sponsor signs an undertaking promising to provide financial support and ensure that the sponsored family member’s basic needs are met.
Outside Quebec, the undertaking for a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner lasts three years from the day the person becomes a permanent resident.
The sponsor remains responsible even if the couple separates, the sponsored person becomes a Canadian citizen, the sponsor moves or the sponsor experiences financial difficulty.
If the sponsored person receives certain forms of social assistance during the undertaking period, the sponsor may have to repay the amount.
Once permanent residence has been granted, the undertaking generally cannot be cancelled or shortened.
Quebec’s undertaking for a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner is also three years, but Quebec has separate provincial rules and obligations.
What Happens After Submission
IRCC first checks whether the spousal sponsorship application is complete.
The sponsor normally receives an acknowledgement of receipt after the application package enters processing.
IRCC may then assess sponsor eligibility, the relationship, the applicant’s admissibility and the eligibility of accompanying family members.
Applicants may be asked for biometrics, medical examinations, police certificates, additional documents or an interview.
Changes such as a new address, relationship breakdown, birth, adoption, death or another change in family composition should be reported through the appropriate IRCC process.
After an acknowledgement of receipt, the sponsored person may be able to link the application to an IRCC secure account and monitor updates.
Practical 2026 Checklist Before Filing
- Confirm that the sponsor meets the citizenship, residency and other eligibility rules.
- Confirm whether the relationship is a marriage, common-law partnership or conjugal partnership under IRCC definitions.
- Choose the correct application class based on the sponsored person’s location and circumstances.
- Use the current IRCC document checklist for the applicant’s country and relationship category.
- Include every required family member, even if a family member is not accompanying the principal applicant.
- Pay the correct federal fees and retain the payment receipt.
- If the sponsor lives in Quebec, check the current provincial undertaking intake status, schedule, cap and exemptions before filing a spousal sponsorship application.
- Review the live IRCC processing-time tool rather than relying only on older estimates.
- Do not allow the sponsored person to work without valid work authorization.
What This Means For Applicants Now
Spousal sponsorship remains available, but a successful application requires more than proving that a couple’s relationship is genuine.
The sponsor must qualify, the relationship must fit an eligible category, the application must be complete and the sponsored person must satisfy admissibility requirements.
For Quebec applicants, the provincial undertaking cap is a critical current issue.
As of October 1, 2026, Quebec states that the maximum for spouse, common-law partner and conjugal partner undertaking applications has been reached.
Applications in the capped category may be returned unless an exemption applies.
For all applicants, the safest approach is to use the latest official forms and checklists, confirm the fee before payment, verify Quebec rules where applicable and treat processing-time estimates as changeable planning information rather than a promise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are online or proxy marriages accepted for spousal sponsorship in Canada?
Generally, IRCC does not recognize an online, telephone, fax or proxy marriage when one or both spouses were not physically present at the ceremony. A marriage must be legally valid in Canada and in the country where it occurred, but legal validity alone may not overcome the physical-presence requirement. Applicants should provide complete ceremony and civil-status records.
Does a returned spousal sponsorship application keep its original submission date?
No, a returned spousal sponsorship application generally does not preserve the original submission date because IRCC has not accepted it for processing. The applicants usually need to correct the omission and submit a new complete application. This can be especially important for Quebec cases because a later submission may encounter the provincial undertaking cap.
What happens if a dependent child is left off a spousal sponsorship application?
Every required family member must be declared, even if the dependent child will not accompany the sponsored spouse to Canada. Leaving out a family member can prevent that person from being sponsored later and may raise serious concerns about the completeness or accuracy of the application. Applicants should follow the current IRCC family-information instructions carefully.
Can a refused inland spousal sponsorship application be appealed?
A refusal under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class generally does not carry the same Immigration Appeal Division appeal right available for many Family Class refusals. A refused inland application may instead be challenged through an application for judicial review at the Federal Court. The available remedy depends on the class used and the reasons for refusal.
What happens if Quebec reaches its spousal sponsorship undertaking cap after federal approval?
Federal approval of the sponsor does not bypass Quebec’s undertaking cap. If Quebec is no longer accepting undertaking applications in the relevant spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner category, the required undertaking cannot be submitted through that intake, and IRCC cannot approve permanent residence without it. Applicants must follow the current Quebec and IRCC instructions for the affected case.
Can a spousal sponsorship application succeed without a joint bank account or shared lease?
Yes, a spousal sponsorship application can succeed without a joint bank account or shared lease because IRCC does not require one specific type of relationship evidence. Applicants can provide other credible records, such as communication history, travel evidence, photographs, financial support records and contact with each other’s families. The evidence should be consistent and collectively demonstrate a genuine relationship.
Fact-Checked: Checked against current IRCC eligibility, application, fee, work-permit and processing-time sources, plus Quebec’s official 2026-2028 family-reunification intake rules, on October 1, 2026. Sources: IRCC: Sponsor Your Spouse, Partner Or Child, IRCC: Sponsor Eligibility Requirements, IRCC: Complete Guide To Spousal Sponsorship, IRCC: Current Processing Times
Disclaimer: Immigration rules, fees, processing estimates and provincial intake limits can change. Confirm the current requirements with IRCC and, where applicable, the Government of Quebec before applying.
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