Permanent Residency

If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you may sponsor your

Spouse
Common-law partner or conjugal partner
Dependent children

DETERMINE YOUR ELIGIBILITY – SPONSOR YOUR SPOUSE

Effective October 25, 2012, sponsored spouses or partners must now live together in a legitimate relationship with their sponsor for two years from the day they receive permanent residence status in Canada.

If you are a spouse or partner being sponsored to come to Canada, this applies to you if:

You are being sponsored by a permanent resident or Canadian citizen
You have been in a relationship for two years or less with your sponsor
You have no children in common
Your application was received on or after October 25, 2012

THE SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM IS A SUBSECTION OF THE FAMILY CLASS IMMIGRATION CATEGORY. UNDER THIS PROGRAM, A CANADIAN CITIZEN OR PERMANENT RESIDENT MAY SPONSOR A SPOUSE OR COMMON-LAW PARTNER FOR CANADIAN PERMANENT RESIDENCY.

Both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident (also called the ‘sponsor’) and the foreign national (the ‘sponsored person’) must be approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) in order for the sponsored person to receive a visa.

Spouse or Common Law Partner Sponsorship

Requirements for the Sponsor:

Must be at least 18 years of age
Must be a Canadian permanent resident living in Canada or a Canadian citizen
Cannot be in prison, bankrupt, under a removal order (if a permanent resident) or have been charged with a serious offence
Cannot have been sponsored to Canada as a spouse within the last 5 years

Requirements for the Sponsored Person:

Must be at least 16 years of age
Must not be too closely related to the sponsor

Requirements for the nature of the relationship:

You must prove that the relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored person qualifies under one of three categories:

Spouse: This means that the Sponsor and the Sponsored Person are legally married. For those married within Canada, a Certificate of Marriage from the province or territory where the marriage took place will show the marriage is valid. Note that same-sex marriages performed within Canada are valid for spousal sponsorship. If the marriage took place outside of Canada, it must be valid under the law of the country where it took place as well as under Canadian federal law. Same-sex marriages that took place outside of Canada are not valid for spousal sponsorship, but an application can be made under either the common-law partner or conjugal partner categories if such a relationship can be proven.
Common-law partner: In order to establish a common-law relationship, the Sponsor and the Sponsored Person must cohabit continuously for at least one year, excluding brief absences for business or family reasons.
Conjugal partner: Conjugal partners can be of either opposite-sex or same-sex. A Sponsored person is defined as conjugal partner if:
- Exceptional circumstances beyond their control have prevented them from qualifying as common-law partners or spouses, such as immigration barriers or legal restrictions limiting divorce or same-sex relationships
- They have had a mutually dependent relationship for at least one year with the same level of commitment as a marriage or a common-law union. This can require a demonstration of emotional ties and intimacy, financial closeness, such as joint ownership of assets or mutual financial support, and efforts to spend time together and reunite

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This popular immigration stream allows Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for Permanent Residency.

The Family Class sponsorship program includes a stream for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Successful parents and grandparents under this program will receive Canadian Permanent Residency and be able to apply for Canadian Citizenship three years thereafter. To be eligible for Family Class sponsorship, the sponsor in Canada must meet the following requirements:

Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
Be 18 years of age or older
Exceed the MINIMUM NECESSARY INCOME LEVEL for this program. If married or in a common-law relationship, the income of both can be included
The sponsor must sign an undertaking to repay any provincial social assistance benefits paid to the sponsor and accompanying family member(s), if any, for a period of 20 years if necessary; and if the sponsor resides in Quebec, an additional ‘undertaking’ must be signed.

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PNP stands for Provincial Nominee Program. It is a program in Canada that allows individual provinces and territories to nominate foreign nationals for permanent residence based on their specific economic and labor market needs.

Each province and territory in Canada has its own PNP, and they have the authority to set their own eligibility criteria and selection processes. The specific types of PNPs can vary between provinces and territories, but some common types include:

1. Skilled Worker Stream: This stream is designed for skilled workers who have the necessary education, work experience, and language proficiency to contribute to the local labor market.

2. Express Entry Stream: Some provinces have PNP streams that are aligned with the federal Express Entry system. These streams allow candidates in the Express Entry pool to receive a provincial nomination, which can significantly increase their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

3. Entrepreneur Stream: This stream is for individuals who want to start or purchase a business in a specific province or territory. They must meet certain investment and net worth requirements and demonstrate their ability to manage and operate a business in Canada.

4. International Graduate Stream: This stream is for international students who have completed a program of study at a recognized Canadian educational institution. It allows them to transition to permanent residence in the province or territory where they studied.

5. Family Stream: Some PNPs have streams that allow individuals with close family ties in a specific province or territory to apply for permanent residence.

It's important to note that the criteria and availability of PNP streams can change over time, so it's recommended to regularly check the websites of the specific provinces or territories you are interested in for the most up-to-date information on their PNPs.

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Canada PR card renewal refers to the process of renewing a Permanent Resident (PR) card, which is an official document issued to permanent residents of Canada as proof of their status.

The PR card is typically valid for a period of five years. To be eligible for PR card renewal, an individual must:

1. Be a permanent resident of Canada.

2. Have physically resided in Canada for at least 730 days (two out of the last five years) before applying for renewal.

3. Not be under a removal order or subject to an immigration investigation or criminal investigation.

4. Meet any additional requirements specified by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

It is important to note that failure to renew the PR card before it expires does not result in loss of permanent resident status. However, a valid PR card is generally required for re-entry into Canada by commercial transportation, such as by airplane. If a PR card has expired, individuals may still apply for a Travel Document to return to Canada.

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PERMANENT RESIDENCY

Spouse or Common Law Partner Sponsorship

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