How to Immigrate to Canada Through Spouse Visa Sponsorship

Immigration to Canada through a Spouse Sponsorship Visa can be an exciting adventure if you
follow the due procedure.
We will explain the meaning of Spousal Visa so that you’ll be able to understand how useful it is when migrating to Canada.

A Spousal Visa is an identity document issued to an intended immigrant that allows him/her to work or live in a country with their spouse. This visa serves as a green card or license to live or work in Canada whether or not you are a Canadian citizen.

The Canadian Spouse Sponsorship Program is designed to bring spouses who are living far apart closer, and so applications through this means are always considered highly important.
In this blog, you’ll learn the steps to take if you want to relocate to Canada via spouse sponsorship visa.

Steps to Migrate to Canada through Spouse Sponsorship Visa

Select the right sponsorship program

There are two sponsorship programs which include Inland Sponsorship and Outland Sponsorship.

Inland Sponsorship is a program that allows Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse provided the couple is cohabiting together in Canada.
To apply under the Inland sponsorship program, the non-Canadian spouse must have a valid temporary status in Canada, either as a worker, student, or visitor.

The Canadian citizen or permanent resident will have to apply to become a sponsor, while the foreign partner will have to apply for permanent residence.

Both the Canadian citizen and the foreign spouse living in Canada will need to be approved by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Outland Sponsorship is a sponsorship program that allows non-Canadian residents to be sponsored by their Canadian partner for a permanent residence status in Canada.

To receive a Canadian permanent resident visa through Outland sponsorship, both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and the foreign spouse will need to be approved by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

Fill out and Sign all Forms

Visit canada.ca to select the feature for Canada immigration. Fill out the digital forms and attach a photo as you’ll be asked.

Pay Your Application Fees

In most cases, the application fees include the biometric fee and the right of permanent residence fee. The biometric fee covers the fingerprint and the digital photo you would upload.

Submit Your Application

You must
– provide information to all questions
– sign on the application form
– write your name in full as it appears on your International passport
– upload all supporting documents

All these are necessary to avoid having your application rejected.

 Provide any other Additional Information

The additional information might include a third-party fee. The third-party fees cover a medical report (to ascertain the medical condition of the sponsored spouse) and a Police certificate (that ascertains whether or not you have committed a criminal offense).

These steps may slightly vary depending on the type of spouse sponsorship program you choose.

Attend an interview

Although immigration interviews are rare for spouse sponsorship visas, they are done in cases where the immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada want to verify the information provided by the applicants.

There could be situations where there is a lack of supporting documents such as joint bank accounts, government-issued IDs, insurance policy documents, proof of co-ownership of property, etc.

The IRCC would have to conduct an interview with the spouses to validate the relationship between the parties.

Get Updates About Your Application

Once the sponsor or the sponsored spouse meets the eligibility requirement for visa, the IRCC will send the applicant(s) a request to link the application to an online account.

Criteria that makes you Eligible to Immigrate to Canada through Spouse Sponsorship Visa
Before relocating to Canada through a spouse sponsorship visa, you must meet certain criteria.Most of the requirements include:
1. You must have met your spouse and be legally married
This is a critical requirement to prevent illegal/arranged marriages. Before processing your immigration papers, you must intend to live together with your spouse permanently.

Additionally, both of you must have adequate finance for your upkeep and your dependents (if any) without necessarily seeking public support. In this regard, the sponsor will have to sign an undertaking promising to take care of the financial needs of the spouse.

2. Both the sponsor and the sponsored spouse must be at least 18 years old
To sponsor a spouse, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident must be at least 18 years old. There is no maximum age limit to sponsor a spouse to migrate to Canada.

The spousal sponsorship processing time is 13 months (overseas) and 10 months (in canada). Within this time, your spouse will need to provide biometrics to the Canadian immigration authorities. An Immigration Officer will then review your spouse’s eligibility status.

3. Sign a written agreement with the Government of Canada
As the sponsor residing in Canada, you must sign a written agreement with the Canadian government to be responsible for sponsoring your spouse’s relocation to Canada. Certain documents might be required to support your claim.

4. Both of you have no criminal charges or defaults
Both the sponsor and the sponsored partner must not be charged for any criminal offense in the respective countries. None of the parties should be imprisoned at the time of application.

5. The sponsor is not subject to a removal order as a permanent resident
Usually the submission of a police statement shows whether or not you are inadmissible. If you’re found inadmissible, your spouse will be denied a visa or entry into Canada, or you’ll be deported from Canada.

Documents Required to Obtain Spouse Sponsorship Visa in Canada
You’ll need to submit several supporting documents to the right authority to obtain a spouse sponsorship visa before immigrating to Canada. Some of the documents are:

1. Your personal details such as date of birth, resident address, education qualification, etc.
2. A Marriage certificate
3. A divorce decree, death certificate of a previous spouse, or annulment certificate (if any)
4. A Proof of sufficient income (statement of account)
5. A valid means of Identification and passport

Conclusion

Following the due procedure stated in this article will increase your chances of migrating to Canada.
More so, you and your spouse should have had the necessary documents ready before applying.

So, first check if you are eligible to apply for a spouse sponsorship visa to relocate to Canada before paying the application fee.