Spousal Sponsorship in Canada: Sponsor Your Spouse or Partner for PR

You can sponsor your partner if you:

• Are at least 18 years old.
• Are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act.
• Live in Canada. Canadian citizens living abroad can sponsor if they show they will live in Canada when their partner becomes a permanent resident. Permanent residents must live in Canada.
• Can provide for the basic needs of your partner and any dependent children.

You usually cannot sponsor if you:

• Were sponsored as a spouse or partner yourself and became a permanent resident less than 5 years ago.
• Are still bound by an undertaking for a previous spouse or partner.
• Receive social assistance for reasons other than a disability.
• Are in default on an immigration loan, a previous sponsorship undertaking, or court-ordered support payments.
• Are an undischarged bankrupt, in prison, under a removal order, or were convicted of certain violent or sexual offenses, or offenses against a relative.

The full list is in IRCC's sponsorship guide.

Your partner must be at least 18. Same-sex couples qualify in all three categories.

The relationship must be genuine and not entered mainly to get immigration status. Officers look at your history together, communication, shared finances, family knowledge of the relationship, and consistency in your answers. Relationships of convenience are refused and can lead to a misrepresentation finding.

When you sponsor, you sign an undertaking: a legal promise to the Government of Canada to support your partner financially. For a spouse or partner, it lasts 3 years from the day they become a permanent resident.

• If your partner receives provincial social assistance during those 3 years, you must repay it.
• The undertaking continues even if you separate, divorce, or your partner moves out.
• Your partner also signs an agreement to make every effort to support themselves.

There is no minimum income requirement for sponsoring a spouse or partner in most cases. The exception is if your partner has a dependent child who has children of their own. In Quebec, you also sign a separate undertaking with the Quebec government, which has its own financial rules. See the Quebec hub.

Many couples in Canada choose inland for the work permit. Couples where the partner is abroad, or who value appeal rights, often choose outland. If your partner has no status in Canada, a past refusal, or a removal order, talk to a lawyer or licensed consultant (RCIC) before choosing.

Yes, if you apply inland. Under a public policy, spouses and partners in Canada who are being sponsored can apply for an open work permit once their permanent residence application has been received and IRCC has sent an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) confirming it is complete. They cannot use this public policy if the PR application was refused, withdrawn, or returned, or apply for it at a port of entry. See IRCC's open work permit page for sponsored spouses.

This is different from the spousal open work permit for spouses of foreign workers and students, which in 2026 is limited to spouses of master's and PhD students and of workers in TEER 0-1 or selected TEER 2-3 jobs.

Processing time. Inland and outland applications have separate processing times, and outland times depend on the partner's country of residence. Check the IRCC processing times tool or our processing times page for current figures.

Fees. You pay a sponsorship fee, a principal applicant processing fee, and the right of permanent residence fee, plus fees for any dependent children and biometrics. PR-related fees rose on April 30, 2026. Check exact amounts on the IRCC fee list.

Budget also for police certificates, a medical exam, translations, and photos.

You can include your partner's dependent children (and your own children together) in the same application. A dependent child is generally under 22 and not a spouse or partner. See sponsoring dependent children for the rules.