OUTLAND SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP

Outland spousal sponsorship is the right option if a spouse or common-law partner (the sponsored person) is residing outside Canada. It is known as an application under the Family class.

While the eligibility requirements for a sponsor are the same, the advantage of an outland sponsorship, as compared to the inland application, is the right to submit a spousal sponsorship appeal in case of refusal. However, outside of Canada applicants can not apply for a Spousal Open Work Permit.

Outside Canada Spousal and Partner Sponsorship has two stages:

• Assessment of a sponsor's eligibility to sponsor a spouse or partner.
• Application for permanent residence by a sponsored person.

Sponsor's eligibility (1st stage) is usually assessed within the first 4-5 months and an application for permanent residence (2nd stage) will take another 7-8 months. Overall, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) pursues to process inland sponsorship application within 12 months. The sponsored person's application for permanent residence is processed by the IRCC visa office abroad. 

Sponsorship application forms and supporting documents, vary depending on whether you make an outland or inland spousal sponsorship application.

DOWNLOAD below sponsorship application checklist for a spouse applying outside Canada under Family class:

DOWNLOAD below sponsorship application checklist for a conjugal partner applying outside Canada under Family class:

DOWNLOAD below sponsorship application checklist for a common-law partner applying outside Canada under the Family Class (only if a sponsor is a Canadian citizen who lives with a common-law partner outside Canada and plans to return to Canada once spouse permanent residence visa is issued):

Use application package (Canadian spousal sponsorship forms as per checklist above) for Family class, that must be sent to:

By Mail:  

Case Processing Center (CPC) Sydney

P.O. Box 9500 

Sydney, NS 

B1P 0H5

By  Courier:

Case Processing Center (CPC) Sydney 

49 Dorchester Street

Sydney, NS 

B1P 5Z2