Canada Spousal Sponsorship 2026: Inland, Outland, Fees and Work

Being apart from your partner while immigration paperwork moves slowly is hard. Canada's spousal sponsorship program lets citizens and permanent residents bring a spouse or partner to live permanently in Canada, and in some cases lets the partner work while they wait.

This guide explains who can sponsor, the difference between inland and outland applications, how to prove your relationship, what it costs and what you're promising when you sign. The rules and fees below were checked on canada.ca in September 2026, but they change, so confirm them before you apply.

Who can sponsor

To sponsor a spouse or partner, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Indian Act.
• Live in Canada. Canadian citizens living abroad can sponsor if they'll return to Canada when their partner becomes a permanent resident. Permanent residents living abroad can't.
• Sign an undertaking and a sponsorship agreement.

In most cases, there's no minimum income requirement to sponsor a spouse or partner. The exception is when a dependent child in the application has children of their own.

Who can't sponsor

You generally can't sponsor a spouse or partner if you were sponsored as a spouse or partner yourself less than 5 years ago, or if you're still under an undertaking from a previous sponsorship of a partner.

You also can't sponsor if, for example, you:

• Are in prison
• Are receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability
• Haven't repaid an immigration loan, or are behind on court-ordered family support payments
• Are an undischarged bankrupt
• Have certain convictions for violent or sexual offences
• Are under a removal order

Who you can sponsor

IRCC recognises three kinds of relationship.

You can include dependent children in the same application.

Inland vs outland: choosing your class

There are two ways to sponsor a partner, and the choice has real consequences.

Outland is usually right if your partner lives abroad, or if you want to keep appeal rights. Inland suits couples already living together in Canada where the partner has status and plans to stay.

Working while you wait: the spousal open work permit

A spouse, common-law or conjugal partner being sponsored for permanent residence can apply for an open work permit if they:

• Are living in Canada with their sponsor.
• Have valid temporary status, such as a visitor record, work permit or study permit, or a valid temporary resident permit.
• Have an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter confirming the permanent residence application is being processed.
• Applied under the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada Class, or under the Family Class as a spouse or partner.

People with valid status apply online through their IRCC account. People who have lost status must apply on paper and explain their situation. If the permanent residence application is still in processing when the permit is ending, the permit can be extended for two more years.

The 2025 changes, and why they don't apply here

On 21 January 2025, IRCC narrowed open work permits for the families of temporary residents.

• Spouses of foreign workers now qualify only if the worker is in a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a selected TEER 2 or 3 job, and has at least 16 months left on their permit. TEER is the skill level in Canada's National Occupational Classification.
• Spouses of international students qualify only if the student is in certain master's programs of 16 months or longer, doctoral programs, or selected professional programs.
• Dependent children of foreign workers can no longer get these permits.

IRCC says partners transitioning to permanent residence aren't affected by these limits. So if your partner is being sponsored and meets the conditions above, the spousal sponsorship open work permit is still available. Permits approved under the old rules remain valid until they expire.

Proving your relationship is genuine

This is where most spousal applications succeed or fail. The officer needs to be satisfied that your relationship is real and wasn't entered into mainly for immigration.

Every spouse or partner application must include the Relationship Information and Sponsorship Evaluation form (IMM 5532). Beyond that, strong evidence usually includes:

• Legal documents: marriage certificate, or proof of living together such as a joint lease, mortgage or utility bills at the same address for common-law partners.
• Shared life: joint bank accounts, insurance policies naming each other, and shared bills.
• Your history: how you met, when you started dating, when you moved in together or married, and travel you've taken together.
• Contact while apart: call logs and messages over time, not just a few screenshots.
• Photos: a selection across the relationship, showing you together with family and friends.
• Recognition by others: evidence that family and friends know you as a couple, such as wedding guests or letters.

Follow the document checklist generated in your application. Don't pad it with hundreds of similar photos; clear, organised evidence covering the whole relationship is more useful.

Step by step: how to apply

1. Check you both qualify. Read the eligibility rules for you as sponsor and for your partner.
2. Choose inland or outland. Base this on where your partner lives, their status and whether appeal rights matter to you.
3. Gather documents. Identity and civil documents, relationship evidence, police certificates and translations for anything not in English or French.
4. Apply online. Spousal sponsorship applications must now be submitted through IRCC's Permanent Residence Portal. The sponsorship and the permanent residence application are submitted together.
5. Pay fees. Pay the fees online as part of the application.
6. Give biometrics and do the medical exam. Your partner will be told when and how.
7. Apply for an open work permit, if eligible, once you have the acknowledgement of receipt.
8. Respond to requests quickly. IRCC may ask for more documents or an interview.
9. Finish the process. If approved, your partner receives confirmation of permanent residence and completes their landing.

Quebec residents have an extra step: once IRCC approves the sponsor, Quebec's immigration ministry assesses the undertaking under its own rules. Don't send anything to Quebec until IRCC tells you to.

Processing times vary by class and country and change often. Check IRCC's processing times tool before you plan around a date.

Costs and money

These come from IRCC's fee list, last updated in July 2026. You'll also pay for the immigration medical exam, police certificates, translations and, if you use one, a licensed representative.

It usually makes sense to pay the right of permanent residence fee with the application, because it avoids a delay at the end. It's refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn.

What the undertaking means financially

When you sign the undertaking, you promise to support your partner's basic needs so they don't need social assistance. For a spouse or partner, it lasts 3 years from the day they become a permanent resident. For a dependent child, it lasts 10 years or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.

The undertaking still applies if you separate or divorce. If your partner receives social assistance during that time, the government can ask you to repay it, and you may not be able to sponsor anyone else until you do.

If you're a Canadian citizen living abroad

Citizens don't have to be in Canada when they apply, but they must show they'll live in Canada once their partner becomes a permanent resident. Good evidence is specific and practical, such as:

• A job offer or employment contract in Canada
• A signed lease, home purchase or proof of arranged housing
• Proof you've enrolled children in a Canadian school
• Evidence of steps already taken to move, such as shipping arrangements or giving notice to a foreign employer

A vague statement that you "plan to return" usually isn't enough. Remember that permanent residents don't have this option: they must be living in Canada to sponsor.

What happens after approval

When the application is approved, your partner receives a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if they're from a visa-required country, a visa to travel. Partners already in Canada usually finish the process from inside the country.

The first weeks after landing are about the same practical steps as for any newcomer: getting a Social Insurance Number, opening a bank account, applying for provincial health cover and checking whether their profession is regulated. Some provinces have a waiting period before health cover starts, so arrange private insurance if needed.

Mistakes and scams to avoid

• Marriages of convenience. A relationship entered into mainly for immigration is refused, and misrepresentation can lead to a ban on applying again for a period.
• Paying someone to "guarantee" approval. Only IRCC decides.
• Unlicensed advisers. Anyone paid to advise you must be a licensed immigration consultant, a lawyer or, in Quebec, a notary.
• Fake IRCC contact. IRCC warns that it never asks for payment by money transfer or gift card, and scammers use fake websites, emails and phone calls.
• Inconsistent answers. Dates and details in your forms, evidence and any interview must match.

Your next steps

• Confirm you meet the sponsor rules, including the 5-year rule if you were sponsored before.
• Decide between inland and outland.
• Start collecting relationship evidence covering your whole relationship.
• Request police certificates early, since some countries take months.
• Budget for IRCC fees, biometrics, medical exams and translations.
• If your partner is in Canada, check their status and open work permit eligibility.
• Review the current guide on canada.ca before you submit.

Once your partner arrives, our guide to working in Canada as a foreigner covers the SIN, banking and first-month costs. To choose where to settle, compare the best places to live and work in Canada. If your partner might qualify in their own right, it's worth reading our Express Entry guide too.