Conjugal Partner Sponsorship in Canada
You can sponsor a conjugal partner when you have been in a committed relationship for at least one year but a barrier beyond your control, such as refused visas, a ban on same-sex marriage or religious reasons, kept you from living together or marrying. Your partner must live outside Canada (IRPR s.2). An officer decides.
1 year
The minimum length of the conjugal relationship (IRPR s.2)
Three years
The sponsorship undertaking for a conjugal partner, from the day they become a permanent resident (IRPR s.132)
5 years
How long a sponsor who was sponsored as a partner must have been a permanent resident or citizen before sponsoring a new partner (IRPR s.130(3))
about 18 months
IRCC's published time for spouse and partner sponsorship from outside Canada, outside Quebec, on November 11, 2026
IRCC's processing times tool has no separate line for conjugal partners. Conjugal files are sponsored from outside Canada, so the figure for spouse and partner sponsorship from outside Canada applies.
Who counts as a conjugal partner?
Under section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), a conjugal partner is defined as a foreign national residing outside Canada who is in a conjugal relationship with the sponsor and has been in that relationship for a period of at least one year.
The phrase "residing outside Canada" is part of the legal definition, which is why this category is processed from outside Canada. Unlike spousal and common-law sponsorship, there is no in-Canada (inland) conjugal stream.
IRCC's guide and its instructions to officers build on that definition with the following expectations:
- The couple has maintained a genuine, committed conjugal relationship for at least one year (12 months or more).
- The couple has not been able to live together, because of a reason beyond their control such as an immigration, legal or religious barrier. IRCC's guide asks for proof of what kept them from living together or marrying.
- The relationship involves a degree of commitment and interdependence equivalent to that of a married or common-law couple.
- The couple has combined their affairs to the extent possible.
- They are mutually committed to each other to the exclusion of all others.
The rule
A conjugal partner is defined as a foreign national residing outside Canada who is in a conjugal relationship with the sponsor and has been in that relationship for a period of at least one year.
How does conjugal compare with common-law and spouse sponsorship?
| Factor | Spouse | Common-Law | Conjugal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Legally married | Cohabited continuously for 12+ months in a conjugal relationship | Conjugal relationship 12+ months, unable to cohabit due to barriers |
| Cohabitation required? | No, marriage is the legal basis | Yes, must have lived together for 12+ months | No, but IRCC asks for proof of what kept you from living together or marrying |
| Marriage required? | Yes | No | No |
| Where partner must be | In or outside Canada | In or outside Canada | Outside Canada (residing outside Canada is part of the IRPR s.2 definition) |
| Processing | Outland or inland | Outland or inland | Outland only (no in-Canada conjugal stream) |
| Evidence of relationship | Marriage certificate + relationship evidence | Extensive cohabitation evidence (joint lease, bills, bank accounts) | Evidence of long-term commitment + evidence of barrier to cohabitation |
What barriers qualify?
IRCC's pages give legal, immigration, social, cultural, religious and other reasons as examples of what may keep a partner from living with you or marrying you. Two kinds are set out below.
Immigration barriers:
- One partner cannot obtain a visa to enter the other's country.
- One partner has been refused visitor visas repeatedly, making it impossible to spend the continuous time together that common-law status requires.
- One partner's country does not allow the foreign partner to reside there.
- Immigration rules in both countries combine to make it impossible for the couple to live together long enough to become common-law.
Legal barriers:
- Marriage is illegal in the partner's country (e.g., same-sex couples in countries where same-sex marriage is prohibited).
- One partner is still married to someone else in a country where divorce isn't possible.
- Laws of the partner's country prevent cohabitation or recognition of the relationship.
These may not be accepted as barriers (reasons within the couple's control):
- Work obligations in different cities (without an immigration barrier)
- Family disapproval of living together
- Financial reasons
- Personal preference not to cohabit
- Long-distance relationships where both could obtain status to live together but chose not to
Who decides, and what evidence is asked for?
Conjugal partner applications call for two distinct bodies of evidence. The first is proof of a genuine committed relationship. The second is proof of the obstacles that kept you from living together or marrying, which IRCC's guide asks for. Your IRCC checklist is the authority.
Whether a conjugal relationship exists, and whether the barrier is sufficient, is decided by a visa officer based on the totality of the evidence. IRCC's instructions to officers list the factors an officer may consider, taken from the M. v. H. decision.
What must the sponsor meet?
Being eligible to sponsor a conjugal partner is a separate question from whether the relationship qualifies. Both have to be satisfied. As a sponsor you must generally meet the same basic requirements as for any spouse or partner sponsorship.
- You are at least 18 years old and are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Canadian Indian Act.
- You sign a sponsorship undertaking, a binding promise to support the sponsored person financially so they do not need social assistance.
- A permanent resident sponsor must be living in Canada. A Canadian citizen living abroad may sponsor if they will live in Canada when the partner becomes a permanent resident.
- In most cases there is no minimum necessary income (LICO) requirement to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. The exception is a partner who has a dependent child who has a dependent child of their own (IRPR s.133(4)).
- The undertaking (IRPR s.132)
- The sponsorship undertaking for a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner is three years from the day they become a permanent resident. Quebec runs its own undertaking, and it is also three years for a spouse or conjugal partner.
- The 5-year sponsorship bar (IRPR s.130(3))
- A person who was themselves sponsored as a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner and became a permanent resident cannot sponsor a new spouse or partner until they have been a permanent resident, a citizen or a combination of the two for at least five years before the day the new sponsorship application is filed. Confirm the current rule on IRCC before relying on it.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Document ChecklistTypical documents by application type
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What are the requirements for conjugal partner sponsorship in Canada?
Your partner must live outside Canada and have been in a conjugal relationship with you for at least one year (IRPR s.2). IRCC's guide asks you to prove what kept you from living together or marrying, such as an immigration, legal or religious barrier. You must be 18 or older, a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, and sign a three-year undertaking (also three years in Quebec). In most cases there is no minimum income test. Our Document Checklist lists the evidence.
How long does conjugal partner sponsorship take?
IRCC's processing times tool has no separate line for conjugal partners. Conjugal files are sponsored from outside Canada, and IRCC's published time for spouse and partner sponsorship from outside Canada, outside Quebec, was about 18 months when this site last checked, on November 11, 2026. The figure changes each month, so check it before you plan. Our Processing Times page shows the current number.
What is the difference between conjugal and common-law partner sponsorship?
A common-law partner has lived with you continuously for at least 12 months (IRPR s.1(1)). A conjugal partner has been in a committed relationship with you for at least a year but could not live with you because of a barrier beyond your control. Common-law partners can apply from inside or outside Canada; conjugal partners apply only from outside. Our Common-Law Sponsorship guide covers the cohabitation route.
My partner has never been able to get a visitor visa to Canada. Does that qualify as a conjugal barrier?
It can. If visitor visa refusals kept you from living together in Canada long enough to become common-law, that can be an immigration barrier for the conjugal category. An officer weighs the whole file. Our Document Checklist lists the barrier evidence.
We are a same-sex couple and marriage is illegal in my partner's country. Do we qualify?
That is a recognized legal barrier for the conjugal category, if the law in your partner's country prohibits the marriage or makes living together unsafe. Canada treats same-sex and opposite-sex conjugal partners the same under IRPR s.2.
If my partner and I could have married but chose not to, does conjugal partner still apply?
It can, depending on the facts. IRCC's guide describes conjugal partners as couples who could not live together because of reasons beyond their control, and asks you to prove what kept you from living together or marrying. IRCC's instructions to officers add that inability to marry is not an absolute requirement: partners in a conjugal relationship of at least one year who do not intend to marry may be considered conjugal partners. An officer decides on all the evidence, and a licensed immigration lawyer or CICC-regulated consultant can advise on your facts. Our Spousal Sponsorship 2026 guide covers the married route.
Does the conjugal partner have to be outside Canada to be sponsored?
Yes. IRPR s.2 defines a conjugal partner as a foreign national residing outside Canada, so the category is processed from outside Canada and has no inland stream. If your partner is already in Canada and you live together, you may be on the path to common-law or spousal sponsorship instead. The right category depends on your facts. Our Outland Sponsorship Process guide explains how outside-Canada files move.
Does conjugal partner sponsorship work the same in Quebec?
The federal category and the IRPR s.2 definition are the same in Quebec. Two things differ. Quebec runs its own sponsorship undertaking (three years for a conjugal partner, the same length as elsewhere), and IRCC lists processing times for Quebec sponsors separately. Confirm Quebec's current rules before you apply. IRCC's processing times tool shows the Quebec figure.
Part of:Sponsoring family
- Super Visa vs Parent Sponsorship (PGP): Which Is Right for You?
- Sponsorship Undertaking: How Long You're Responsible
- What Happens If Your Sponsorship Breaks Down? Canada Immigration
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The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
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This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.