Is There a Fiance Visa for Canada?

No. Canada has had no fiance visa since 2002, when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ended the fiance(e) class. Sponsorship for couples covers only spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners. Engaged couples can marry and apply for spousal sponsorship, live together for 12 months to become common-law, or visit Canada while they plan.

Check whether your fiance needs a visitor visa or an eTA

Last verified: November 2026

2002
The year the fiance(e) class ended, when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act came into force
12 months
Of continuous cohabitation to count as common-law partners
90 days
The US K-1 window to marry, which Canada has no equivalent for
IRPA s.22(2)
Dual intent, for a fiance who visits as a temporary resident

Why is there no fiance visa in Canada?

Canada used to have a fiance(e) immigration class, but it was eliminated when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its regulations replaced the older Immigration Act in June 2002. Since then, the family class for couples has been built around proven relationships rather than an intention to marry.

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident may sponsor a spouse, a common-law partner, or a conjugal partner. There is no fourth box for a fiance. An engagement on its own, no matter how genuine, does not make someone eligible to be sponsored.

An engagement is a promise to marry in the future, while sponsorship is built to recognize a relationship that already exists in a way the law can verify.

Spouse: Legally married. A marriage is documented by a marriage certificate.
Common-law partner: A common-law partnership is documented by 12 months of living together.
Conjugal partner: A conjugal partnership is documented by a committed relationship of at least one year plus proof of what kept the couple from living together or marrying.

People often assume Canada must work like the US K-1 fiance visa, where a couple can bring a fiance to the country to marry within 90 days. Canada has no equivalent.

The rule

For couples, family-class sponsorship recognizes only spouses, common-law partners, and conjugal partners.

IRCC, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

Can you marry first and then apply for spousal sponsorship?

One path for an engaged couple is to get legally married, then have the Canadian spouse sponsor the other partner as a spouse. Once you are married, you meet the legal definition of a spouse and can be sponsored under the family class, regardless of where the wedding took place.

The marriage must be legally valid where it was performed and recognized under Canadian law, and both of you must have been physically present at the ceremony (one exception covers members of the Canadian Forces).

Outland application: Often used when the sponsored partner is outside Canada, processed through a visa office.
Inland application, in some cases: Through the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class, when the couple is living together in Canada and the sponsored partner has temporary resident status, or is exempt under IRCC's public policy for spouses.

The route you choose affects processing and appeal rights: only a family class refusal can be appealed to the Immigration Appeal Division. An open work permit turns on living in Canada with your sponsor, in either class, after IRCC sends the acknowledgement of receipt.

An officer still assesses whether the relationship is genuine and not entered into primarily for immigration.

How long must you live together to be common-law partners?

Under IRCC rules, a common-law partner is someone you have lived with continuously in a conjugal (marriage-like) relationship for at least 12 months. As of 2026, that 12-month continuous-cohabitation requirement still applies. Common-law partners can be sponsored under the family class just like married spouses.

The 12 months should be a single unbroken period of living together. Short, ordinary absences such as a work trip, a family emergency, or travel generally do not break the period if the relationship clearly continued. A long or open-ended separation, however, can break the continuous year.

No single document proves a common-law relationship the way a marriage certificate proves a marriage. Genuineness still matters, and an officer makes the final decision.

Who can use the conjugal partner category?

The conjugal partner category exists for couples who could not live together long enough to be common-law, because of reasons beyond their control. To qualify, you show a committed, mutually interdependent relationship of at least one year, and IRCC's guide asks for proof of what kept you from living together or marrying.

IRCC's instructions to officers add that inability to marry is not an absolute requirement. Barriers can include immigration obstacles (for example, a partner repeatedly refused a visa to join the other), or legal, social, cultural, religious or other reasons (IRCC's list).

This is a narrow path. IRCC's guide describes it as a category for partners who could not live together because of reasons beyond their control, and an officer decides whether a couple fits.

Can your fiance visit Canada while you plan?

Your fiance can apply to visit Canada as a temporary resident, using a visitor visa (a temporary resident visa) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on their nationality, provided they meet the normal visitor requirements. This lets couples spend time together, get married in Canada, or plan their next steps.

Visiting is not, by itself, a path to permanent residence. A visit does not grant status as a spouse or partner, and it does not replace a sponsorship application.

Under section 22(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, intending to become a permanent resident does not automatically prevent someone from being approved as a temporary resident, as long as the officer is satisfied the person will leave Canada at the end of the authorized stay if required. Your fiance can honestly hold two intentions at once: to visit now and to immigrate later. They should be truthful about this on the application.

Visitor applications are assessed on their own merits, and an officer can refuse one if they are not satisfied the visitor will respect the conditions of the stay.

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What do people ask?

Is there a fiance visa in Canada?

No. Canada has no fiance(e) visa and no fiance sponsorship category. The fiance class ended in 2002, when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act came into force. Family-class sponsorship for couples now covers only spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners, so an engagement on its own does not make anyone eligible. Our Spousal Sponsorship page explains the route for engaged couples once they marry.

Is there a K-1 or 90-day fiance visa in Canada?

No. The US K-1 visa lets a citizen bring a fiance to the United States to marry within 90 days, and Canada has no equivalent. In Canada, couples can marry first and use spousal sponsorship, or qualify as common-law or conjugal partners. A fiance can visit as a temporary resident, but a visit is not a path to permanent residence on its own. Our Dual Intent guide explains visiting while planning to immigrate.

How do I bring my fiance to Canada?

Not as a fiance. Your realistic routes are to marry and sponsor your partner as a spouse, to live together for 12 continuous months and apply as common-law partners, or, in some cases, to use the conjugal partner category. Meanwhile your fiance can apply to visit as a temporary resident if they meet the visitor rules. An officer decides every case. Our Common-Law Sponsorship guide covers the cohabitation route.

Is there a fiance visa to Canada from the Philippines?

No. The same rules apply to every country, so there is no fiance visa from the Philippines either. A Filipino fiance can be sponsored after marriage as a spouse, as a common-law partner after 12 months of living together, or, in narrow cases, as a conjugal partner. To visit first, Philippine citizens generally need a visitor visa, or an eTA to fly if they qualify under IRPR s.7.01. Our Visa Check tool shows the entry document by nationality.

Why was the fiance class discontinued?

The fiance(e) class ended when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its regulations replaced the older Immigration Act in June 2002. Since then, sponsorship rests on relationships the law can verify: a marriage, 12 months of living together, or a conjugal relationship of at least one year, with proof of what kept the couple apart. An intention to marry is not enough on its own. Our Conjugal Partner Sponsorship guide explains the narrowest of the three.

How long do we have to live together to be common-law in Canada?

You need at least 12 months of continuous cohabitation in a marriage-like relationship, and that rule still applies in 2026. The 12 months should be unbroken. Short, ordinary absences such as a work trip usually leave the count intact. A long or open-ended separation can break the continuous year. Common-law partners can be sponsored under the family class like married spouses. Our Common-Law Sponsorship guide lists the proof officers read.

Who qualifies as a conjugal partner?

A conjugal partner is someone in a genuine, marriage-like relationship with you for at least one year, where a reason beyond your control kept you from living together long enough to be common-law. IRCC's guide asks for proof of what kept you from living together or marrying, and IRCC's instructions to officers add that inability to marry is not an absolute requirement. Examples are repeated visa refusals or legal or religious obstacles. It is a narrow exception, and the sponsored partner must be outside Canada. Our Conjugal Partner Sponsorship guide covers the evidence.

Can my fiance just visit Canada and then apply for permanent residence?

Your fiance can apply to visit with a visitor visa or eTA if they meet the requirements, and IRPA s.22(2) allows dual intent: planning to visit now and immigrate later. A visit still gives no partner status and does not replace a sponsorship application. The officer must be satisfied your fiance will leave at the end of the stay if required. Our Dual Intent guide explains how officers weigh this.

Part of:Sponsoring family

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.