How the Outland Sponsorship Process Works
In outland sponsorship, IRCC first assesses the sponsor in Canada. A visa office outside Canada then processes the spouse's permanent residence file, including background, security and medical checks, and makes the decision. IRCC's published estimate for a spouse or partner outside Canada was about 18 months on October 9, 2026. The sponsored person can apply to visit Canada while waiting, and an officer decides.
about 18 months
IRCC's estimate for a spouse or partner outside Canada (outland), published October 9, 2026
about 26 months
IRCC's estimate for a spouse or partner in Canada (inland), published October 9, 2026
$85
The biometrics fee per person, up to a family maximum of $170
These are IRCC's estimates, based on its inventory and processing capacity, and they are not a maximum or a guarantee. IRCC updates them each month.
What makes a sponsorship outland, and how does it differ from inland?
Outland spousal sponsorship (also called overseas sponsorship) is the family-class pathway used when the sponsored spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner has their permanent residence application processed through a visa office abroad, rather than through IRCC inside Canada.
In practice it is the route when the sponsored person is living outside Canada. A couple may choose it even when the sponsored person is in Canada, for example when the sponsored person does not plan to stay in Canada while the application is processed, or when the couple want a right of appeal if it is refused. The names "outland" and "inland" refer to where the application is processed.
| Factor | Outland | Inland |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse/partner location | Anywhere, inside or outside Canada. Processed via overseas visa office | Must live with the sponsor in Canada |
| Processing time (estimate, varies) | IRCC published about 18 months on October 9, 2026 for a spouse or partner outside Canada | IRCC published about 26 months on October 9, 2026 for a spouse or partner in Canada |
| Open Work Permit (OWP) | Generally not available if the sponsored person lives abroad. A sponsored partner living in Canada with the sponsor can apply in either class, after the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) | Available to a sponsored partner living in Canada with the sponsor, after the AOR, under the same public policy as the family class (confirm current eligibility on IRCC) |
| Visa office | IRCC sends the file to a visa office outside Canada | Application processed in Canada (IRCC domestic offices) |
| Can spouse visit Canada? | Can apply to visit, with a visitor visa or eTA as required. An officer decides | Spouse is already in Canada. Leaving can end temporary status and the spouse may not be allowed back. If they cannot return, a new overseas application is needed |
| Application switch? | IRCC describes no move of a family class file into the in-Canada class. A couple who want that class make a new application in it | If the spouse leaves Canada and cannot return, the sponsor must submit a new overseas application |
| Interview | An officer may ask for an interview | An officer may ask for an interview |
The rule
Outland sponsorship means the permanent residence application is processed by a visa office abroad rather than inside Canada.
What are the steps in the outland process?
The sponsor submits the application to IRCC
The sponsor (in Canada) submits the complete sponsorship and principal applicant (PA) application to IRCC online. A paper or other format is available only on request, for someone who cannot apply online.
IRCC assesses the sponsor in Canada
IRCC assesses the sponsor first, checking that they meet the eligibility requirements. IRCC then sends the file to a visa office outside Canada.
The visa office assesses the sponsored person
The sponsored person gives biometrics (unless exempt) and receives instructions for the medical exam. Police certificates go in with the application. The visa office may ask for more documents, and the officer assesses admissibility through background, security and medical checks.
Biometrics: $85 per person
The medical examination
The sponsored person has a medical exam with an IRCC panel physician, following the instructions IRCC sends after the application is in. The panel physician does not make the final decision on the exam. IRCC does.
The permanent resident visa and COPR are issued
If approved, the visa office asks for passports and issues a permanent resident visa (if the person needs one) and a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).
Landing in Canada
The sponsored person travels to Canada before the visa and the COPR expire. The visa cannot run past the earliest expiry of the passport, the medical results or the admissibility results, and it cannot be extended. The person presents the COPR at a Canadian port of entry and becomes a permanent resident on entry.
Which visa office processes the file, and how long does it take?
For outland sponsorships, IRCC assesses the sponsor first and then sends the file to a visa office outside Canada, which assesses the sponsored person's application. The sponsored person and their family members must pass background, security and medical checks.
IRCC published about 18 months for a spouse or partner outside Canada (outland) and about 26 months for one in Canada (inland), in its figures of October 9, 2026. IRCC updates them each month, so check them again before you apply.
Can the sponsored person visit Canada during processing?
Yes. The sponsored person can generally apply to visit Canada (with a Temporary Resident Visa, or an Electronic Travel Authorization if they are from a visa-exempt country) while the application is being processed. They can travel in and out, because the family class application does not depend on the person being in Canada.
Canadian law recognizes "dual intent": an intention to become a permanent resident does not stop someone from becoming a temporary resident, as long as the officer is satisfied the person will leave Canada by the end of the authorized stay (IRPA s.22(2)). Entry is never guaranteed, and an officer decides each time.
- The sponsored person must satisfy the visa officer that they have genuine reasons to visit and will leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay, despite the pending PR application.
- If granted, the visitor visa allows the sponsored person to visit Canada for the authorized period, not to work or study (without separate authorization).
- If the sponsored person enters Canada as a visitor while the outland application is pending and the couple then want the inland (in-Canada) class, they would make a new application in that class, which has its own conditions.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
- Document ChecklistTypical documents by application type
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What is the outland sponsorship processing time?
IRCC published about 18 months for a spouse or partner outside Canada (outland) and about 26 months for one in Canada (inland), in its figures of October 9, 2026. These are IRCC's estimates, based on its inventory and processing capacity, and they are not a maximum or a guarantee. IRCC updates them each month, so check them again before you apply. Our Processing Times page shows the current figure for every family route.
How does the outland spousal sponsorship process work?
It runs in six steps. The sponsor sends the sponsorship and permanent residence forms together to IRCC, online. IRCC assesses the sponsor first, then sends the file to a visa office outside Canada. The spouse gives biometrics, has a medical exam and passes background and security checks, and the officer assesses admissibility. If approved, the visa office issues a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (and a permanent resident visa if the spouse needs one), and the spouse travels to Canada before they expire. Our Spousal Sponsorship Document Checklist guide lists the papers.
Can I use outland sponsorship if my spouse is living in Canada?
Yes, in some situations. The names describe where the file is processed, not where the couple lives, so a spouse in Canada can still go through a visa office abroad. IRCC's guide says the family class fits a spouse who lives with you in Canada but does not plan to stay in Canada while the application is processed, and couples who plan to appeal if it is refused. The open work permit is open to a spouse living in Canada with the sponsor in either class. Our Inland vs Outland Sponsorship guide compares the two routes point by point.
Can my spouse get an open work permit during an outland application?
Not while living abroad. A spouse or partner living in Canada with the sponsor can apply for it under IRCC's public policy, in either class, once IRCC has sent the acknowledgement of receipt for the permanent residence application. A spouse abroad cannot work in Canada on the strength of the sponsorship alone. Our Inland vs Outland Sponsorship guide covers the rules.
How do I know which visa office will process my outland application?
IRCC assesses the sponsor first, then sends the file to a visa office outside Canada, and that office contacts you about the next steps, such as passports. IRCC's processing-times estimate is one figure for a spouse outside Canada outside Quebec and one for Quebec, with no breakdown by office. Our Processing Times page shows the current figures.
Can I switch from outland to inland after I apply?
Not as a switch. IRCC's guide describes no move of a family class file into the in-Canada class: a couple who want that class make a new application in it, and the partner must meet its conditions (living with the sponsor in Canada, with temporary resident status or under IRCC's public policy for spouses). The reverse also takes a new application: if a partner in an in-Canada application leaves Canada and cannot return, the sponsor must submit a new overseas sponsorship application. Our Inland vs Outland Sponsorship guide explains what changes.
What happens if the sponsored person’s visitor status expires during outland processing?
They must leave Canada or apply to extend their stay before it expires. The family class application does not depend on the person being in Canada, but staying in Canada without status creates separate problems. Keeping valid status while visiting avoids them. An officer decides each extension. Our Visitor Visa Extension guide explains how to apply for a visitor record.
Does the sponsored person need biometrics for an outland application?
Yes, unless exempt. The sponsored person gives fingerprints and a photo as part of the application; people under 14 or over 79 are among those exempt. The biometrics fee is $85 per person, up to a family maximum of $170; confirm the current fee on IRCC. The biometric instruction letter tells them how to give biometrics, within 30 days. Our Biometrics guide explains the appointment.
Part of:Sponsoring family
- Can You Sponsor a Spouse on a Work or Study Permit?
- Is There a Fiance Visa for Canada?
- Canada Dependent Children Sponsorship: Age Limits and Rules
The textbook on this subject
Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada $79
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.