Spousal Sponsorship Canada 2026

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner for permanent residence. IRCC fees total $1,260, plus $85 for biometrics. IRCC's published processing time is about 26 months inland and 18 months outland, outside Quebec. In most cases there is no minimum income test. An officer decides.

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Last verified: November 2026

$1,260
IRCC’s combined fee to sponsor a spouse or partner
$85
Biometrics, per person
About 26 months
IRCC’s published time inland, outside Quebec
About 18 months
IRCC’s published time outland, outside Quebec

Processing times are IRCC's published figures for the rest of Canada, verified November 11, 2026. The Processing Times page carries the live table.

Who can sponsor a spouse or partner?

IRCC assesses the sponsor as well as the relationship. A sponsor must:

Be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Canadian Indian Act.
Live in Canada, if a permanent resident. A Canadian citizen living abroad may sponsor if they show they plan to live in Canada once the partner becomes a PR.
Sign the sponsorship agreement and undertaking: 3 years for a spouse or partner outside Quebec. Quebec sets its own lengths.
Not be in default of a previous sponsorship undertaking, subject to a removal order, or incarcerated.
Not be within the 5-year sponsorship bar: a person sponsored as a spouse or partner generally cannot sponsor a new partner until 5 years after becoming a permanent resident (IRPR s.130(3)).

Spouse: Legally married.
Common-law partner: At least 12 continuous months of cohabitation in a conjugal relationship.
Conjugal partner: At least one year, living outside Canada, where legal, immigration, religious or other reasons prevented living together or marrying.

The relationship must be genuine and must not have been entered into primarily to acquire an immigration status or privilege. The sponsored partner must not be inadmissible to Canada: the partner and their family members must pass background, security and medical checks.

The rule

A person is not a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner if the relationship is not genuine, or was entered into primarily to acquire a status or privilege under the immigration Act. The section joins the two with "or", so either one is enough.

IRPR s.4Verify on justice.gc.ca

Do you need a minimum income to sponsor a spouse?

In most cases there is no minimum income requirement to sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner.

The main exception: if the partner you sponsor has a dependent child who has their own child, the income rules apply. Quebec applies its own income rules.

What replaces the income test is the undertaking. You sign a legally binding promise to provide for the sponsored partner’s basic needs for 3 years from the day they become a permanent resident (Quebec sets its own length). If the sponsored person receives social assistance during that period, you may be required to repay those amounts, and that obligation stands even if the relationship later ends.

The income test (Minimum Necessary Income, based on the low-income cut-off) mainly applies when you sponsor parents or grandparents, where you must meet the threshold for the three tax years before you apply. The complete family sponsorship guide compares each category.

What are the spousal sponsorship fees?

For a single spouse or partner applying outside Quebec, IRCC bundles the sponsorship fee, the principal applicant processing fee, and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) into one combined amount of $1,260. With the $85 biometrics fee, the government total is about $1,345, before the medical exam. These are IRCC fees after the permanent-residence fee increase that took effect April 30, 2026.

IRCC fees to sponsor a spouse or partner
Fee item	Amount (CAD)	Who pays
Combined IRCC fee (sponsorship + processing + RPRF)	$1,260	Sponsor and sponsored partner (often paid together)
Of which: sponsorship and processing (IRCC publishes no split)	$660	Paid with the application
Of which: Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)	$600	Refundable if you withdraw before landing
Each sponsored dependent child	$180	Added per child included in the application
Biometrics	$85/person ($170 family max)	Sponsored partner
Medical examination	Varies by clinic/country	Sponsored partner (fee set by the panel physician)

The medical exam, police certificates, document translation, notarization, and any lawyer or consultant fees are extra and are not set by IRCC.

How long does it take, inland or outland?

Inland and outland side by side
Factor	Inland	Outland
Published processing time (outside Quebec)	About 26 months	About 18 months
Spouse location	Must live with the sponsor in Canada, with temporary status unless IRCC’s public policy for spouses exempts them	Anywhere, can be in Canada or abroad
Travel outside Canada	Leaving can end temporary status, and a partner who cannot return needs a new overseas (family class) application	The partner can be abroad or travel. A border officer decides each entry to Canada
Appeal rights (if refused)	No Immigration Appeal Division appeal. Judicial review in the Federal Court, with leave	Yes: Immigration Appeal Division

Each time is IRCC’s estimate, not a maximum or a guarantee for your file. It counts from the day IRCC receives a complete application to the decision. Quebec files take longer. The Inland vs Outland guide compares both routes.

Can your partner work while the application is processed?

A sponsored partner who lives in Canada with the sponsor can apply for an open work permit (OWP) once IRCC sends the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) confirming the PR application is complete. It covers either class, inland or outland, and IRPR s.207(b) also lets a work permit be issued to a member of the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class.

A partner living outside Canada cannot get it. It is separate from the open work permits for family members of temporary workers and students that IRCC narrowed effective January 21, 2025.

Apply after the AOR arrives. Without an AOR, apply only if the partner’s permit or status will expire in 2 weeks or less.
It can be extended for 2 more years under the public policy while the PR application is still being processed.
Optional government fee: about $255 CAD ($155 work permit fee plus $100 open work permit holder fee).
A visa officer decides eligibility.

What goes in the application, and what can lead to a refusal?

A spousal sponsorship package needs identity and status documents, proof the relationship is genuine, communication history, and photos. IRCC’s checklist depends on who is sponsored, where they live and where their documents were issued, and you upload it with the application. The Document Checklist tool builds a list for your circumstances.

Reasons applications can be refused include:

The relationship is not considered genuine. IRCC accepts up to 10 pages of proof of communication.
Sponsor ineligibility: a prior undertaking in default, an earlier application for the same person still undecided, or certain criminal convictions.
The sponsored spouse’s criminal or medical inadmissibility. Approved criminal rehabilitation removes the grounds of criminal inadmissibility. A TRP does not overcome it permanently.
An incomplete application or missing documents. IRCC returns applications with missing or incomplete information.
A sponsor who is within the 5-year sponsorship bar.

Which free tool checks your own case?

Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.

What do people ask?

How much are the spousal sponsorship fees in 2026?

IRCC charges $1,260 to sponsor a spouse or partner: $660 for sponsorship and processing plus the $600 right of permanent residence fee. Biometrics add $85 per person, and each dependent child adds $180. The medical exam, police certificates and translations cost extra and are not set by IRCC. The RPRF is generally refundable if you withdraw before your partner becomes a permanent resident. The Fee Calculator shows the live amounts.

What is the spousal sponsorship processing time in 2026?

IRCC's published time is about 26 months inland and about 18 months outland, outside Quebec, verified November 11, 2026. It is not a maximum or a promise for your file. Quebec files take longer. IRCC updates the times about once a month, and our Processing Times page carries the live figures.

Should I apply inland or outland for spousal sponsorship?

IRCC points to outland (the family class) when the partner lives outside Canada, when the couple wants the right of appeal, or for a conjugal partner, and to inland when the couple lives together in Canada and the partner will stay during processing. Outland takes about 18 months against about 26 months inland, and the partner can travel while it is in progress. Inland needs the partner living with the sponsor in Canada with temporary status, unless IRCC's public policy exempts them, and leaving Canada can put the file at risk. The Inland vs Outland guide compares both routes.

Are there income requirements for spousal sponsorship in Canada?

In most cases, no. Sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner usually has no minimum necessary income test, unlike sponsoring parents or grandparents. The exception is when the partner you sponsor has a dependent child who has their own child. Instead, you sign an undertaking to support your partner for 3 years outside Quebec, and you may have to repay any social assistance they receive. The Family Sponsorship guide compares every category.

What is on the spousal sponsorship checklist?

The checklist covers four kinds of evidence. Identity and status: the marriage certificate, proof of the sponsor's status, birth certificates and any divorce decrees. Relationship: joint bank statements, a joint lease or mortgage, and utility bills. Communication: message, email and call history. Photos and letters: photos over time and references from family and friends. IRCC judges whether the relationship is genuine under IRPR s.4. The Document Checklist tool builds your own list.

What are the requirements to sponsor a spouse in Canada?

You must be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act, and you must sign a 3-year undertaking (Quebec sets its own length). A permanent resident sponsor must live in Canada. You cannot sponsor while in default of an earlier undertaking, under a removal order or in prison. A person sponsored as a partner waits 5 years before sponsoring a new one (IRPR s.130(3)).

Is there a spouse visa for Canada in 2026?

Spousal sponsorship is what people usually mean by a Canada spouse visa: a Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsors a spouse or partner for permanent residence. A partner who lives in Canada with the sponsor can apply for an open work permit, in either class, once IRCC acknowledges the PR application. That is separate from the family open work permits for spouses of workers and students, which IRCC narrowed on January 21, 2025. The Spousal Sponsorship page covers the whole program.

Part of:Sponsoring family

Official sources

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