The processing time for spousal sponsorship applicants is back to 12 months for new applicants. You can also track the application status online. Read on to know more.

Processing Time for Spousal Sponsorship Applicants Returns to 12 Months

Post by : Admin on Apr 14,2022

Whether you want to unite with your spouse or common-law partner in Canada, waiting incessantly for the spousal sponsorship application to process never feels good. The pandemic had almost normalized the delays in the processing of spousal sponsorship applications. But, the good news is, the Canadian Government and IRCC have addressed the delays and implemented the right measures to accelerate the processing work tenfold.

Result?

The application processing time for Spousal Sponsorship Applications has returned to its standard time of 12 months. Several factors caused the delay in application processing such as border restrictions and the pandemic. But, the IRCC and the Government of Canadanow use data analytics to help officers process the applications faster. Also, the complete shift from traditional to online application process minimizes the processing delays to a great extent.

Sean Fraser, Immigration Minister, announced in January 2022 that the spousal sponsorship returns to the 12-month processing time for new applicants. IRCC also brought forth a portal for spousal and child sponsorship applicants to track their immigration applications online.

Who is eligible for the spousal sponsorship program?

You can apply for the spousal sponsorship program if you are:

  • A Canadian citizen or an indigenous individual registered under the Canadian Indian Act
  • At least 18 years old
  • Able to demonstrate that you do not get social assistance except if you have a disability
  • Capable of supporting the financial needs of the sponsored individual

Who can you sponsor?

You can sponsor any one of the following:

  • Common-law partner- You must have lived with this person for at last 12 straight months.
  • Spouse- You have to be legally married to this person.
  • Conjugal partner- You must have been in a relationship with this person for a minimum of a year and cannot marry the person in their country due to immigration or legal causes.

In the case of foreign nationals, they must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for this program. Also, they need to get through a criminality, security and health screening during the process.

What are the types of spousal sponsorship application processes?

You and your spouse can apply for the program from within Canada (inland sponsorship)or apply for the same abroad (outland sponsorship). Let’s see what each type of sponsorship process means.

Inland sponsorship

  • The partner or the spouse must have a valid temporary status in Canada in the form of a worker, visitor or student to be eligible for the program.
  • The sponsored person can continue to live, work and study in Canada during the application process.
  • The sponsored spouse can also get a Spousal Open Work Permit that lets them work even while waiting for the application’s results.

Outland sponsorship

  • This process serves foreign spouses who aren’t residing in Canada legally at the time of application.
  • Permanent residents in Canada can use this process to sponsor their spouses only if they are living in Canada. But, Canadian citizens can use the same process to sponsor their spouses from abroad. In the latter, they need to demonstrate that they will return to Canada once the application is approved.
  • The outland process is perfect for couples who need to travel to and from Canada during the application processing time.
  • Married and common-law partners can also use the outland process to sponsor conjugal partners. Couples with an ongoing and committed relationship for over 12 months but aren’t able to live together due to legal or other obstacles fall under this category.

Detailed steps for applying to the spousal sponsorship application

The steps to apply to the spousal sponsorship program are:

  • Get hold of two applications since you need to submit both of them for a quick approval. One facilitates the sponsorship while the other one helps in achieving permanent residency.
  • Get the package from IRCC.
  • Pay the application fees which are a combination of processing, right of permanent residence and biometrics fees. S
  • Finally, send the completed application to IRCC via email.

Though the standard processing time for spousal sponsorship applications is reduced to 12 months only, the process is still quite complex. Theeminent team at Onkar Immigration is here to guide you through all the steps in this process hassle-free. From the paperwork to the eligibility criteria, we will help you with everything. Contact us for more details.


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