Canadian Family Class Immigration Program

Operated by Leduc Capital Management Inc.

The Canadian Family Class Immigration Program offers a pathway for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses or common-law partners to immigrate to Canada. This program promotes family reunification and ensure that eligible couples can live together in Canada.

Sponsor Eligibility

  • Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency: To sponsor a spouse or partner, you must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
  • Minimum Age: You must be at least 18 years old to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner.
  • Financial Capability: Sponsors must demonstrate the ability to financially support their spouse or partner and any dependent children. This includes meeting the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirement, which varies depending on the size of the family unit.
  • No Criminal Record: Sponsors must not have been convicted of certain criminal offenses.
  • Have not previously sponsored a spouse or common-law partner within the past three years who received social assistance for reasons other than disability.
Click here to see if you are eligible to SPONSOR your SPOUSE or COMMON-LAW PARTNER

Applicant Eligibility

  • Relationship Requirement: The sponsor and the sponsored spouse or common-law partner must have a genuine relationship and intend to live together in Canada. This includes both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.
  • Legal Marital Status: Both parties must be legally married or in a genuine common-law relationship, which is defined as living together continuously for at least one year.
  • Medical and Criminal Admissibility: The sponsored spouse or partner must undergo medical examinations and security screenings to ensure they are admissible to Canada. This includes providing police certificates from all countries where they have lived for six months or more since turning 18.

Obligations of Sponsors

  • Financial Support: Sponsors are legally obligated to provide financial support for their spouse or partner for a period of three years from the date they become a permanent resident of Canada.
  • Residency Requirement: Sponsors must reside in Canada during the sponsorship process and must be living in Canada when the sponsored spouse or partner becomes a permanent resident.
  • Repayment of Social Assistance: If the sponsored spouse or partner receives social assistance during the sponsorship period, the sponsor may be required to repay the government for any benefits received.
 

Rights of Sponsored Spouses or Partners

  • Work and Study Rights: Sponsored spouses or partners are eligible to work and study in Canada while their permanent residence application is being processed.
  • Access to Healthcare: Sponsored spouses or partners are entitled to access Canada's publicly funded healthcare system.
  • Permanent Residence Status: Once the permanent residence application is approved, the sponsored spouse or partner becomes a permanent resident of Canada, with the right to live, work, and study in the country indefinitely.
 

Application Process

There is in-land and out-land sponsorship.
Also, if the Sponsor lives in the Province of Quebec, please note that Quebec has its own immigration rules, and an additional application will need to be submitted to the Province of Quebec. Our Quebec Immigration Lawyers can assist you in your submission.

  1. Submission of Sponsorship Application

    The sponsor must submit a complete sponsorship application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), along with the required supporting documents and fees.

  2. Submission of Permanent Residence Application

    Once the sponsorship application is approved, the sponsored spouse or partner can submit their application for permanent residence to IRCC. This application includes medical examinations, police certificates, and proof of relationship.

  3. Processing Times

    Processing times for spousal sponsorship applications vary depending on factors such as the completeness of the application and the volume of applications received. Applicants can check the current processing times on the IRCC website.