What is the spousal application fee?
The sponsorship application fee per application is $75, the principal applicant has to pay $475. The spouse, common law partner or conjugal partner of the principal applicant or a family member of the principal applicant who is 22 years of age or older has to pay $550. Additionally, a family member of the principal applicant under the age of 19 and is not the spouse or common law partner has to pay $150. If a family member of the principal applicant is under 22 years of age, unmarried and not in a common law relationship or is 22 years of age or older but due to physical or mental condition is unable to financially support him or herself is required to pay $150.
These are general fees that are needed to be paid for the application however if there is need for medical then there will be costs associated with that, furthermore there will be costs associated with gathering the documentation required such as police record.
To apply under spousal sponsorship:
- Get the application package from according to where the sponsored person is living. If the person is living in Canada already then use the Application for Permanent Residence in Canada—Spouse or Common Law Partner. However if the spouse being sponsored is living outside of Canada then use the Application to Sponsor a Member of the Family Class
- Have to pay the processing fee in Canadian dollars and the best way is payment through online method. Information about the fees can be found on the CIC website.
- Send the filled out application to the Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Canada, who will then process your application to sponsor your family member
- Once CPC approves you as a Sponsor you application will then forwarded to a Canadian Visa Office.
To be eligible the person being sponsored has to meet the following requirement of being a spouse, conjugal partner or a common law partner
Spouse:
A person married to the sponsor. If married inside Canada then they must have a marriage certificate issued by the province or territory where the marriage took place. Must be at least 16 years of age, legally married and not otherwise married to someone else to qualify for sponsorship.
If married outside of Canada, they have to be recognized as legal in the country in which the marriage took place.
Common law partner:
A common law relationship is described as a relationship in which a person who is cohabiting with the other person in a conjugal relationship. Common law partner can be of same or opposite sex however have to be living together for the last one year. The relationship must be genuine and not for the purpose of acquiring immigration status. The applicant must have a valid passport and must satisfy the admissibility requirements.
They will need proof to show relationship through:
- Joint bank accounts or credit cards
- Joint ownership of a home
- Joint residential leases
- Joint rental receipts
- Joint registration or payment of utilities
- Joint management of household expenses
- Joint purchases, especially of household item or
- Mail addressed to either person or both people at the same address
Conjugal Partner:
Refer to partner whether of opposite or same sex in relationship with the sponsor but is not cohabiting with the sponsor. This category was created for those who might have applied as common law partner but who did not live together continuously for one year because of social or legal obstacles such as immigration barrier, or a person’s marital status, or due to a person’s sexual orientation.
At Akrami and Associates we want to make sure you are reunited with your loved ones as soon as possible. Contact us today and we will get you started on the application, so you don’t have to wait any longer.