As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to every situation. Determining which application is best suited for you and your spouses specific needs may be a little confusing. However, understanding the differences between the two applications (inland or overseas) may help with making this decision a little bit easier.
Spousal Sponsorship Application from Inside of Canada:
pros:
- the sponsored spouse may remain within Canada during the processing time
- the sponsored spouse may obtain an open work permit (an open work permit allows the sponsored spouse to work in Canada during the processing time for your application)
cons:
- the sponsored spouse may not leave Canada during the processing time, otherwise the application will be determined abandoned
- processing times are usually longer > the first stage alone takes about 8-12 months
- no appeals can be made if an inland application is denied
Spousal Sponsorship Application from Outside of Canada:
pros:
- with this application you may be able to travel back and forth
- processing times are usually faster than with inland applications (depending on which country you are applying from)
- you have the right to appeal the decision if it has been rejected
cons:
- the sponsored spouse must wait outside of Canada for a decision
- an exception to this is if your spouse has an additional visa (e.g. visitors visa) which allows them the ability to be within the country while waiting for the application to be processed
The decision you make in regards to which application you will send in is crucial. This decision will determine what your life will be like for the next year or more. The
inland application can take an emotional toll on people, especially not being able to see close family and friends for up to two years. You have to consider the fact that you or your spouse will have to separate him or herself from everything they grew up with and know. This is a difficult task for anyone to do. It leaves them feeling emotionally vulnerable. It’s not just difficult on the sponsored spouse it can also become difficult on the sponsor. The sponsor has to understand that when their spouse arrives they might not know or have anyone else in the country to turn to, this makes them very dependant. It changes the relationship in unexplainable ways. It can either make or break the relationship. The open-work permit can help this situation tremendously, if accepted your sponsored spouse can work in Canada. This allows your spouse to feel more at home, less vulnerable. It can get uncomfortable for the
sponsored spouse to sit around while the sponsor must continue with his/her daily life. The open work permit allows for an easier transition and an application for this should be sent with the inland spousal sponsorship application.
Much of this does not sound too great; however, the main thing here is that the two of you get to be together throughout the whole process and that is what matters most. For many of the above reasons people may choose to go with a spousal sponsorship application from outside of Canada. Especially if they have another way to enter Canada and see their spouse on a regular basis. Others may have other reasons as to why and overseas application might be more suitable. In conclusion, the most important thing before sending a spousal sponsorship application is that you are well informed about which one will work with your specific situation and lifestyle the best. You should understand all the pros and cons of both the inland spousal sponsorship application and the overseas spousal sponsorship application.
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