Spousal Sponsorship Questions and Answers
Spousal sponsorship is the process in which Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply for their Spouses, Common-Law or Conjugal Partners to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class. When applying to sponsor a family member to Canada you have to demonstrate to Citizenship and Immigration Canada that you can meet the requirements such as being able to provide for the basic needs of the person you are sponsoring. The reason for this is that Citizenship and Immigration Canada wants to ensure your spouse or relative you are bringing to Canada will not rely on financial assistance from the government. Below will discuss some of the question applicants may have when starting a sponsorship application.
What are the Spousal Sponsorship Processing Times?
Different factors around the world can affect the time it takes for applications to be processed; processing applications depend on the operation of visa centre in different regions. These centres must also operate according to the regulations of the country of operation and face different challenges that could result in different processing times for application in different countries, regions, or even offices within the same region. Factors that influence application processing times in visa centre include, but are not limited to:
- The number of applications currently being processed
- Resources such as machinery and working staff at the office
- The length of communication between applicants and visa centres
- If additional documentation and screening is required, such as medical tests, criminal records, and interviews
- Differences in postal services
Contact your visa centre regularly to know about the status of your application and an estimate of how long it will take for the process. The visa centre alone is not responsible for processing your applications; third parties such as the mailing service will also affect timings.
Usually, if the sponsor is in Canada and the person being sponsored resides outside Canada, then it will take between 13 – 17months for most countries, including 50 to 65 days for the process and assessment of the sponsor.
What are the Processing Fees for Spousal Application?
Fees for spousal sponsorship depends on the application and the basis of relationship of the principal applicant
| Family Class: Sponsorship Application | $75 |
| Family Class: Principal Applicant (spouse, common law) | $475 |
| Family Class: Principal Applicant (under 19 child, not married) | $75 |
| Family Class: Principal Applicant (under 19 child, physically, mentally restricted) | $150 |
| Temporary Resident Visa, multiple and single entry | $100 |
| Open Work Permit | $100 |
| Electronic Travel Authorization | $7 |
| Canada Class: Sponsorship Application | $75 |
| Canada Class: Principal Applicant (Spouse, common law) | $475 |
| Canada Class: Principal Applicant (dependent chid) | $150 |
| Permanent Resident status | $490 |
| Renewal PR Card | $50 |
Your total cost will usually be a combination of the above mentioned fees. Always plan ahead, there could be costs from third service providers that you may need to consider. You should at least $1000 in Canadian funds available at your disposal. This price estimate is for the application for 1 sponsor and 1 applicant only.
Spousal Sponsorship Interview Questions
Immigrations officers could call you in for an interview if they believe there is inconsistency between the provided facts, if the suspect the legality of the marriage, or if there is doubt in the credibility of the relationship.
If an interview is called for, the officers will review and question the applicant and the sponsor separately. The list below does not contain every question that could possibly be asked. For a successful interview, both the applicant and the sponsor must know all the essential details about each other, such as the living habits on a day to day basis. Minor errors are not an issue; however, continuous wrong answers could result in an unsuccessful application. Below are some of the questions that you could be asked in an interview. Be prepared to answer extra questions in case.
- How did you two meet? How did your relation develop?
- How many rooms were in the house you lived in?
- Describe the accommodation where you both lived?
- Who proposed? How did the engagement ring look like?
- Who does/did the cooking and the laundry?
- Where did your spouse or partner go for work?
- What job or position did your spouse or partner hold?
- When did you for vacation together? Where did you go?
- Describe the hotel or accommodation in which you stayed in?
- What does your partner or spouse have for breakfast?
- What is your partner or spouse’s favourite drink?
- What sports or hobbies does your partner have an interest in?
- What is your partner’s or spouse’s favourite place to eat
- What is your spouse’s or partner’s date of birth?
- Does your spouse or partner like his/her job?
- What was their salary?
- What kind of movies or music does your partner enjoy?
Can my Spouse or Common Law partner work while Sponsorship Application is being processed?
In almost all cases your spouse or common-law partner can work in Canada, provided they meet the correct documentation requirements; such as obtaining the right type of work permit. Your spouse or common-law partner must apply for their own separate work permit.
In certain cases, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible to apply for an Open Work Permit. An open work permit will allow your spouse or common-law partner to accept any employment offer from any employer. He or she will not be bound to one specific employer and will thus not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada nor any proof to be submitted that an employer has accepted you for employment. You will have to pay an open work permit fee at the same time you pay the work permit fee. The fee for a Work Permit is $155 Canadian dollars, and an additional fee for holding an open work permit of $100 Canadian dollars is also required.
Typically, it will take 1 month for your work permit to be processed if you apply online and approximately 100 days if you apply through paper. These are simply estimates, the actual times may vary depending on the type of application you submitted, and the volume of applications being processed by the centre.
Is there Conditions on my Work Permit
- You work permit may or may not mentions any conditions regarding your employment. These may include:
- What type of employment you can do
- What type of employer you can work for
- Where you can work how long you can work
- There are also standard conditions that apply to all work permits regardless of whether they are mentioned or not;
- You are not allowed to work for any company or place where the sexual exploitation of work is of considerable risk.
- You must leave Canada at the end of your permitted period of stay.
Applicants who have applied for permanent residence in Canada are eligible to apply for an open work permit.
You are allowed to apply to extend your work permit as long as the work permit which you applied for is outside of Canada has not yet expired.
Spousal Sponsorship Questions? Contact Akrami & Associates
Applying for spousal sponsorship is an important decision. The possibility for a negative result could mean you don’t get to see your spouse for months afterwards. Contact us at Akrami and Associates in order to get the best out of your situation.
With Akrami and Associates there is always a way!!
