Canada spousal and partner sponsorship for Indian applicants

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner for permanent residence. There is no minimum income, but the sponsor signs a three-year undertaking, and the officer must be satisfied the relationship is genuine and was not entered into mainly for immigration.

Canada Spousal and partner sponsorship: quick answers

Who can sponsor a spouse to Canada? A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act who is 18 or older, lives in Canada (citizens abroad must show they will return when the spouse lands), is not on social assistance other than for disability, is not in default of a previous undertaking, support order or immigration loan, has no conviction for a violent or sexual offence and was not themselves sponsored as a spouse within the last five years.

What does it cost? CAD 1,260 for the spouse or partner, which bundles the sponsorship fee and the principal applicant processing fee (CAD 660 together) with the CAD 600 right of permanent residence fee; CAD 180 per dependent child; CAD 85 biometrics per person. The medical exam, police certificates and translations are paid separately.

How long does it take? IRCC's tool in October 2026 showed about 18 months for applications where the spouse lives outside Canada (the published service standard is 12 months) and about 26 months for in-Canada applications. Quebec-destined files take longer because of the provincial undertaking.

At a glance

Item	Detail
Who can be sponsored	Spouse (legally married), common-law partner (12 months living together) or conjugal partner (exceptional barriers to marriage or cohabitation)
Government fee	CAD 1,260 per spouse or partner including the RPRF; CAD 660 without the RPRF
Dependent child	CAD 180 per child
Biometrics	CAD 85 per person
Income requirement	None for a spouse or partner; sponsor must not be on social assistance
Undertaking	3 years from the day the spouse becomes a permanent resident
Processing, outside Canada	About 18 months (IRCC tool, October 2026); 12-month service standard
Processing, inside Canada	About 26 months (IRCC tool, October 2026); open work permit available meanwhile

Who qualifies, on both sides

The sponsor must meet the eligibility rules above and sign an undertaking to repay any social assistance the sponsored person receives for three years after landing; the undertaking survives separation or divorce. The sponsored spouse must pass medical, criminal and security checks and must not be inadmissible; a sponsor's bankruptcy, a prior sponsorship default or a conviction for an offence against a family member bars the application.

The relationship test has two limbs under regulation 4: the marriage or partnership must be genuine and must not have been entered into primarily to acquire status. Officers look at how the couple met, the time spent together before and after the wedding, communication, knowledge of each other's families and finances, and whether the story is consistent across the forms, the interview and the documents. Arranged marriages are assessed on the same evidence; cultural context is expected to be explained, not assumed.

Choose the class by where the spouse lives and what you need during processing. The in-Canada class requires the spouse to live with you in Canada and allows an open work permit while waiting, but is slower and the spouse should not leave Canada for long. The family class (outland) is processed through the visa office for India, is faster at present, keeps appeal rights to the Immigration Appeal Division on refusal, and the spouse can visit Canada on a TRV during processing.

Fees

Item	CAD	Notes
Sponsor your spouse or partner	1,260	Sponsorship fee and processing fee (660 together) plus the right of permanent residence fee (600)
Spouse or partner without RPRF	660	RPRF paid later, before the visa is issued
Each dependent child	180	No RPRF for children
Biometrics	85 per person	Required for the sponsored spouse and children aged 14 to 79
Open work permit (in-Canada class)	255	Work permit 155 + open work permit holder fee 100
Permanent resident card replacement	50	The first card is free

All fees are paid online when the sponsorship and permanent residence applications are submitted together in the IRCC permanent residence portal. The RPRF is the only fee refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn.

How the application runs, step by step

Check sponsor eligibility and pick the class. Confirm none of the bars apply, decide between the family class (spouse abroad) and the in-Canada class, and gather proof of your status and residence.
Complete the forms. Sponsor: IMM 1344 application to sponsor and undertaking, IMM 5532 relationship information and sponsorship evaluation. Applicant: IMM 0008 generic application, IMM 5669 Schedule A background, IMM 5406 additional family information, IMM 5562 travel history.
Assemble the relationship evidence. Marriage certificate, wedding photographs with family, chat and call logs over time, travel records of visits, joint finances and remittances, statements from relatives.
Submit online and pay CAD 1,345. Upload everything in the permanent residence portal with the fee receipt for CAD 1,260 plus CAD 85 biometrics; the sponsor's eligibility is assessed first, then the applicant's file.
Biometrics, medical, interview if called, decision. The sponsored spouse gives biometrics at a VAC in India and completes the medical when instructed. Approval brings a COPR and visa for outland applicants, or a landing appointment for in-Canada applicants.

Timeline at October 2026 rates

Stage	Family class (spouse in India)	In-Canada class
Sponsor approval	2 to 4 months	2 to 4 months
Open work permit	Not available	4 to 6 months from submission
Total to decision	About 18 months	About 26 months
Visiting during processing	TRV possible; dual intent must be declared	Spouse should remain in Canada and keep status

IRCC's published times are averages of recently finalised files, not promises. Files with a complete relationship record and consistent forms close faster than the average; requests for more documents or an interview add months.

After approval

The sponsored spouse lands as a permanent resident with no conditions; the two-year conditional permanent residence rule was repealed in 2017. The sponsor's undertaking runs three years. A person who was sponsored as a spouse cannot sponsor a new spouse or partner for five years after becoming a permanent resident. Citizenship follows after 1,095 days of physical presence in five years.

Document checklist: sponsor

Document	Standard the officer applies
Proof of status	Canadian passport, citizenship certificate or PR card (both sides); PR card must be valid or accompanied by COPR
Proof of residence in Canada	Lease or mortgage, utility bills, employment letter or recent pay slips; citizens abroad add evidence of the plan to return
IMM 1344 and IMM 5532	Signed application to sponsor with the undertaking, and the relationship questionnaire; answers must match the applicant's forms exactly
Notice of assessment (optional)	Not an income test for spouses, but useful evidence that you are not on social assistance

Applicant

Document	Standard the officer applies
Passport and digital photo	All pages with stamps; photo to IRCC specification
IMM 0008, IMM 5669, IMM 5406, IMM 5562	Generic application, background declaration, additional family information, travel history for the last ten years
Police clearance certificates	India PCC from the Passport Seva Kendra, plus every country lived in for six months or more since age 18
Medical exam	Upfront with an IRCC panel physician; valid 12 months
Birth certificate and any previous divorce decrees	Translated into English or French by a certified translator with the translator's affidavit

Relationship evidence

Document	Standard the officer applies
Marriage certificate	Registered under the Hindu Marriage Act or Special Marriage Act; religious ceremony alone is not sufficient
Wedding evidence	Invitation card, photographs with both families, receipts for the venue or ceremony
Communication over time	Chat exports, call logs, emails and letters sampled across the relationship, not just the month before filing
Time together	Boarding passes, entry and exit stamps, hotel bookings and photos from each visit
Shared finances and life	Joint account statements, remittance receipts, insurance beneficiary forms, a lease or property in both names
Statements from family and friends	Signed letters with the writer's ID, saying how they know the couple and what they have seen

Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix

Relationship not genuine or entered into for immigration

The officer found inconsistencies between IMM 5532, the interview and the evidence: few meetings before marriage, no shared finances, communication that started only around the wedding, or a previous sponsorship pattern.

The fix. Build a chronological evidence file that covers the whole relationship, explain cultural context for an arranged marriage in a joint statement, prepare both spouses for the interview on dates and family details, and seek legal advice before reapplying or appealing to the Immigration Appeal Division.

Sponsor ineligible

The sponsor was on social assistance, in default of a previous undertaking or support order, undischarged bankrupt, or had been sponsored as a spouse within the past five years.

The fix. Clear the default or wait out the bar, then reapply; the five-year rule cannot be waived.

Misrepresentation

An undeclared previous marriage, a child omitted from IMM 5406, or documents that did not verify. A section 40 finding bars the applicant for five years and can affect the sponsor.

The fix. Declare every marriage, child and refusal on every form, including non-accompanying children, and use certified translations of registered documents.

Applicant inadmissible

A conviction, a medical condition expected to place excessive demand (spouses are exempt from excessive demand but not from danger to public health) or a security concern.

The fix. Obtain the criminal rehabilitation or record suspension before filing; complete the medical upfront and respond to any procedural fairness letter with specialist reports.

Incomplete or inconsistent application

Missing police certificate, unsigned form or different dates for the same event across forms led to a return or refusal.

The fix. Use the IRCC document checklist line by line, have both spouses review every form together, and keep one timeline document that every answer is drawn from.

Official sources

Questions, answered

Is there a minimum income to sponsor a spouse to Canada?

No. Spousal and partner sponsorship has no income threshold; the sponsor must not be receiving social assistance other than for disability and must be able to meet the undertaking. Income cut-offs apply only to parent and grandparent sponsorship and to dependent children with their own children.

Inland or outland: which is faster for a spouse in India?

Outland, at about 18 months in October 2026 against 26 months inland. Outland also keeps the right of appeal and lets the spouse visit on a TRV. Inland suits couples already living together in Canada who need the open work permit.

Can my spouse work while the sponsorship is processed?

Inside Canada under the in-Canada class, yes: an open work permit (CAD 255) is usually issued within four to six months of filing. Outside Canada there is no work permit attached to the sponsorship.

What proof of relationship does IRCC want for an arranged marriage?

The same categories as any marriage: the registered certificate, wedding evidence with both families, communication since the match, visits, joint finances and statements from relatives. Explain the arrangement, the role of the families and the timeline in a joint statement rather than leaving the officer to infer it.

Who handles spousal sponsorship on Vistolane?

Family routes go to a licence-checked immigration partner (CICC-registered consultant or lawyer) on Vistolane. You pick the partner on the Canada destination page; both spouses track the case in one portal and the partner prepares the evidence file and interview.