Outland Spousal and Common-Law Partner Sponsorship

Outland sponsorship allows Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent residence in Canada, regardless of where they live in the world.

This page will help you determine if this sponsorship process is right for you so you have the best chance of achieving your immigration goals in Canada.

What is Outland sponsorship?

Outland sponsorship allows foreign nationals residing abroad to be sponsored by their Canadian spouse or partner for permanent resident (PR) status in Canada. The Outland sponsorship process differs from the Inland spousal sponsorship, which requires the couple to live together in Canada.

Outland sponsorship may be the best option for you if you are unable to apply for spousal sponsorship from inside Canada. In other words, if your loved one is not living legally in Canada at the time of application, Outland sponsorship is likely the only option available to you.

Applicants residing in Canada may also opt for the Outland sponsorship process. It allows for travel to and from Canada while the application process is underway and may be the best option for those whose work or personal situation requires them to be able to enter and leave the country.

In order for the sponsored person to receive a Canadian PR visa through Outland sponsorship, both the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and the foreign national will need to be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Who can apply under Outland sponsorship?

To be eligible to sponsor a loved one under the Outland application category, both the sponsor and sponsored person will have to meet a number of specific requirements, including:

• the sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• both the sponsor and sponsored person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored person must be one of the following:
  • spouse: you are legally married and your marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction where it was registered and under Canadian law;
  • common-law : you are cohabiting or have cohabited with your partner in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months;
  • conjugal partnership *: you have been in an ongoing and committed relationship for a period of at least 12 months but, due to significant legal constraints or other factors beyond your control, such as an immigration barrier or marital status, you cannot live together;
• the sponsor must not have sponsored a spouse in Canada in the five years preceding the submission of their application;
• neither spouse must be in prison, charged with a serious offence or bankrupt;

* If you are in a conjugal relationship, you will need to submit an Outland sponsorship application as this type of relationship is not eligible under Inland sponsorship.

How does Outland sponsorship work? 

Outland sponsorship is a specific application process used to sponsor a loved one under Canada’s Family Class immigration program.

The process involves several steps, including verifying eligibility, collecting supporting documents, completing the required forms and submitting them to the appropriate visa office. The Canadian citizen or permanent resident will have to apply to become a sponsor, while the foreign spouse or partner will have to apply for permanent residence.

What are the steps to submit an Outland sponsorship application?

Applying to sponsor a foreign spouse or partner is a multi-step process:

• Step 1: Obtain the application package found on the government website; it includes a guide with instructions and forms that will help you complete the process correctly.
• Step 2: Pay all required application fees online.
• Step 3: Complete and sign all required forms. Be sure to check whether additional country-specific forms are required depending on your spouse or partner’s country of residence.
• Step 4: Send your application to the right visa office and mailing address in Canada by following the instructions provided in the guide you downloaded.

The province of Quebec has its own immigration procedures and additional steps will have to be if you intend to settle in that province.

How long does it take to process Outland applications?

IRCC’s targeted processing period for spousal sponsorships is approximately 12 months. This estimated processing time includes the time needed to provide biometrics and to review the sponsorship application and eligibility requirements of both the sponsor and person being sponsored.

Once the application has been submitted, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt from IRCC. Next, IRCC will assess the sponsor’s eligibility, which takes approximately 4 months. The final step will be the evaluation of the sponsored person’s application for permanent residence, which may take approximately 6 months.

The current COVID-19 pandemic could have an impact on the processing of spousal applications. IRCC is currently prioritizing applications from:

• Canadians attempting to return to Canada;
• Vulnerable persons;
• Those who provide or support essential services.

Where are Outland applications processed?

Unlike application submitted under the Inland spousal sponsorship category, applications submitted outside of Canada are processed by the visa office serving the spouse’s or partner’s country of origin or, alternatively, the country in which they have resided legally for at least one year.