The Government of Canada created the Spousal Sponsorship Program, a section of the Family Class Sponsorship Program which allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for Canadian Permanent Residency. Both the sponsor and the sponsored partner must receive approval from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) in order for the sponsored person to receive Canadian Permanent Residency.
Couples can apply under one of two categories of Spousal Sponsorship Program: Inland application and Outland application. Each category has pros and cons that should be considered before submitting an application.
Inland Applications Couples who wish to submit a sponsorship application while already living in Canada must submit an ‘Inland’ application. If a couple is pursuing an Inland application, the sponsored spouse may become eligible to obtain an open work permit, allowing them to work while waiting for the sponsorship result. Application for open work permits is usually submitted with the Inland sponsorship application. Remeber, the applicant is not allowed to work in Canada without a valid work permit. Also keep in mind that if the applicants leaves Canada during the application process there is a risk of declaring his/her application “abandoned” by CIC.
Outland Application If sponsored partner is living outside of Canada, the coule may apply for the Outland category. Outland applicants can still be in Canada and apply through the Outland program, and may be permitted to travel in and out of Canada throughout the application process. Outland applications are processed through the visa office that serves the applicant’s country of origin, or where they have resided legally for at least one year. Thus, processing times for applications will depend on the visa office.
