Sponsoring a spouse or conjugal partner
Verifying your eligibility to sponsor your spouse or conjugal partner
To sponsor your wife or husband, spouse or conjugal partner, you must meet the following conditions.
Confirmation from the Government of Canada of your eligibility as a guarantor
You must have submitted a sponsorship application in advance to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) . You must then have received a letter from IRCC that:
- Was sent to you, not to the person you want to sponsor;
- Indicates that you are eligible for the sponsorship;
- Invites you to continue the steps you are taking with the Gouvernement du Québec.
Note that, at this stage, IRCC has, in general, recognized your eligibility as a sponsor, but has not yet verified:
- The family relationship between you and the person you want to sponsor;
- The other requirements that the person you want to sponsor must comply with to obtain permanent residence.
Conditions that the person you sponsor must comply with
You must check whether the person you want to sponsor complies with the conditions of the family reunification category in order to sponsor a wife, husband, spouse or conjugal partner.
Place of residence
You must live in Québec. If you are a Canadian citizen, you may reside abroad at the time of application, but you must undertake to reside in Québec when your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner becomes a permanent resident.
Previous undertakings
If you have previously made a undertaking regarding a former wife, husband, spouse or conjugal partner, that undertaking must have ended.
Financial capacity
If your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner has a dependent child who has a dependent child of his or her own, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient financial resources to comply with your undertaking.
Financial obligations
If you have already made a sponsorship undertaking or undertakings, you must demonstrate that:
- You have honoured your financial obligations;
- If applicable, you have repaid to the Gouvernement du Québec or another province any sum that was disbursed to this person as last resort financial assistance (social assistance).
Last resort financial assistance (social assistance)
You must not have received last resort financial assistance, except if this assistance is given to you due to your age or disability, which creates barriers to your employment that are severe, permanent or for an indefinite term.
Support
If you must pay support after an official judgment, you must have honoured your obligations over the past five years. Otherwise, you must have repaid any amount owed.
Offence against the person
You must not have been convicted, in Canada or abroad, of murder or an offence provided for in Schedule I or II of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act , particularly:
- A sexual offence;
- An attempt or threat to commit a sexual offence;
- An offence causing bodily harm;
- An attempt or threat of offence causing bodily harm.
If you have been convicted of any of these offences, you must have been acquitted as a last resort or rehabilitated or have finished serving your sentence at least five years before submitting your application.
Removal or detention measure
You must not be the object of a Government of Canada deportation measure or be detained in a penitentiary or a prison.
Next
Contact the ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration
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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: from 8:00 to 16:00
Wednesday: from 10:00 to 16:30
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Greater Montréal: 514-864-9191
Elsewhere in Québec (Toll free): 1-877-864-9191
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Last update: April 18, 2024