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.

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.

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.

You must have Canadian citizenship or permanent 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.

You must be at least 18 years of age.

If you have previously made a undertaking regarding a former wife, husband, spouse or conjugal partner, that undertaking must have ended.

You must demonstrate that you have sufficient financial resources to comply with your undertaking.

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).  

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.

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 before submitting your sponsorship application.

You must not have been convicted in Canada or abroad of any of the following:

• A sexual offence;  
• An attempt or threat to commit a sexual offence;  
• An offence resulting in bodily harm against a close friend or relative;  
• An offence that is either attempted or threatened, resulting in bodily harm against a close friend or relative  
• A violent crime;  
• An attempt to commit a violent criminal act.

If you have been convicted of any of these offences, you must:

• Have obtained a final acquittal;  
• Or have obtained a suspension of your criminal record;  
• Or have completed your sentence at least five years prior to submitting your application.

You must not be the object of a Government of Canada deportation measure or be detained in a penitentiary or a prison.