Canadian citizens and permanent residents with foreign spouses or partners may wish to sponsor them to come and live in Canada in the near future. The spouse visa Canada makes this possible.
Individuals who plan to use this program to bring their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner to Canada with their dependents must provide proof of their genuine relationship. This guide will look at the various forms of proof accepted by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for this program.
The Canadian Spouse Visa recognizes three types of relationships.
Canadian permanent residents and citizens can sponsor family members, spouses, or other types of partners through the Canadian family sponsorship program. Each of these types of relationships is described below:
Spouse
IRCC defines a spouse as someone who:
- 18 years of age or older
- Legally married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of either sex
Common-Law Partner
IRCC defines a common-law partner as someone who is:
- 18 years of age or older
- of either gender
- Unlawfully married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Has lived in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for a minimum of 12 months.
Conjugal Partner
According to the IRCC, a conjugal partner is someone who is:
- 18 years of age or older
- of either gender
- Unlawfully married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- For a minimum of 12 months, you must be in a relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- residing outside of Canada
- With legal and immigration issues, they are unable to live with their partner in their current country of residence.
6 Ways to Demonstrate a Relationship’s Sincerity
The IRCC allows Canadian residents and permanent residents to present various proof to show that their relationship with their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner is genuine. These are outlined below.
1. Marriage License
A marriage certificate is a legally issued and recognized document that proves the union of two people. For Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want to sponsor a spouse, this is the most important form of proof.
Individuals in a common-law or conjugal partnership are not legally married, so they must provide other proof, such as:
- personal statements of when, where, how you met, and the difficulties you have faced in trying to be together reference letters from friends or family that can attest to your relationship
2. Shared Bank Accounts
If the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and their partner have a joint bank account in Canada, they must demonstrate that the accounts are registered to the same address. This is helpful for spouses and common-law partners who need to show they live together.
3. Leases in Partnership
If the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and their partner own a home together or have a joint lease, they must provide proof of ownership or a joint lease with their sponsorship application. This is helpful for spouses and common-law partners who need to show they live together.
4. Shared Utility Bills
Spouses or partners who live together can provide proof by presenting joint utility bills such as electricity bills, water bills, or bills.
5. Photos of Relationships
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can provide photographic evidence of their relationship with their spouse or partner. Couples should ideally include at least twenty photos depicting their relationship from the time they met to the present.
Married couples should include wedding photos with their application. Those in common-law or conjugal relationships who do not have wedding photos can display photos of themselves with friends and family. This demonstrates that the couple’s friends and family are aware of their relationship.
6. Relationship Story
An important Document 1 that Applicants 2 should cover with their application 3 is a related story and account. This Document 1 tells the story of the grouped in 2’s relation from the start to the present. Every person should write the story and account from their own point of view in order to get to the visa officer that the relationship is what it seems or is said to be.
Do you require assistance with obtaining a Canadian spouse visa?
Prospective Contact us if you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen and want to sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner to come to Canada.
Our exceptional team of Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants is familiar with visitor visa Canada and the requirements for the spouse sponsorship program and can advise you on how to optimize your application for success.